Saquib Salim

December 30 holds a very important place in Indian history. On this day in 1943, Indians regained, for the very first time since 1857, a territory from British colonial rule.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose declared the formation of Azad Hind Sarkar and its army on 21 October 1943 in Singapore. Japan the only country to have recognised Azad Hind Sarkar had captured the Andaman and Nicobar islands a year ago. Bose demanded that since the Andamans were part of India and he was head of the State in exile the islands should be handed over to Azad Hind Sarkar and its Indian National Army.

At the Greater East Asia Nations on 6 November 1943, the Japanese head of state, General Tojo, declared that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands would be handed over to Azad Hind Sarkar.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose inspecting cellular jail

Bose issued a statement, which said, “For Indians, the return of the Andamans represents the first territory to be liberated from the British yoke. By the acquisition of this territory, the Provisional Government has now become a national entity as well as in name. The liberation of the Andamans has symbolic significance because the Andamans were always used by the British as a prison for political prisoners.

“Most of the political prisoners sentenced to penal servitude for conspiracies to overthrow the British Government—and there have been hundreds of them—were locked up on this island. Like the Bastille in Paris, which was liberated first in the French Revolution, setting free political prisoners, the Andamans where our patriots suffered is the first to be liberated in India’s fight for independence.“Part by part, Indian territory will be liberated, but it is always the first plot of land that holds the most significance...We have renamed the Andamans as ‘Shaheed’, in memory of the martyrs; and the Nicobars as ‘Swaraj’.”

On 29 December 1943, Bose accompanied by A.M. Sahay and Major Abid Hassan, reached Port Blair and met the Japanese commander. He spent a night at Ross Island. Giani Kesar Singh recorded, “The next morning Netaji attended a grand rally in Port Blair. At the outset of the rally, the Indian flag was hoisted by Netaji with the Indian national anthem being sung in the backdrop. In his address, Netaji declared that the Andamans had been liberated from the British yoke by Nippon, who was the leader of Asia.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Ross island

Bose mentioned the role of Independence League leaders in the Andamans for their role in liberation. These were Ramakrishna, Durga Prashad, and Nawab Ali. Colonel A. D. Longanathan was appointed the Commissioner of the islands with Major Alvi as his deputy.

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Bose spoke of the significance of this event on 9 January 1944. He said, “I and members of my party had the unique experience of our lives when we stood on the soil of free India for the first time. It was an unforgettable experience for us to see our tricolour national flag fluttering in the air over the former British Chief Commissioner’s residence on Ross Island.”