AXIS AND ALLIED PROPAGANDA
TO INDIAN TROOPS
SGM Herbert A. Friedman (Ret.)
Note: My article "Bank Notes of the Free India Movement" was awarded an
achievement certificate in 2001 from the International Bank Note Society. Some parts of
that article are incorporated in this article. The Italian website "Dal Volturno a Cassino" (“From a
Volturno Cassino” ) has requested and received permission to use images from this
article that are connected to Indian forces fighting at Monte Cassino. The founder and
editor of the website Great Game India, a
quarterly magazine on geopolitics and international affairs has requested and received
permission to use Images and text from this article inthe October-December 2015 issue of
his magazine. In 2016, AIM Television requested and received permission to use material
from this article for "The Bose Mystery" for telecast on the Discovery Channel.
In 2016, author and historian Soumya Basu received permission to use text and images from
this article for a book on Subhas Chandra Bose. A PhD candidate using this article for
research said in 2016, "The British propaganda as well as the German propaganda in
India is highly under-researched still. Your site is a pioneering work for foray into this
area." Some images from this article have appeared on the Hindi YouTube Channel SOCH.
Soch's aim is to empower Indians with fact-led information on issues that matter to their
society, but are either ignored or accepted with little questioning. The title of the
9-minute feature is “Why did the Japanese army airdrop this poster over Assam in
1944?” India Today magazine printed a special issue on Mahatma Gandhi (to mark his
150th birth anniversary on 2 October 2019). They used some of our images for a story
titled "The Collected words.
In 2020,
Graham Shaw used this article as a reference in his article:
A LITTLE-KNOWN DIMENSION OF INDIAN FREEDOM MOVEMENT ICONOGRAPHY:
Indian-language leaflets printed by the Japanese during the Second World
War. In 2020 the website "Resources for Indian Exhibiting" requested the
use of images from this article.
In late 1990 as a United States Army Master Sergeant I was assigned the task of
researching and giving a briefing on the military power of India. Like many Americans, I
assumed it was a third-world nation with a limited military. How wrong I was. India is a
first-class power with a large well-trained army and air force and a surprisingly modern
navy with a number of aircraft carriers. I did my briefing and have watched the growth of
the Indian military ever since.
In my Internet article about Japanese wartime
propaganda I depict a number of leaflets that were prepared and disseminated by the
Japanese in an attempt to drive a wedge between the United Kingdom and the troops of her
largest colony fighting in Asia. At the same time, German psychological warfare personnel
were also preparing propaganda leaflets targeting Indian troops fighting in Europe. By
coincidence I had begun writing about philatelic and numismatic propaganda of the Free
Indian Movement as early as December 1971 when I wrote about the “Free India”
stamps for the Society of Philatelic Americans
Journal. In 1972, I published a booklet entitled Azad Hind and Chalo Delhi Stamps along with Jal Cooper in Bombay. More
recently, in 2001, I wrote about the “Free India Movement Banknotes” for the International
Banknote Society Journal. Although this is just one area I have studied, I can
probably claim to be an “old India hand.”
To make it even more interesting, the Psywar Society asked me to review Dr.
Arunkumar Bhatt’s book, Psychological Warfare and India, Lancer Publishers,
New Delhi, India, 2006. The book was originally Dr. Bhatt’s PhD thesis. The book has
limited information about psychological warfare by and against India in WWII, but there
was enough to whet a taste for more research. Dr. Bhatt was also very willing to translate
leaflets from my archives. So after looking at all the data and the various leaflets I had
accumulated it occurred to me that we had enough data for a short story. This obviously is
not the official history of Psychological Operations (PSYOP) against India; hopefully that
will be written in a second book by Dr. Bhatt. This is meant to be simply an introduction
to the “divide and conquer” propaganda against Great Britain and India by the
Axis powers. I should also point out that in general Dr. Bhatt translated the leaflets
literally in a very formal and classic way. I have changed the text into
“American” for ease of reading and to try and capture the message that I believe
the propagandists were trying to disseminate. Some minor changes were made to the literal
text.
I should point out that the leaflets to the Indians were in a variety of languages.
