Volume I:
ISBN 81-7871-070-6
viii + 725 pages

Volume II:
ISBN 81-7871-071-4
676 pages

Volume III:
ISBN 81-7871-072-2
703 pages

   For those who study the Second World War from a geo-political perspective as opposed to the nitty-gritty of fire and movement on the field of battle, names like Rommel, Guderian, Montgomery, and Patton probably mean less than Tito, Rashid Ali, Mao, and Ho Chi Minh. Another name, seldom remembered in the 21st Century, helped upset the apple cart of imperialism, colonialism, Anglo-centrism, and other established norms during 1939-1945. That man was Subhas Chandra Bose, the Netaji, head of the Azad Hind, the provisional government of Free India, and leader of the Indian National Army, composed of—depending on the perspective—renegades and traitors or freedom-fighters. For the tiny cadre of readers who want to learn more about Bose, plenty of books are available. However, nothing else quite like this one exists.
   Captain S.S. Yadava, himself a veteran of the INA, has compiled a remarkable roll call of those soldiers who served Bose in his quixotic campaign to free India from British rule by force of arms. Although the book contains little to recommend itself in terms of reading, it stands as the ultimate resource for anyone who wants to identify every individual who wore the uniform of the Indian National Army.
   Before the lengthy troop rosters, however, the first volume opens with a few brief notes. The Foreword by Dr. K.C. Yadav points out that the role of the "revolutionary army" in achieving India's freedom has not been properly studied or evaluated in the sub-continent. Similarly, Dr. Anil Yadav remarks in his Preface that the role of the Congress Party has been over-studied at the expense of Bose and the INA. Captain Yadava himself contributes a short "Editorial Note" in which he somewhat inflates the military importance of the INA:

   On 4 February 1944, the INA went into action in as many as 8 sectors on the Indo-Burma front. Insufficiently equipped though, its soldiers fought with exemplary courage and valour. They behaved like "inspired" people. They were, however, too small a force to decide the fate of the war....

   Actually, had 60,000 INA troops (Yadava's estimate) with arms and supplies as well as exemplary courage taken part in the Japanese invasion of India in 1944, that weight would very likely have been sufficient to tip the scale against the British 14th Army at Kohima and Imphal.
   In any event, Anton Pelinka goes on to contribute a twelve-page overview of the life of Bose, with an emphasis on the war years and Netaji's contribution to the future of India. A couple of pages detail the "Birth of the INA in Southeast Asia" while several more pages outline the order of battle of the INA. Other parts of this front matter list the cabinet of the provisional government of Free India, reprint the "Proclamation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind," and offer some further detail about the organization and functioning of that government. A further sixteen pages go into more depth regarding participation of INA troops in the invasion of India as well as the end of the war.
   The next section of the book, amounting to almost 50 pages, explains the treatment of INA POWs in British hands at the end of the war, the so-called Red Fort trials with conviction of some INA officers, and the resultant impact on the Indian population. Some commentators—including Yadava—attribute much anti-British sentiment in India to the reaction against what was perceived as unfair show trials of honorable men.
   In sum, the first hundred pages present a fairly thorough—albeit highly one-sided—introduction to the Free India provisional government, Subhas Chandra Bose, and the Indian National Army. Better sources abound, and these pages suffer from problems with grammar, spelling, and typographical errors, but the political bias of the authors certainly makes for a bracing read. If one man's terrorist is another man's freedom-fighter, there is no doubt where Yadava stands when it comes to the INA.
   Following that introductory material, next comes a list of recipients of awards for gallantry and then a list of 22 members of the INA executed by the British (for desertion and waging war against the King).
   Yadava then begins his strictly tabular material with a list of approximately 1600 officers and men of the INA killed during or immediately after the war. This information includes name, Indian Army rank and unit, INA rank and unit, home address, and remarks such as "Died in captivity in Red Fort," "Killed in action," "Killed in air raid (Imphal)," and "Shot dead by USA (German Front)."
   Finally, after about 270 pages, we come to the heart of the book. From here on out, every page contains part of an extensive compilation of men who served in the INA. The list is broken down somewhat confusingly by rank and/or home province of each man. For each individual, Yadava attempts to fill in all the following blanks:

• Name
• Father's name
• Indian Army rank
• Indian Army unit
• INA rank
• INA unit
• Address

   Here's a typical entry:

Name:	Hari Dass	Father's Name:	Ram Singh
IA Rank:	Naik	INA Rank:	Lieutenant
Unit:	1/14 Punjab Rgt	Unit:	1st Infantry Rgt
Village - Mortan PO - Sarka Ghat Distt. - Mandi State, Province - Punjab

   Among the dwindling numbers of humans sufficiently knowledgeable to be aware of the Indian National Army, opinions remain divided. Some see the troops as criminals who broke a solemn oath, joined the enemy, and deserved to be tried and executed for treason. Others, certainly including Yadava, see the troops as enlightened men who renounced the chains of imperialism and through self-sacrifice helped bring about Indian independence. Others see the troops as little more than unfortunate pawns who made the only choice likely to provide an alternative to certain death in Japanese POW camps.
   Whatever your opinion on these matters, there are better books about Azad Hind, Bose, and the INA, but there's no denying that Captain Yadava has composed an impressive and unique memorial to the Indian National Army.
   Limited availability, but can be found online.
   Thanks to Bob Ruman at Articles of War for providing these copies.
   Special note to film buffs: Look for Bose's guest appearance in the movie "The Namesake." He shows up on a poster on a bedroom wall near the end.