Forward Bloc and The INA

Gandhiji and Bose

Reason — The Surat Split took place between the Moderates and the Assertive Nationalists. In the same way, the Tripuri Split of 1939 reflected the conflict between the Gandhian group and Subhas Chandra Bose. Subhas Chandra Bose’s re-election as Congress President widened the gulf between these two groups in the Congress.

Pattabhi Sitaramaiyya

Reason — At the Tripuri Session in 1939, Subhas Chandra Bose contested the election for the Congress Presidentship against Pattabhi Sitaramaiyya, who was supported by Gandhiji. Bose won the election by a majority of votes.

Socialist

Reason — After independence, the Forward Bloc proposed to establish a Socialist State. It aimed at reorganising agriculture and industry on socialist lines, abolishing the zamindari system, and introducing a new monetary and credit system.

Indian National Army

Reason — After Subhas Chandra Bose reached Singapore in July 1943, he took charge of the Indian National Army in August 1943 and became its Supreme Commander. Under his leadership, the INA was reorganised to fight for India’s freedom.

(i) and (ii)

Reason — The main objectives of the INA were to organise an armed revolution and fight the British army with modern arms, and to organise a Provisional Government of Free India. Although total mobilisation of Indian manpower and money was also mentioned, it was meant for a total war for liberation, not for ending the Second World War.

Give me blood, and I'll give you freedom.

Reason — Just as “Do or Die” became the slogan of the Quit India Movement, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose gave the stirring call, “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom,” to inspire the soldiers and supporters of the INA to make sacrifices for India’s liberation.

(i), (ii), (iv) and (iii)

Reason — The correct order is: Congress Presidentship in 1938, formation of the Forward Bloc in 1939, Supreme Commander of the INA in August 1943, and Provisional Government of Free India in October 1943. So the correct chronological order should be (i), (ii), (iv) and (iii).

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Reason — Provisional Government under Netaji acquired its first stretch of territory in India when Japan handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to it on 6 November 1943. Netaji renamed these islands Shaheed and Swaraj respectively.

Small scale industries

Reason — Netaji laid stress on organisation of masses, large-scale industrialisation and national planning for attaining independence and rebuilding India. He did not favour small-scale industries as the main basis of national development.

(I) and (II) are independent of each other.

Explanation — Statement (I) is true because Subhas Chandra Bose believed in adopting assertive and radical methods for attaining Swaraj.

Statement (II) is also true. He won the election for the Presidentship of the Congress for a second term by a majority of votes.

However, Statement (II) does not explain why he believed in assertive methods. Both statements refer to different aspects of his role in the National Movement.

Therefore, Statement (I) and Statement (II) are independent of each other.

(I) is the reason for (II)

Explanation — Statement (I) is true because Subhas Chandra Bose resigned from the Presidentship of the Congress in 1939 due to differences with the Gandhian wing of the Congress.

Statement (II) is also true. After resigning, he founded a new party called the Forward Bloc to bring the entire Left wing under one banner.

Thus, his resignation from the Congress Presidentship led him to form the Forward Bloc.

Therefore, Statement (I) is the reason for Statement (II).

(II) is the reason for (I).

Explanation — Statement (I) is true because the idea of the Indian National Army (INA) was conceived in Malaya by Mohan Singh.

Statement (II) is also true. The Japanese handed over Indian prisoners of war to Mohan Singh, and he recruited them into the INA.

This gave Mohan Singh the opportunity to organise Indian soldiers into an army to fight for India’s freedom.

Therefore, Statement (II) is the reason for (I).

(I) is true but (II) is false.

Explanation — Statement (I) is true because Subhas Chandra Bose set up the INA headquarters in Yangon and Singapore.

Statement (II) is false because Bose did not believe in organising a non-violent struggle from outside India. He believed in an armed struggle against the British with the help of the INA.

Therefore, Statement (I) is true but Statement (II) is false.

Pant, Patel and some other members of the All-India Congress Committee wanted that Subhas should constitute his working committee in accordance with the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi. However, Mahatma Gandhi refused to suggest any name. As a result, Bose resigned from the chairmanship of the party on 29 April, 1939.

Rashbehari Bose organised the Indian Independence League to form an association with the objective of contributing to the liberation of India and serving the interests of the overseas Indians during the critical period.

Mohan Singh was the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian National Army.

The two slogans which became the war cry of the INA were 'Delhi Chalo' and 'Jai Hind'.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands were renamed as 'Shaheed' and 'Swaraj'.

The Indian National Army was three kilometres from Imphal when the Japanese forces had to withdraw from the Indo-Burma border because of their entanglement with the Americans in the Pacific Ocean. The rainy season set in and Rangoon was recaptured by the British in May, 1945. The INA soldiers were disarmed and made prisoners of war. Hence, the INA couldn't capture Imphal.

Two contributions of Subhas Chandra Bose to India's freedom struggle were-

1. He led the freedom struggle outside India as the Supreme Commander of the INA. He set up the Provisional Government of Free India in Singapore.
2. He declared war on Britain and the USA and acquired its first stretch of territory in India when Japan handed over Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The INA was unique in its own way and unlike many other armies engaged in the global war.