For instance, Burma and East Asia (Malaya, Singapore, etc.) had majority of Tamil
population among Indians. They wholeheartedly donated to Indian National Army so many of
the leaflets are written in Tamil. Similarly, Bangla was major language in
eastern/north-eastern India so leaflets in that language were apparently dropped over
Northeast India including the current Bangladesh. We don’t know much about
dissemination, but we have seen leaflets written in Urdu, Hindi, Bangla, Hindustani,
Nepali (similar to Hindi), and Tamil. I should also tell the reader that there will be
some duplication, some difference in opinions and numbers. This article was written from
both British and Japanese references, and as you might imagine, they sometimes differ
greatly on exactly what happened.
History
Azad Hind Flag
Britain had controlled the Indian subcontinent since the late 18th century.
There had been numerous uprisings and agitation as the Indians attempted to free
themselves from the British yoke. In WWI, India supplied great quantities of war materials
and soldiers to the British cause. Indian regiments were mobilized and shipped off to
fight in Europe and Africa. Bhatt says:
The Psychological Branch of Military Intelligence in the War Office, MI 7
(b) had established a sub-division specializing in conducting press propaganda to colonies
and dominions. The branch studied a list of 200 papers supplied by the Royal Colonial
Institute, and distributed the matter “thought suitable for each.” Despite the
selectivity, born out of psywar needs, it was found that each article could be used in
about ten newspapers in different parts of the Dominions…The sister sub-division, MI
7 (b) (2)…composed a series of pamphlets on the role of the Indian regiments.
I mention this because although this article is on propaganda against India by
enemy forces, we should remember that the occupying British also constantly propagandized
the Indian people to keep the nation in a tranquil captive state.
India Springs to Action
An example is this British leaflet coded “C” depicting an Indian tiger and
the flags of the Allied nations. The back has a propaganda message in Hindi, Bengali,
Urdu, Assamese and English. The text is:
India springs to action, and side by side with Britain, America, Russia and China
will trample underfoot the tyranny of Germany and Japan.
Britain Delivers the Goods…
Other propaganda was in the form of three patriotic cards in red, brown and blue
that depicted British naval convoys on the front, each in a different color with the text:
BRITAIN DELIVERS THE GOODS – THANKS TO THE
BRITISH NAVY
There are apparently several different texts on the back. One card coded 31-8244 has
a BBC World Radio information message on the back. It lists most of the areas of the world
including Pacific, North America, South America, Africa and the Near and Far East. The
times and wavelengths of the broadcasts are listed, and of course we find one set of
broadcasts to India, Burma, Malaya and Australia.
Another of the cards has a short propaganda text in twelve languages; including
Hindu, Urdu, Burmese, French, Arabic, English and others. Researcher Jyotirmay Bareria
told me:
German U-boats intercepted and sunk cargo ships and eventually the ships had to
be protected by the British Navy. The navy warships formed convoys to protect the shipping
and were quite successful. Sometime in mid 1940, a textile firm in Bradford came out with
idea of stenciling the slogan “Britain Delivers the Goods,” surmounted by a
Union Jack. Soon, similar stencils were sent to thousands of exporting firms. The slogan
became so popular that variety of labels and cards were printed to encourage patriotic
feelings among the people under Allied protection.
The text in all languages is:
Britain delivers the goods – thanks to the British Navy
A second and third card depict a convoy of cargo ships with armed escorts
and aircraft flying overhead. The titles are:
ARRIVED SAFELY THANKS TO BRITISH CONVOYS.
ARRIVED SAFELY THANKS TO SEA POWER.
The same message appears in twelve
languages on the back of both cards.
British “Keep Quiet” stamps for India
When a nation is at war it constantly tells its people to be quiet; not to spread
rumors or talk about any wartime operations they might be aware of. One famous quote in
the United States was “Loose lips sink ships,” often printed on posters showing
an Allied ship slipping beneath the waves from a German torpedo or a sailor drowning at
sea. Here we depict part of a sheet of wartime stamps prepared in India to be placed on
envelopes and such to remind the people to be careful about what they say. There is a
brief statement in pencil at the top of the sheet that says:
India 1942/43. Two removed by Indian authorities.
The sheet was mounted on a page that had a comment:
Japanese flag and dagger labels. Note manuscript on top margin – which is said
to be in the hand of Francis J. Field.
Most Americans will never have heard of Field, but he was a British researcher and
expert on stamps and leaflets who wrote the book: Aerial Propaganda Leaflets, a
book I have in my bookcase.
