Provisional Government of Free India, Singapore, October 1943

On 21st October 1943, Subhash set up the Provisional Government of Free India in Singapore. The INA took half a year for its preparation to march to India. In March 1944, the INA commenced its military campaign with the battle cry of Subhash “Dilli Chalo” against Burma and the columns of the army reached Kohima and laid siege of Imphal. The provisional Government of India was recognized by Japan, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Burma, Thailand, Nationalist China, Philippines etc. This provisional Government was given Andaman and Nicobar Islands by the Japanese which had occupied them earlier.

• The two islands were renamed by Subhash as Shaheed (Martyr) & Swaraj (Self-rule).
• Here on December 30, 1943 Subhash Chandra Bose first raised the flag of Indian independence.

  From March to July 1944, the Japanese armies along with INA attempted to destroy the Allied forces at Imphal and invade India. This was known as Battle of Imphal. Here, the Japanese forces were driven back into Burma with heavy losses. INA also lost lots of men and material. There was another Battle of Kohima going on simultaneously in which the INA and Japanese forces unsuccessfully encircled Allied forces.

  But the fate changed soon after. Japan suffered the biggest defeat in this part of the world. In May 1945, Rangoon was recaptured by British. On August 6, 1945 and August 9, 1945, two atom bombs were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki and in the next month, Japan surrendered.

• At the time of surrender of Japan, in September 1945, Bose left for Manchuria to attempt to contact the advancing Soviet troops. But here, he was toppled by the forces of history. L