1. It was an army organised on foreign soil, hundreds of kilometres away from its motherland.
2. It was dependent on foreign powers for planes, tanks, artillery, rifles, ammunition and even lorries for the transport of soldiers to the front.
3. It depended upon the patriotic fervour of its nationals scattered over East Asia, from Myanmar to Japan, for men, money, clothing, food and other civilian supplies.
4. However, its greatest asset was the spirit of self-sacrifice of the men who enthusiastically volunteered to lay down their lives.

(a) Bose felt the urgent need for an organised left-wing party in the Congress. After resigning from the Presidentship of the Congress in 1939, he laid the foundation of a new party within the Congress, to bring the entire left wing under one banner. This party, known as Forward Bloc, was formed on May 3, 1939.

(b) Forward Bloc's immediate objective was liberation of India with the support of workers, peasants, youth and other organisations.

After attaining independence, Forward Bloc would work for the establishment of a Socialist State through:

1. Reorganisation of agriculture and industry on socialist lines
2. Abolition of the Zamindari system
3. Introduction of a new monetary and credit system

(c) Two main objectives of the Provisional Government of Free India were-

1. The major task of the Provisional Government was to launch and conduct the struggle that would bring about the expulsion of the British and their allies from the Indian soil.
2. Another important task assigned to the Provisional Government was to establish a permanent national government of Azad Hind.

Two countries that recognised the Provisional Government of India formed in Singapore in 1943 were Japan and Germany.

(a) Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is addressing members (troops) of the Indian National Army (INA). The victorious troops referred to in the excerpt are the soldiers of the INA. The term ‘Nipponese’ refers to the Japanese, who were allies of the INA during World War II.

(b) Subhas Chandra Bose is talking about the War of Liberation of India from the British rule. He started his campaign from Southeast Asia. The INA, under his leadership, fought alongside the Japanese in Burma (now Myanmar) and parts of Northeast India.

(c) Bose demanded ‘total mobilization’ from his troops, which meant complete commitment to the cause of India’s freedom. He asked for men, money, and materials, and above all, he demanded their blood, symbolizing their willingness to sacrifice their lives for the cause. While the INA did not succeed in achieving immediate independence for India, their efforts and sacrifices significantly contributed to the eventual end of British rule in India.

(a) The person in the picture is Mohan Singh, an Indian Officer in the British Indian Army.

He organised the Indian National Army.

The idea of the Indian National Army was conceived in Malaya by Mohan Singh, an Indian officer in the British Indian Army. It was formed in the following manner:

1. Indian Prisoners of War (POW's) were handed over by the Japanese to Mohan Singh who inducted them into the INA.
2. The fall of Singapore was crucial, for this brought 45,000 Indian POW's into Mohan Singh's sphere of influence.
3. By the end of 1942, forty thousand men expressed their willingness to join the INA.

(b) The main objectives of the INA were as follows-

1. To organise an armed revolution and to fight the British army with modern arms.
2. Since it was not possible for the Indians to organise an armed revolution from their homeland, this task must be assigned to the Indians living abroad, particularly on Indians living in East Asia.
3. To organise a provisional government of Free India in order to mobilise all the forces effectively.
4. Total mobilisation of Indian man-power and money for a total war.
5. The motto of the INA was 'unity, faith, sacrifice'.

Yes, the INA achieved its objectives to some extent.

(c) The Indian National Army's contribution to India's freedom struggle is as follows-

1. The Revolt of 1942 and the INA had revealed the heroism of the Indians.
2. With the end of the Second World War and release of the national leaders from jail, the people began to look forward to another, perhaps the final struggle for freedom.
3. The INA inspired uprisings in the armed forces of the country.
4. The Indian Naval ratings in Mumbai rose in revolt in February 1946. Similar uprisings took place at Kolkata, Chennai and Karachi. These naval revolts shook the foundation of the British Empire.
5. Demonstrations demanding the release of INA officers were held all over the country.
6. The British Government was at that time in no position to ignore Indian opinion.
7. Even though the court-martial held the INA prisoners guilty, the Government had to set them free.
8. The INA set an inspiring example of patriotism.
9. The heroic deeds and sacrifices of the soldiers of INA led to political consciousness among the Indian forces.
10. The British now realised that they could not rely on the Indian forces to continue their rule in India.

Yes, Subhas Chandra Bose set an inspiring example of patriotism in the following ways:

1. Subhas Chandra Bose travelled from country to country with great difficulty enduring a lot of hardships to gather international support for the Indian freedom struggle.
2. Subhas Chandra Bose started the armed revolution for the liberation of India through Indian National Army (INA). This infused courage and confidence in the hearts of freedom fighters.
3. Even though the court-martial of the INA officers held them guilty, the British Government had to set them free due to the demonstrations held all over the country.
4. The INA inspired uprisings in the armed forces of the country. The Indian Navy rose in revolt which shook the foundations of the British Empire.
5. The British realised that they could not rely on the Indian forces to continue their rule in India.

It is true that the Indian National Army built by Subhas Chandra Bose was far ahead of its time. It was an army organised on foreign soil, hundreds of kilometres away from its motherland. It depended upon the patriotic fervour of its nationals scattered over East Asia, from Myanmar to Japan, for men, money, clothing, food and other civilian supplies. However, its greatest asset was the spirit of self-sacrifice of the men who enthusiastically volunteered to lay down their lives.