Arzi Hukumat e Azad Hind - Formation of Azad Hind Provisional Government on 21st October 1943

 Excerpt from www.netajisubhasbose.org

21 October, 1943, a Red Letter Day in the history of India, possibly the real day of her independence. On this day the proclamation of the formation of the provisional Azad Hind Government was made by Netaji in Singapore.  Ayer had mentioned as to how Netaji wrote the proclamation. He worked through the night, "did not lift his eyes from the paper in front of him, silently handed to me (Ayer) the first page as soon as he finished it and I walked out of the room and sat at the typewriter. Abid and Swami went to his room and brought me the proclamation manuscript, sheet after sheet, as Netaji finished it." Never once did Netaji refer to any of his earlier sheets, not a single correction was necessary. Delegates from all over East Asia were summoned to Singapore. In the Cathay Hall, as Dr. R.C Majumdar puts, before an almost hysteric crowd who stormed the precincts of the Cathay Hall and presented indescribable scenes of overpowering feelings and emotions, Netaji read his famous Proclamation setting up the Provisional Government of Free India at Singapore. The duty of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind (Free India) was thus described in the Proclamation : “It will be the task of the Provisional Government to launch and to conduct the struggle that will bring about the expulsion of the British and of their allies from the soil of India. It will then be the task of the Provisional Government to bring about the establishment of a permanent National Government of Azad Hind constituted in accordance with the will of the Indian people and enjoying their confidence. After the British and their allies are overthrown and until a Permanent National Government of Azad Hind is set up on Indian soil, the Provisional Government will administer the affairs of the country in trust for the Indian people. The Proclamation ended with a passionate appeal : “In the name of God...we call upon the Indian people to rally round our banner and to strike for India's freedom. We call upon them to launch the final struggle against the British and all their allies in India and to prosecute that struggle with valour and perseverance and with full faith in final victory until the enemy is expelled from Indian soil and the Indian people are once again a free nation.” Netaji was clearly inspired by the Irish proclamation of independence. "The provisional government is entitled to and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Indian. It guarantees religious liberty, as well as equal rights and equal opportunities to its citizens. It declares its firm resolve to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation equally and transcending all the differences cunningly fostered by an alien Government in the past." Netaji became the Head of the State, Prime Minister and the War Minister. He held the foreign affairs and the war portfolios. His voice choked with emotion as he took his oath in the name of God to continue his fight to liberate India and Indians till the last breath of his life. He allocated his cabinet portfolios by giving finance to A.C Chatterjee, publicity and propaganda to S.A Ayer, and woman's affairs to Lakshmi Swaminathan. Eight representatives of the armed forces - Aziz Ahmed, N.s Bhagat, J.K Bhonsle, Gulzara Singh, M.Z Kiani, A.D Loganathan, Ehsan Qadir, and Shah Nawaz Khan were inducted in his cabinet. Ananda Mohan Sahay became cabinet secretary. Rashbehari Bose was designated as the Supreme Adviser and seven others including Karim Ghani, Debnath Das, Yellappa, John Thivy, Sardar Ishar Singh, A.N Sarkar, and D.M Khan were in the panel of advisers.