A review of the book 'The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II: The Untold Story of INA Soldiers, Subhas Chandra Bose, Singapore 1942, Burma Campaign, and Indian POWs Who Shaped Independence' written by Gautam Hazarika.
Gautam Hazarika’s The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II, enriched by personal accounts and the hard truth, is a testament to loyalty, resilience and the indomitable human spirit.
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Coming up: A review of the book 'The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II: The Untold Story of INA Soldiers, Subhas Chandra Bose, Singapore 1942, Burma Campaign, and Indian POWs Who Shaped Independence' written by Gautam Hazarika.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Gautam Hazarika is Singapore-based and after being a banker most of his life, now researches World War II in the context of Southeast Asia. His focus is on lesser-known stories of the Indian army, the anti-Japanese resistance and war crime trials. This is his first book.
Let me read a brief description of the book:
QUOTE
Against the tumultuous backdrop of Singapore in 1942 unfolds the extraordinary saga of Captain Mohan Singh of the 14th Punjab Regiment and the Indian National Army (INA). As the pioneering leader of the INA, Singh’s bold alliance with Japan sought to liberate India from the yoke of British rule but soon encountered treacherous challenges.
In chronicling how INA soldiers fought bravely when they got a chance, as well as the harrowing trials of them enduring starvation and sickness in Burma, this tale unveils a lesser-known chapter of history. The author masterfully follows the INA’s journey through the jungles of Burma to the postwar days in India when it hastened Independence, highlighting Subhas Chandra Bose’s pivotal rise to leadership along the way.
This is also the story of Lieutenant M.M. Pillai’s daring escape from Singapore. Of the grim fate of prisoners of war (POWs) like Warrant Officer John Baptist Crasta, one of 17,000 Indian POWs sent to hard labour camps in the Pacific. Of the war crime trials held by the Australians for Japanese atrocities against these POWs where Subedar Chint Singh was a key witness. Of the wives waiting for years with little news of their soldier-husbands.
Gautam Hazarika’s The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II, enriched by personal accounts and the hard truth, is a testament to loyalty, resilience and the indomitable human spirit.
UNQUOTE
This book by first time author Gautam Hazarika is an ambitious project that tries to combine military history, personal testimonies, and political aftermath in a single volume.
One of the book's most significant contributions is its restoration of Captain (later General) Mohan Singh to the center of the INA narrative.
One of the lesser known figures in the history of modern India, Captain Mohan Singh’s role as the first leader of the INA is overshadowed by his illustrious successor, the prominent nationalist politician Subhas Chandra Bose. It is remarkable that Singh, a relatively junior officer quite unknown outside his unit, was chosen by the Japanese and accepted by thousands of soldiers and dozens of officers senior to him, as their leader.
If you are expecting a biography solely focused on Subhas Chandra Bose you might be surprised (or disappointed) that he is not the primary protagonist of the first half of the book. The focus here is firmly on the genesis of the movement and the plight of the common soldier and the initial leadership of Mohan Singh.
As Srinath Raghavan mentions in the Foreword:
Eighty years after its gruesome end, World War II remains India’s forgotten war. Few recall today that India stood among the victors or that its soldiers had fought in theatres ranging from Hong Kong in the east to Italy in the west. The British Indian Army had swelled from just over 2,00,000 men in 1939 to 2.5 million soldiers by the end of the war. Even at the time, it was recognized as the largest volunteer army in history.
And as Major General Ian Cardozo comments:
The intent of the Indian POWs must have been the liberation of their homeland from British rule, the route to that vision lay through the difficult choice of switching loyalties from Britain to Japan. Notwithstanding the dubiousness of this choice, it was naive of them to have assumed that if the Japanese won, the Union Jack would not have been replaced by the flag of the Rising Sun over the Indian Subcontinent.
Now, let us see what the Japanese had planned for India.
In 1944, though the Japanese had said they would free India, their plans were quite different. They openly told some Indians not to worry, as they would leave fifteen to twenty years after the British were thrown out, as if this would offer comfort. Immediately upon arrival, they were to take control of airfields, industry and communications, and Japanese specialists were at the forefront to do so.
Whether this was agreed with Bose earlier is not known, but when informed of the same, he refused to worry about Japanese intentions. He had full faith in his power to sort this out at a later stage. His message was that once the tricolour was unfurled on Indian soil, the people and the Indian Army would flock to him.
The author points out a key difference between Singh and Bose. As a soldier, Singh tried to protect his men, even if doing so meant independence was delayed. As a politician, Bose was willing to sacrifice them to achieve the broader goal.
Final Verdict:
The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II fills an important gap and will be useful to anyone interested in the human story behind the INA. Hazarika has successfully resurrected "forgotten" voices, ensuring that the men who suffered in the jungles of Malaya and the islands of the Pacific are finally given their due. The oral testimonies alone make it worth picking up.
I give this book 4.25/5 and as Major General Ian Cardozo rightly says, this book is a must-read for every citizen of India, and of the world, not only because it gives us a story of the INA never known in such detail but also because it exposes the brutality of war and the sordid side of human nature.
There are useful maps and a decent selection of rare photographs, many from private family collections.
The book is currently available in Hardcover and Kindle formats only and is yet to be made available in Audible format. Also, the Hardcover version is scheduled to be released on 28th February, 2026 on Amazon USA. I have given the respective buy link in the show notes. Please check it out for the latest price.
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