The front and back of envelopes mailed in India bearing anti-Japanese warnings against
idle talk. From my friend Jyotirmay Bareria.
Join the Indian Air Force
It was not just the Navy that the British bragged about. Here is an advertisement
offering Indians the opportunity to fly with the Indian Air Force. Curiously, the bomber
overhead seems to show British roundels on the wings.
L397- 26-1-43
There seems to have been an entire series of British leaflets to India that bear the
code “L” with a number and a date. They do not appear in the Psywar
Society’s Guide to Series Codes used on Air-dropped Propaganda Leaflets during
World War Two, so I suspect these were handed out rather than air dropped. We depict
the leaflet “Think it Over” which tells of the Japanese lies of freedom and
independence to native people while they kill Indians for various reasons. The codes I
have seen imply that this leaflet-letter was possibly issued daily. Some of the titles
are: “War at sea and in the air”; “Can bombing win the war”; and
“He who attacks America will die.”
British National War Front
There are a number of different British news sheets or “talking points” that
were prepared and disseminated among the Indians as part of the war effort. I have seen
many different and never add them because they are long on words and short on images.
However this 1942 series of National War Front leaflets is interesting because in this
one, they admit that they are a “foreign ruler” and argue that they are a better
foreign ruler than the Japanese would be. An interesting argument! This series is
explained by a series of covering letters which say in part:
The ideas given below include some which have been or are being adopted in many
Indian states…War Front ideas will be circulated periodically during the initial
stages of the campaign…All village headmen etc., to be called to the state capital to
receive a personal address from the ruler…Exhibition coaches to run on narrow meter
railways fitted with photographs, posters, diagrams, maps literature, loud speakers,
lecturer, magic lantern or cinema….
Prepare mailing lists of all persons, official and non-official, who have
influence…Such persons to receive suitable reading material regularly.
Posters are issued in English, Marathi, Kanarese, Tamil, Telegu, Malaylam, Hindi,
Urdu, Gurmukhi, Sindhi, Ooriya, and Bengali. They will also be printed in Pushtu and
Assamese when the demand warrants it.
The British also sent out radio talking points to be used in broadcasts to the
Indians. One dated 28 November 1942 and printed in 5525 copies mentions the Japanese and
Pearl Harbor. It recommends that some of the following be rebroadcast:
The Tokyo propagandists wish the world and the Japanese to believe that it was
America that forced the patient, long-suffering Japanese Government into war…
Japan is so anxious to prove her so-called innocence to the world simply because the
Japanese are realizing that their quick and cheap early successes did not lead them
anywhere and that the war is going to be a costlier proposition than the Jap War Lords had
reckoned with…
This is how Mr. Cordell Hull described Japan’s last hypocritical note to
America on December 7 1941: “crowded with infamous falsehoods and distortions on a
scale so huge that I have never imagined until today that any government was capable of
uttering them.”
During the course of the war, as the enemy dropped thousands of leaflets upon the
Indians fighting for the British, they retaliated with propaganda leaflets and radio
programs for those Indians who had joined the Germans and Japanese as part of their fight
for liberation. This is mentioned in some depth by Y. M. Streatfield in the Major
Developments in Political Warfare throughout the War 1938-1945. Some of his comments
are:
Our major success was with the Indian National Army which proved a most receptive
target, the vast majority of its members surrendering when they found themselves in a
position to do so and a particularly good result occurring in Burma in the autumn of 1944
when 3 out of 4 who surrendered said this was the result of British leaflets. Less
spectacular but no less useful was our anti-Japanese propaganda in Burma which removed the
last doubts from the minds of the already wavering population.
The Psychological Warfare Division at Southeast Asia Command was not actually set
up until 6 June 1944. But in the meantime and until July 1944 front-line propaganda was
carried out by 5 units raised by the British Special Operations Executive (S.O.E), two in
Arakan and three at Imphal...During this period the target was the battle area and lines
of communication in Burma and propaganda was based on London directives and, when it was
drawn up, on the joint Allied plan. Leaflet dissemination rose from 250,000 to one and
one-half million a month and a most fruitful target was found in the Indian National Army
whose reaction to our “surrender” campaign was enormous.
