Bose landed
in Sabang Island in Sumatra on May 6, 1943. He arrived in Tokyo
on May 16, 1943. Tojo received him on June 10, 1943.
July 4, 1943 - The
Indian Independence League (formed under a resolution adopted
at the representative conference of Indians in East Asia in
Bangkok, opened on June 15, 1942 and continued for 10 days)
at an open conference in Singapore invited Subhas Chandra Bose
to assume the leadership of the IIL and the INA.
July 5, 1943 - Subhas
Chandra reviewed the INA in front of Singapore's Municipal
Building.
July 6, 1943 - Japanese
Prime Minister Tojo reviewed the INA in the presence of Bose.
Field Marshal Count Terauchi, the Supreme Commander of the
Southern Army in Southeast Asia, was present. Tojo, Terauchi
and Bose held a brief meeting there.
October 21, 1943 - Subhas
announces the foundation of the Provisional Government of
Azad Hind in Singapore.
October 23-24, 1943 - Provisional
Government declared war against Britain and the USA. Eight
countries recognised the Provisional Government. Eamon de
Valera of the Irish Free State sent Bose his felicitations
on the formation of the Provisional Government.
December 29, 1943 - Japan
handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Azad Hind Government.
During December 1943, the 1st Division
of the INA moved to Rangoon with Col. Mohammad Zaman Kiani
as the commander.
Advanced Headquarters of Azad Hind Government, Supreme Headquarters
of the INA and offices of the IIL moved to Rangoon.
Azad Hind Dal contained young men and
women to be trained as future administrators of the liberated
territory of India.
In March-April 1944, the INA and Japanese
forces encircle the British in the Arakan Sector through which
the British were trying to invade Burma. The INA encircled
the 7th British Indian Division and put the enemy to flight.
It was a military success - the INA officers and men were
decorated for gallantry in the battlefield.
In the middle of March, the Ist Division of
INA advanced towards Imphal alongside the 15th Army of Japan
of which Lt. Gen. Kenya Mutaguchi, who had his headquarters
in North Burma, was the General Officer-in-Command.
The rationale of the expedition according
to Fujiwara : On August 18, 1943 Allied leaders at Quebec
had decided to launch operations to recapture Burma. War clouds
were lowering over Burma-China borders. The British-Indian
forces were advancing from the west, the US-Chinese forces
from the north and Chiang Kai-Shek's forces from the east
- simultaneously to recapture Burma.
Japan wanted to move into Assam to breach
the land supply routes of the USA from India to Chiang's forces
in China.
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