A MEMORIAL TO THE MARTYRS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY AND THE REVOLUTIONARY STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM MUST YET BE
25,963 soldiers of the armed forces of India have laid down their lives for the defence of India in 72 years since Independence. We salute them. Now consider the fact that 26,000 soldiers of the Indian National Army laid down their lives in the War of Liberation of India. Besides this, thousands were reportedly murdered by the British in transit prison camps at Barasat, Neelgunge and Jhikargachha. How stupendous was their sacrifice considering the compressed timespan of a year and a half in which they sacrificed themselves and out of a total strength of a mere 60,000 soldiers ! And, yet, the Government of India, for all its good intent, thought it worthwhile to erect the War Memorial for the martyred soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces but chose to ignore the greater claim of the Indian National Army's martyrs for such a memorial.
Today, history is being unkind to the forgotten sons and daughters who were martyred in the freedom struggle but I prophesy that in the not too distant future this very history will take a U-turn and honour the heroes over the INA and the other martyred revolutionaries over the freedom struggle. Then things will fall in line and perspectives will change. Then children will grow up singing the glories of these fallen heroes as the first martyrs whose whose spilled blood built the edifice of our Independence. Unto such a day I send my wish tonight that the martyrs' blood be avenged in the right chronicling of our freedom struggle and in the raising of a monument to their memory in every metropolis of India and in every heart and soul of emerging India.
Vande Mataram ! Jai Hind !
Written by Sugata Bose
25,963 soldiers of the armed forces of India have laid down their lives for the defence of India in 72 years since Independence. We salute them. Now consider the fact that 26,000 soldiers of the Indian National Army laid down their lives in the War of Liberation of India. Besides this, thousands were reportedly murdered by the British in transit prison camps at Barasat, Neelgunge and Jhikargachha. How stupendous was their sacrifice considering the compressed timespan of a year and a half in which they sacrificed themselves and out of a total strength of a mere 60,000 soldiers ! And, yet, the Government of India, for all its good intent, thought it worthwhile to erect the War Memorial for the martyred soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces but chose to ignore the greater claim of the Indian National Army's martyrs for such a memorial.
Today, history is being unkind to the forgotten sons and daughters who were martyred in the freedom struggle but I prophesy that in the not too distant future this very history will take a U-turn and honour the heroes over the INA and the other martyred revolutionaries over the freedom struggle. Then things will fall in line and perspectives will change. Then children will grow up singing the glories of these fallen heroes as the first martyrs whose whose spilled blood built the edifice of our Independence. Unto such a day I send my wish tonight that the martyrs' blood be avenged in the right chronicling of our freedom struggle and in the raising of a monument to their memory in every metropolis of India and in every heart and soul of emerging India.
Vande Mataram ! Jai Hind !
Written by Sugata Bose
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