One of TN members gave a speech
Mr. Rohan AGRAWAL, a key member of Team Netaji gave a speech at "Meeting for youth on the 70th year after the world war II" hold at Yasukuni Shrine on 15th of August 2015.
His manuscript is attached as follows.
Rohan Agrawal
Representative from Team Netaji & Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
Title: Tribute to martyrs and greetings on Japan’s support for Indian Independence
Thanks to the Organizers for providing us an opportunity to pay tribute to the martyrs and convey our greetings on Japan’s support for Indian Independence.
Unknown to most Indians and Japanese one day common to the destinies of both the countries is 15th August. Lord Louis Mountbatten, the Allied Supreme Commander South-East Asia region and free India’s first Governor General, decided that he would grant India independence in 1947 the same day he had taken surrender from Japan in the WWII.
Since that time, generations have grown in India not knowing the facts of history as they continue to take as truth much of the war time propaganda as facts of history. It was India’s misfortune that the fruits of the struggle of Subhas Chandra Bose, which he could wage with the help of Japanese benefactors, were reaped by his political opponents.
The true fact of history has been inscribed in the Yasukini Shrine. These are the words form a letter written in 1998 by Captain SS Yadav, general secretary of INA veterans’ association in India. In it, he outlined the appreciation of those Indians who fought for India’s freedom:
“We the members of the Indian National Army pay our highest and most revered tributes to our comrades-in-arms members of the Japanese Imperial Army who laid down their lives on the battlefields of Imphal and Kohima for the liberation of India. The Indian nation will ever remain grateful to valiant martyrs of Japan and we pray for eternal peace of their soul.”
I can cite other sources also. Col GS Dhillon of the INA was put on trial in Delhi as a war criminal in 1945 but was set fee like everyone else when the then rulers of India saw the anger rise among Indians. This was the only trial after WWII (other than those in Tokyo and Nuremberg) where the so-called “war criminals” were set free.
In part it happened because all Japanese prisoners who were made to depose as witnesses spoke and proved of their genuine support for the cause of Indian freedom. Dhillon wrote in his 1998 memoires that he remained “under a debt of gratitude to the Japanese forever”.
Now there is a whole body of evidence highlighting that the Indian independence came about because of Japan’s help. Various intelligence reports which are now available in public domain clearly indicate that INA, with Japanese support could create enough damage to the British Empire to force it to liberate India.
It is worth mentioning that National Army Museum in London has rated the battle of Imphal-Kohima as the “Greatest British Battle”. British PM Clement Attlee mentioned during his private visit to India in 1956 that Netaji’s INA & the uprising in the Armed Forces made the British government realize that they could no longer hold on to India. Hence, it is very important for Indians to pay highest tributes to all the martyrs including both Japanese & Indian soldiers of INA.
Japan’s support for Indian independence triggered in 1915 when the founder of INA, Shri Ras Behari Bose got the shelter from Pan-Asian leaders like Mitsuru Toyama san, Tsyuyoshi Inukai and others in Japan. The Indian prisoners of war captured by the Japanese forces were encouraged to join the Indian Independence League and become the soldiers of the Indian National Army (INA).
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose then took the lead of INA in 1943. Under Netaji Bose's leadership, it drew ex-prisoners of war as well as volunteers from Indian expatriate population in Malaya and Burma. This INA fought along with the Japanese Army against the British forces in the campaigns in Burma, Imphal and Kohima.
During 1945-46, public trials of INA soldiers became a galvanizing point of the Indian Independence movement. The Bombay mutiny in the British Indian forces, as well as a number of other mutinies in 1946 have been credited to the nationalistic influence from the fallout of the INA trials. Historians point out these events played a crucial role in hastening the end of British rule in India.
On this day we would also like to highlight towards one very important fact that in 1945, Netaji Bose along with General Tsunamasa Shidei fled to Russia. Justice Mukherjee has confirmed that the news of Netaji’s death in Taiwan in August 1945 was actually a smokescreen created by Netaji Bose and his Japanese benefactors to ensure his escape to Soviet Russia.
In Sep-1946, Dr Radhabinode Pal, whose statue is here in Yasukuni shrine, informed Netaji Bose’s elder brother, Sarat Chandra Bose that according to an American Intelligence Report, which was shown to him by the American Judge of the Tribunal, Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in Aug-1945 and had safely reached Manchuria.
While it is very important for Government of India to de-classify all the files related to Netaji Bose s that people can be made aware of Netaji Bose’s activities after 1945, the Japanese government should also investigate and de-classify the activities of General Tsunamasa Shidei, who allegedly went to Russia with Bose in 1945.
In the end we would like to make three requests with all the people being assembled over here:
- Please pay our highest tributes to all the martyrs and we shall thank them for their support towards Indian independence
- We shall always follow the principle of “Vasudev Kutumbkam” i.e. “The whole world is one family”, and so we should live peacefully with everyone and should help whoever in need.
- In order to fairly honor the greatest leaders & supporters of Indian Independence, we shall continue to seek for the de-classification of all the information related to Netaji Bose & General Shidei from various Governments. As this is the only ways we could bring justice to our Heroes!
Jai Hind!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai! (X 3 times)