British researcher Lee Richards added more on this subject when he reported on the
use of political/psychological warfare field units by the British Army in South East Asia.
He said in part:
On the British side, the five Indian Field Broadcasting Units established by the
Special Operations Executive beginning in 1943 was one of the more noteworthy endeavors in
the region. The first IFBU was active during the Abakan campaign. It was the brainchild of
George Steer, a pre-war Times war correspondent that made his name reporting on the
Italian atrocities during the invasion of Abyssinia and later reporting on the Spanish
Civil War.
Numbering about 60 all ranks per unit, they were tasked “to carry out frontline
propaganda against the enemy, and also behind the enemy lines” with this to be
accomplished “by loudspeaker apparatus, by distribution of leaflets, cartoons and
other printed material by hand and by mortar, and by patrols whose ostensible purpose was
to sell trade goods to local inhabitants.” The trading with local inhabitants behind
the lines was found to be an excellent way of securing both intelligence about the
Japanese enemy and to foster goodwill amongst the local population. Sugar and salt proved
to be particularly valuable trading goods as they were in such short supply.
See the Dawn of Great Asia
We depict a Japanese postcard above. Here is a Japanese propaganda postcard that
depicts Turbaned Indians being freed of slavery while an American airplane has crashed in
the background and Allied flags lie on the ground. Some of the text is:
See the terrible history of one thousand years of slavery. The day of judgement has
come to America and Britain for their greed
See the dawn of great Asia. Hear the delight of the people. The Newly born great
Asia in the surging waves of the Southern Seas.
The anti-British movement in India has exploded
This anti-British Japanese postcard to the Indians depicts the large head of Winston
Churchill with tongues reaching out like an octopus to steal Indians and their products,
and contains the following propaganda messages on the front:
The anti-British movement in India has exploded. India is desperately calling for
Japan’s help.
British and Jewish conglomerates are making money by weapon manufacturing in India.
Britain has prohibited the anti-British movement and encouraged the war against the
Axis powers.
Britain at its last breathe is seeking the life-blood on India.
On the address side in Japanese we find:
Postcard
Copyright reserved by the Imperial Rule Assistance Association
Published by the Imperial Rule Assistance Association
Hugh Toye adds in The Springing Tiger:
But the effects of climate and hunger, and ofmalaria, against which the INA had none
of the protection which so signally benefited the Indian Army in 1944, reduced the
regiment by June 15 to less than a thousand men. The second-in-command of the regiment,
who had been in hospital at Chamol, deserted almost immediately upon return to the front.
Before long, “safe conduct passes” and leaflets signed by him urging members of
the INA to return without fear to the Indian Army as he had done, were scattered by
aircraft over INA areas...The Punjabi Muslims, of whom there was a proportion in each
battalion, began to desert in such numbers that 80 of them had to be disarmed and sent to
the rear.
On 2 March 1944 five staff officers from the 2nd Division Headquarters at Mount Popa
deserted and surrender leaflets signed by them were dropped on INA positions.
An example of a British leaflet to Indian troops is:
BNS 29 - TO INDIAN PATRIOTS
A very interesting Allied aerial leaflet to Indian soldiers gives both sides of the
argument for the Indians joining the Japanese to fight Britain. This is very strange
propaganda because it actually makes an argument for joining the Japanese, though
certainly a weaker one than for refusing to join with them. The front depicts an Indian
(Subhas Bose) riding a Japanese bomb that is about to fall on an Indian family. The
image implies that following Bose’s philosophy of collaborating with the Japanese
leads directly to dead Indian civilians killed by the Japanese.
The same message appears on the front and the back in four languages:
TO INDIAN PATRIOTS
Read what they say, and think!
MAHATMA GANDHI
I have no desire whatsoever to woo any power to help India in her endeavor to free
herself from the foreign yoke.
There can be no question of my approval of Subhash Babu’s policy.
I want to resist with all my might the charge of inviting Japan to India.
I WANT INDIA TO OPPOSE JAPAN TO A MAN.
Harijan, June 21, 1942
SHRI SUBHASH BABU
Without outside help the Indian Revolution would not be successful. In the history
of the world, it is not a new thing to get assistance from other nations for winning
freedom for one’s country.
Speech July 6, 1943
I see no reason why I should have any doubt or mistrust with regard to Japan’s
intentions.
