When Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945?) was fighting for Indian independence taking enormous risks, there were forces in India that supported him and, even when they differed with his unhesitating decision to get Nazi help, silently watched him. Then there were forces that openly opposed him, belittled his efforts and, worse, even betrayed him to the British. So, on the 75th anniversary of Azad Hind government, let us look into who the supporters and betrayers of Netaji Bose were.

Rash Behari Bose (1886-1945), a great Indian revolutionary and an exile in Japan from 1916, was an advocate of pan-Asianism. He saw in Japan an opportunity to liberate Asian nations from colonialism. At the same time, he was not very comfortable with Japan’s imperialist plans. Though in the course of the Second World War he would become silent and focus only on the liberation of India, as early as 1934 he had warned Japan not to antagonise the United States (US) and (then non-Communist) China as well as Soviet Union. He warned, “An American Japanese War will weaken these two great powers who are serious rivals of Great Britain. Those Americans and Japanese who are real patriots should do their best to promote American-Japanese friendship.”

Rash Behari Bose also toured Thailand and created a network base there for patriotic Indians. Bose created Indian Independence League (IIL) in Bangkok and its branches were established in Malaya. After Singapore fell to the Japanese, the Indian National Army (INA) was formed by Rash Behari Bose. This organisation was handed over to Netaji Bose by Rash Behari.