The Indian National Army (WW2): Heroes or Traitors?

Question

I am interested in the opinions of Indians concerning the Indian National Army ( Azad Hind Fauj ), which fought - often very bravely - alongside the Japanese in WW2. In particular, even if you consider the INA soldiers were heroic fighters for India's freedom, I would like to hear how you feel about the incidents in which they beat or tortured fellow-Indian soldiers, captured by the Japanese, who refused to join the INA. Please give reasons for your views.

I'm about to choose a Best Answer. My thanks to all respondents for your thoughtful replies.
I am sorry to have received only a few responses from citizens of India, but ALL answers were good and helpful to me.
Thank you!
ManxMinnJack

Answer 1

You said "the opinions of Indians". Sorry, I didn't catch that at first, but I'm sort of an "Indian"-- a member of a Native American tribe. They used to mistakenly call us "Indians", but that label is out of fashion now, and, besides, I'm three-quarters "white" and don't look particularly Indian.

Heroes? Traitors? Heroism is an individual thing. Undoubtedly there was heroism displayed, and some may argue that the very formation of the Indian National Army was treason, but I think "traitor" is a pretty strong word to use in this situation.

I think also that it is universally true that we must forgive people for the good of our own souls, to secure forgiveness ourselves, and to find closure for old wounds that might run generations deep.

I have got to say that individuals and military units that willingly beat and torture their own countryman while serving under an enemy flag are doing something terrible. Such actions stink, and a stink smells the same in every country.
Other than that, I really find it hard to believe that every single member of Azad Hind Fauj committed atrocities against fellow Indians. As an outsider, of course, I will gladly submit to correction on this point if manifestly wrong.

Had I been an adult living in India at the time, perhaps I would have seen the Asian part of WW2 as a struggle between a western empire rather undemocratically ruling an eastern nation, and a rising eastern imperial power offering India liberation from Imperial Britain. My grandfather-- a white man-- was in Asia in the U.S. Army for a short time more than a hundred years ago and he said that people there generally had a different perspective on the British and the Americans than we do.

He said "I felt ashamed of my own race" at the way he had seen Britons and Americans behave away from home while enjoying positions of power and authority over others.

He said that he had spoken with his own grandfather, who lived at a time close to the American Revolution. HIs generation felt differently about the British than did my grandfather's generation. And my grandfather's father was a 10 to 14-year-old boy in the South during the Civil War, and he viewed the war very differently than an uncle who left in the night to join the Northern Army.

(Question, open to Indians and everybody: Which one was the traitor?)

"Not everybody sees things the same way, and
time changes people's viewpoints," my grandfather said, and he was right about that.

In war, as we all know, motives and actions vary widely from combatant to combatant. It is all too easy to see WW2 or any other war merely as a struggle between good guys and bad guys. There is one answer to your question to fit people who actually initiated and took part in atrocities, and another answer for those who, however misguidedly, thought they were fighting for the freedom of their country.

Those doing wrong out of "right" motives are certainly accountable for their actions, but half a century seems ample time for to begin to undertake closure and forgiveness for people who were merely misguided. This might not apply to sadists and torturers. This probably does not apply to leaders of countries who institute cruelty and genocide as national policies.

The movie "Schindler's List" make us abundantly aware of wide differences among human beings of whatever description. And, of course, there are soldiers on all sides in all wars who have done terrible things under the stress of combat or vengefulness. It is easy to fall back on base motives during war. It is easy to justify these motives under the cloak of "patriotism" or whatever.

The thought of Americans more than a century ago starving and beating fellow Americans at the Andersonville prison camp and other camps during the Civil War sometimes makes me wonder how low human nature can sink. But then heroism in war-- risking life to save another soldier-- and quiet service to humanity in peacetime, great victories WITHOUT WAR such as won by Mahatma Ghandi-- show me how high we can rise if we choose. Perhaps we should try to answer this and other vexing questions in the spirit of the great Ghandi. He avoided grudges, and thought of no one as an outsider. He was in favor of forgiveness.