Speech July 4, 1943
The code BNS is not recorded anywhere in military archives and since it was just
handwritten on the leaflet it may be incorrect. We are not sure what it represents.
Quisling – Son of India
Another uncoded Allied leaflet to the Indians using the exact same Gandhi quote attacks
Bose and calls him a “Quisling.” Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer
and politician who was pro-Nazi and appointed Minister President after the German invasion
of Norway. He ruled German-occupied Norway from February 1942 to the end of WWII. After
the war he was tried for high treason and executed by firing squad. To be called a
Quisling is to be called a traitor and collaborationist. The front of the leaflet depicts
Bose holding India in chains and passing them to a caricatured Japanese officer holding a
bloody sword. The text is:
QUISLING SON OF INDIA
The back is all text and says in three languages:
TO INDIAN PATRIOTS
I WANT INDIANS TO OPPOSE JAPAN TO A MAN
Mahatma Gandhi
Harijan, 21 June 1943
Devanshi Shah says in his research paper Propaganda Art in the Colonial Freedom
Movement:
Here we see Subhas Chandra Bose putting the subcontinent, represented by Bharat Maa
(Mother India), in binds and handing her over to the Japanese Army. There is a symbol of
the rising sun behind the Japanese character equating the single protagonist to the entire
Army.
Some of the known British codes for leaflets targeting Indian troops are “SH /
(numerical)" for leaflets and “HH / (numerical)” for news sheets. It is
believed that no more than 33 of the "SH" leaflets were produced. The last
leaflet, SH/33, is entitled "Japan Surrenders." The "HH" product was
called Hamara Hindustan, a small four-page weekly newspaper with war maps and
stories of the progress of the war both in Asia and in Europe. The last issue is HH/86
entitled "Japanese Surrender Notice."
HH/84 – First and Last Page
The British propaganda newspaper Hamara Hindustan was printed in Urdu. The first
three pages were news, the fourth page, photographs. I selected issue HH84, dated 20
August 1945 because the photographs on the last page were so interesting. Notice that they
feature the “Big Three;” Truman, Churchill and Stalin. In addition, the paper
depicts Lord Mountbatten, Chiang Kai-shek and General Douglas MacArthur.
We know a lot about this British propaganda newspaper because many were archived in
Lord Louis Mountbatten’s personal papers that were donated to the University of Southampton
after his death. Much of Mountbatten’s papers dealt with propaganda in the Indian
language directed against Indians in Japanese-occupied territories. Rod Auckland wrote
about this in the Falling Leaf, Journal of the Psywar Society, in issue 135, winter
1991. He says that in November 1944, the newspaper was edited by the staff of general
Auchinleck in Calcutta and distributed by the forward base of the Psychological Warfare
Division (PWD), South East Asia Command (SEAC).
Hamara Hindustan was a large (15” x 10”) 4-page newssheet probably first
produced and printed as early as January 1944 by General Headquarters, India. It bore no
code serial number or date…The title banner was graphically different for nearly
every issue…In the late summer it was reduced to 9” x 6 1/2.” At that time
the title, date of issue and code number were added as a footnote. The new, reduced size
first appeared in August and was coded “SHN” (SEAC Hamara Newssheet). The code
was altered to “HH” in September.
SHN/1
SHN/1 dated 4 August 1944 has three pages of news. Some of the stories are:
Tojo is finished: Hitler is hunted
Indians chase the Japs.
Sepoy gets Victoria Cross from King.
Guerilla hit Japanese supply lines.
War in the Pacific – lack of supplies kills thousands.
Russians invading Germany.
Punjab gives food grain.
The photographs on page four depict Japanese supply ships being sunk, German soldiers
captured or surrendering in Europe receiving good treatment and food, and Allied aircraft
that are coming in their thousands to defeat Japan. A small calendar has also been added
at the lower left.
Auckland points out that the distribution of the paper became a war of words between
groups that thought the Indian National Army was a threat and those who thought it was a
very weak organization that should have a low priority for psychological operations. This
fight apparently continued to the end of the war.
One of the documents in the Mountbatten files is a invoice for leaflets to be dropped.
The document, dated 7 March 1945 includes:
HH/62 Hindustan Newssheet, 10,000 copies, 100 pounds. To be dropped over the Andaman
Islands and over Rangoon or Moulmain.
