Yes, it is the day India gained independence
from the colonial British Empire. On this day, the Indian tricolor flag was
hoisted for the first time on the free Indian soil in Red Fort, Delhi.
This is what we were taught. But do you know
that there is a minor error in it???
The first time the Indian flag was ever hoisted
on free Indian soil was actually on 30th December 1943, much before India
attained independence. It was hoisted by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Port
Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, declaring the Islands as a free territory
from British rule.
The story goes much beyond the flag-hoisting
event. During World War 2, the Imperial Japanese forces took over the Andaman
& Nicobar Islands from colonial British rule in 1942. Netaji’s Indian
National Army (INA) was allied with the Japanese. So, he entered the Andaman
Islands with his army and formed the first government of free India called the
‘Azad Hind Government’. The flag hoisting was very special because, after this
event, the Azad Hind Govt was no longer a Govt in Exile. It became a government
that had its own land, flag, currency, civil code, stamp, etc. Netaji was the
Head of this government, and his Govt was the first Govt of free India.
From Andamans, Netaji left for Myanmar with his army for further fighting with the British forces. But unfortunately, they didn’t succeed. Many soldiers died in the battle, some surrendered, and many walked to Bangkok and Singapore. The Japanese had arranged transport for Netaji. But he preferred to walk with his remaining soldiers to Singapore.
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Soon, the Japanese lost World War 2. On 15
August 1945 the Japanese Admiral, General, and their forces surrendered the
Islands to Lt Col. Nathu Singh, Commandant 1/7 Rajputs, on board the Royal Navy
warship HMS Sandbar. This was the only time in history when a large-scale
Japanese force surrendered to Indian forces.
Later, it seems Netaji left Singapore for
Dalian, near the Soviet border, and died in an air crash. But it remains a
mystery, as many believe that he didn’t die in the air crash.
Netaji was a true patriot and a great human
being. But his ally, the Imperial Japanese forces, were very cruel.
Immediately, after their occupation in 1942, the Imperial Japanese forces
started torturing the local people in Andamans. Many were even killed. (Read
about the Homfreyganj massacre and the killing of Dr. Diwan Singh for more
details.) I had heard about stories of many such atrocities from my maternal
Grandfather and my paternal Grandmother. Those stories were unpublished but
remain in the memories of many locals of Andamans.
When Netaji arrived in December 1943, the local population was not allowed to meet him. As a result, he wasn’t aware of the atrocities of the cruel Japanese forces. In fact, when he was hoisting the Indian flag, local nationalists were being tortured in the cellular jail by the Japanese forces. However, after the Independence of India, these stories became public. Therefore, I believe that if Netaji had survived the air crash, then he would have been very sad after knowing about such atrocities against the people he loved, by the people he trusted.
Fast forward, at present, the place where Netaji
hoisted the Indian flag on 30th December 1943, stands as a memorial to this
great event in Port Blair and as a remembrance of the sacrifices of our elders
to liberate our motherland.
Andamans in itself is a treasure trove of many
such great historic events. I am glad I was born in Andamans, where many great
revolutionaries made sacrifices for the freedom of our motherland, and also in
a family of freedom fighters. Destiny made me to leave Andamans and to live out of India. But whenever I visit these places, the spirit of
nationalism and love for our motherland gets reignited in me.
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I would highly recommend all my Indian friends visit
Andamans and reignite the sense of pride of being an Indian.
Jai Hind!!!
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