India’s Freedom Struggle

as a large spread of greenery, overlooked by the National Gallery of Singapore. Visiting the site, I felt transported back in time to imagine myself standing in the crowd and listening to one of greatest patriots of India motivating fellow Indians to join his military quest to free their motherland from the colonisers. His famous marching call “Dilli Chalo” echoed in my ears.

StAMfORD ROAD

Similar emotions engulfed me when at the site of the former Capital Building on Stamford Road. It was here that Bose, on 21 October 1943, announced the formation of the Provisional Government of Free India in Singapore, declaring himself as the Head of State, Prime Minister and Minister of War. Though declared outside India, many regard this as the forerunner of India’s independence.

In his inspirational speech, he is reported to have said the following: “In the name of

God, in the name of bygone generations who have welded the Indian people into one nation, and in the name of the dead heroes who have bequeathed to us a tradition of heroism and self-sacrifice, we call upon the Indian people to rally round our banner and strike for India’s freedom. We call upon them to launch the final struggle against the British and their allies in India and to prosecute that struggle with valour and perseverance and full faith in final victory until the enemy is expelled from Indian soil and the Indian people are once again a Free Nation.” Regrettably, around the site there is no plaque or memorial in tribute to this episode so important in the history of both India and Singapore.

ESPLANADE PARk

Fortunately, there is an INA memorial inside the nearby Esplanade Park installed in 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II. It stands on the site of the original memorial established in 1945 by Bose himself but was destroyed after the war.

It was one of the proudest moments of my life to stand there and pay homage to the soldiers of the INA who gallantly contributed to the birth of free India which finally and formally came on 15 August 1947.

ChEttIAR tEMPLE

There are a few other memoirs in Singapore that mark footsteps of Bose, the Chettiar Temple on Tank Road being one of them. It’s said Bose would frequently drop in there with his close associate and Muslim INA officer Abid Hasan, attesting to his principle of making no division based on religion and language. While in Singapore he formed within INA a women's brigade called the Rani Jhansi Regiment. That testified to his other principle of not differentiating between the sexes either.

Getting There Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com) and Scoot (www.flyscoot.com)fly direct flight to Singapore from multiple Australian cities. All passengers entering Singapore are required to fill in the Digital SG Arrival Card.

Stay Neighbouring the Little India conclave, Village Hotel Albert Court (www.villagehotels. asia) is located close to the Bose memoirs and offers complimentary breakfast, late checkout and currency vouchers as a part of their discovery package.