2 M.P.S./H/1.
There is also a very short series of about seven leaflets produced right at
the end of the war by the British 2nd Mobile Printing Shop. They are written
in different languages and coded starting with "2 M.P.S./H." and ending with
a single leaflet number like "1" or "2".
The text on H1 is in Hindustani on one side and in Urdu on the
other side.
PEOPLE OF INDIA!
We have heard
that you have made a wise decision and you want to join us.
Your
relatives who thought you were dead due to Japanese deceit will be relieved
after hearing this news.
Don't be
worried. Your terrible times are over. If you can't come in a group, then
come one-by-one along with your ammunition.
Many of you
have joined us and already and returned to their friends and family.
The Japanese
say that if you surrender then you will be executed. That is a lie. Be
assured; just surrender your arms to our forces. You will be well treated.
2 M.P.S./H2.
The Text is in Hindustani on one side and in Urdu on the other
side.
To the Soldiers
of Indian National Army
You are well aware of how you are treated by the Japanese. You
all had to walk from Malaya while the Japanese travelled by rail and motor
vehicle. This is how they treat you. When you all reached here, they didn't
allow you to rest, instead pushed you in the front lines of the battle.
You have been bearing these difficulties living outside India
for almost three years. We are well aware that you have such difficulty. If
you join us, then you can meet your friends and soon you will be in India.
Decide quickly and act on it. If you don't do that then as the
Japanese retreat they will force you to go back and do menial work. You
should remember when you were arrested earlier and you were forced to stay
hungry and do menial work. These are the same Japanese.
This is the opportunity for you. Don't lose it. Come join us
now. You have the opportunity to inflict wounds on your enemy. Stop mingling
with them, burn their supplies, destroy their arms and ammunition and then
come join us. We promise that you will be back in India shortly.
Leaflet 2 M.P.S./H.3.
The text is in Hindustani on one side and in Urdu on the other
side. It depicts the insignia of the 2nd Indian Division.
In the name of
1/2-2/3-3/2 Infantry Regiment officers and soldiers
All of the officers and soldiers of 1/2 Infantry know me well
because I was their commander until July 1944. The rest of them also know me
well because I have been second in command of the regiment. I know it very
well that now you want to return to India. Now, I will tell you how you can
make it happen.
I know why you haven't switched sides yet. That's because you fear
the Japanese. Why do you fear the Japanese? When I could easily join the 2nd
Division Headquarters along with four other officers and soldiers then it is
also easy for you all to join us since you are in the front line.
I and my officers have been treated very well. And I have come to
know that such treatment is given to every Indian soldier who has returned.
Everyone is aware here under what circumstances you are with tyranny and the
wicked Japanese. So, what is there to fear?
Come back to our side and in a few days, you will be in India.
March from PoPa to Shamal and you will find our patrols.
Major Mohd.
Sarwar.
Leaflet 2 M.P.S./H/4.
EVERY DAY IS VITAL
The Japanese Armies in Burma have been smashed
Mandalay has fallen to the victorious British and Indian forces.
Soon - very soon - not a single JAPANESE soldier will be left in all BURMA.
With threats and false promises the JAPANESE forced you to fight
alongside them. You know only too well haw they treated you. They treated
you like dogs.
In their headlong flight out of BURMA they will drag you with them.
Every step you take now leads you further from your beloved Motherland.
But there is still hope for you. We know you are not in the front
lines now. To come over to us is easy. This is how you should do it. Set off
from your camp and move north. Avoid all the main roads. Use only the jungle
paths. Soon you will meet up with our advancing troops.
To every soldier who takes this brave step we give the promise: YOU
WILL BE IN INDIA WITHIN A FEW DAYS.
Every day now is vital. Every day you delay lessens your chance of
ever seeing India again.
THE JAPANESE DREAM OF INDIAN CONQUEST IS OVER
2 M.P.S./H5.
H5 is quite different from the other leaflets. This one is in English with
orange-brown text, and Tamil on the other side with green text. In this case
I will show the English side and save some typing.
2M.P.S./H/7.
Leaflet H7 above would seem to be the final leaflet of this series and is
all text, written in Urdu and English. The text is:
A Government of India Communiqu says:
The Government is aware that many Indian prisoners of war have volunteered to
co-operate with the enemy, because of the hardships and tortures to which they were
subjected by the Japanese, and in the hope of being able to return to India, and that many
of them have succeeded in escaping this way.