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Answer 2

The people in the INA viewed the British as a evil tyranny that had to be chased out of India. They thought that the Japanese would be their salvation. In hindsight this was a foolish notion, the Japanese would have been brutal oppressors far beyond the English. However, the members of the INA were convinced of their cause and believed they were true patriots. They saw anyone that helped the Allies as traitors to India.

On the other side, the Indians that joined the British army felt that the Japanese were a bigger threat, and that they understood the British and were making progress. So they felt if they helped England, then they could use that gratitude as leverage to gain independence.

Both sides were convinced they were helping to free India, so really neither is a traitor. That's what happens when you get caught up in other people's wars, it gets complicated.

Answer 3

Indian forces are strong enough and I have no doubts on their capabilities. They can take on anyone. God willing that day would not come that we will have to fight a deadly war like war with China. As far as China is concerned, China has not fought any war for more than 5 decades, no one really know their capabilities. They have tried to show their power in some show parade, and we have seen. However, that is only what they show, and show off is not real, that may be 10% of what we know, 100% of what we know or blown out of proportion. Thus, I really do not know how strong is that nation. But I assume that country is not a peace of cake. Having said that, if these two nations are at war, win or lose is out of question, because the war will not come to any conclusion, before that international community will intervene and stop the war, but their will be disaster and both the sides will be losers, the question is who will lose more? Hopefully none will use nuclear weapons. Lets pray god for that.

Answer 4

Hello,

I am not Indian but it looks like they we regarded more as heroes since they escaped severe punishment at the end of the war.

Some captured Indian POW's who had fought for England joined the German army as well check this out:

http://www.feldgrau.com/azadhind.html

Some 2.5 million Indians fought the war for British rulers. A few thousand men and women joined the Germany-Japan-Italy (Aix Powers) alliance, under Subhash Chandra Bose, hoping to overthrow the British rulers from India.
In my opinion Bose's venture was romantic and could be classed as one chapter chapter in India's freedom struggle.

II doubt if most of the other 2.5 million Indians who donned Brirish uniforms during World War II did it for the honor and glory of the Empire or to free an enslaved Europe or Asia from th axis. It was only to earn their daily bread.

After the war it was less than 2 years from independence and I see these people were treated leniently meaning India herself did not think it was such a big issue or these men were actually treasonous.

Regards,

Michael Kelly

Answer 5

I think that at the very least they were seriously misguided. The choice was between the Brits, who had a comparatively mild rule and were planning to leave India anyway, and the Japanese, whose colonial rule was extremely harsh, especially in the areas they had recently conquered, and who were building an empire in a hurry and not likely to get out soon. Most Indians had the sense to see this.

Answer 6

they are certainly heroes for our country.because our land,our country was ruled by foreigners.would you like your country to be ruled by foreigners.these were not proffessional army people.Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who created INA himself had joined Congress,but he had some differences with Gandhi's non violent struggle.He was a believer of Gandhi's non violent struggle,but later on he believed tht non violent struggle wont give his country Independence.So while he was kept in house arrest by the British,he escaped from his house and started a journey to Germany,Italy,Japan to get the support of those countries.British were the superpower of that time,so it was impossible to overpower them by ordinary people.Whoever who took part in those wars,and whoever who gave up his/her life for this country.I am proud of it.
JAI HIND.
regarding the incidents that you have mentioned,I am not aware of it,and even if that has happened,its just an isolated incident.emotions were high,and those who refused to fight for the country may have been looked upn as traitors.there might not have any serious stuff that might have happend.

Answer 7

According to my knowledge INA never did anything to Indian independence ( correct me if im wrong) INA was most of the time engaged with Japs and Germans in WW2 - I believe the Japs never allowed subhash to take his decision of coming to India and fight.

Answer 8

today we have regiments and battalions which fought for the britishers. there are rajas and maharajs and nawabs who served the britishers willingly and volunteeded to kill the fellow countrymen. if you can term them as traitors and ask govt of the day shoot them at sight like the naxalites or militants then probably we can be drawn into debate in respect to credentials of the INA, led by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Answer 9

Wow! Thank you! Just what I was searching for. I looked for the answers on other websites but I couldn't find them.

Answer 10

it depends...