Subhash Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army : When the Quit India Movement was losing its momentum, the struggle for Indian freedom was going on outside India under a different leadership given by Subhash Chandra Bose. 

Subhash Chandra Bose had difference of opinion with Gandhiji regarding the Indian . National Movement which made him leave the Congress and start his own struggle for freedom. Bose was arrested by the British Government in 1939. In 1941, however, he escaped from India to Berlin to secure German help for India’s independence, but very soon he felt that Germany was not interested in helping him to achieve his goal. So, he left for Japan to organise an armed struggle against the British rule with Japanese help. 

Rash Behari Bose, an Indian revolutionary, was living in Japan since 1915. He wanted to mobilise Indians for an armed struggle against the British. He mobilised the Indian soldiers who were defeated by the Japanese while fighting on behalf of the British army. Subhash Chandra Bose was now invited to lead the movement. He came to Tokyo in June 1943. Ultimately he reached Singapore on July 2, 1943 where he was handed over the leadership of the Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army. Subhash now became known as Netaji, the supreme leader of the Azad Hind Fauj. 40,000 Indian soldiers who had been taken prisoners by Japan now turned into patriots and liberators under Subhash. 

Netaji set up the Provisional Government of India in Singapore on October 21st, 1943. Besides himself, A.C. Chatterjee, S.A. Nyer and Mrs. Lakshi Swami-nathan were sworn in as cabinet ministers. This Provisional Government declared war on British and America. 

The Provisional Government was recognised by Japan, Germany, Italy, Nationalist China, Burma and Thailand. The Andaman and Nicobar islands were handed over by Japan to the Provisional Government of India and were renamed Shaheed and Swaraj Islands. 

The overseas Indians contributed generously with money and materials for the army. Netaji now gave his famous calls ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Dilli Chalo’. The most famous declaration of Subhash Chandra was ‘Turn mujhe khoon do, main tumhen azadi doonga’ (you give me blood, I will give you freedom). The INA later joined the Japanese army in its March on India from Burma. They crossed the Indian Frontier on March 18, 1944 and the Indian tri-colour national flag was hoisted in Kohima (Nagaland). 

The INA captured Kohima on March 18,1944. The Japanese Military command was all praises for the valour and patriotism of the INA. The INA had to withdraw due to torrential rains, short supplies, lack of air support and losses inflicted by the American bombers. 

Japan was finally defeated and the INA had to surrender. Subhash Chandra Bose and his comrade, Habib-ur-Rehman, escaped. It is believed that while on their way to Tokyo their plane crashed and Subhash Chandra Bose died. This brought to an end the activities of the INA. ‘