The majority of these men has reported to the military or civil authorities on
arrival in India, and has given the authorities much information about conditions in
Jap-occupied territories.
The Government wishes to make it clear that those who voluntarily give themselves up
and tell our officers the full story truthfully, and whose only offense was that they
became volunteers, will be in no kind of danger, and will be allowed to go to their homes
and meet their families as soon as possible.
On the other hand, those who in attempting to carry out promises made to the enemy
have engaged or do engage in espionage and subversive activities will be tracked down and
punished with the greatest severity.
Now is the time for you to come over to us. Seize this opportunity. You need not
bring this paper with you, but you may do so if you wish. Please tell your friends that
they can come over to us with or without a copy of this paper.
This man is to be given a meal and take to an officer.
Seize your chance!
The reader should note that this propaganda message is a two-edged sword. It tells the
Indians that they may desert from the Japanese freely with no fear of punishment. It
implies to the Japanese that the Indians are a “Fifth Column” within their own
forces that might at any time defect to the British and give information about Japanese
tactics, plans and morale. It must have made the Japanese uneasy about giving their Indian
allies military information and trust.
SH/1
This leaflet is a safe conduct pass written in Urdu.
The
front depicts the family of an Indian soldier back at home. The image on the
back shows the soldier's wife and child looking into the distance and
wondering where their loved one is. My translator does not read Urdu,
so if anyone cares to send a translation it will be appreciated.
The short safe
conduct message is written in English so any British soldier could
understand that the holder of the leaflet was surrendering.
SH/13
The text is in Hindustani on one side and in Urdu on the other
side.
YOU ARE
TRAPPED IN WATER
Indian Soldiers! We have news for you from airplanes so that you
are aware of the misery that is about to happen to you.
We have learned that the Japanese can't withstand the British
Indian Soldiers' fighting spirit, so they are fearfully retreating outside
of Hindwin.
Do you know what that means for you?
The Japanese will force you to retreat along with them. They will
forcefully ask you to work as a coolie. In fact, your life will be worse
than a coolie. Your honor and respect will be destroyed.
You have only one choice left. You should immediately join British
Indian forces. This is the last opportunity to escape from your current
situation.
Don't be afraid. Just come to our side quietly. Throw away this
paper after reading.
If you meet any of our soldiers, then ask them to take you to the
nearest headquarters. Tell your story to officers. You will be treated well.
This is our promise.
COME TO US
IMMEDIATELY AND QUIETLY
SH/14
The text is in Hindustani on one side and in Urdu on the other
side.
FOR THOSE
UNFORTUNATE OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS WHO WERE
MADE WAR
PRISONERS IN MALAYA AND BURMA
A while back I was also with you all and now, I am home in my
country along with my army friends and my relatives. You are also aware of
how Japanese had ill-treated us in Malaya and how they are treating us now.
I couldn't share my thoughts in Burma because the result would have
been either death or even worse, a Japanese military police cell. You know
some of your brothers who dared to raise their voices are dying in military
police cells.
The Japanese used to tell us how the British forces would ill-treat
us if we ever switched sides. I didn't worry about the consequences and now
I am happy that I returned to British Government forces. Whatever the
Japanese told us was a lie. They will never tell us the truth. Even now,
when they are running away from Kohima and Ukhrul, they are telling only
lies to you.
I never ever imagined that I would be treated as well as I have
been. Now, you have the opportunity. Don't let it get away, otherwise you
will regret it. You will be honored. Your well-wishers, relatives and family
will celebrate.
Lieutenant
B.S. Grewal
SH/15
Brown Side
This leaflet was prepared with a brown image on one side, and a
blue image on the other side. The text on both sides is in Hindustani and
Urdu. The brown side depicts an Indian working as a coolie, and then lying
dead on the ground. The text says in part:
DO YOU LIKE WORKING AS A COOLIE OR
DEATH?
Japan gives you two options: work as a
Coolie or death! They ask you to choose one of the options
They had promised you that they would
send you to your country India, but they very cleverly pushed you into the
front line of fighting where they hide behind you.
Now, the Japanese are running towards
the Chindwin River due to hunger and fear. They have no ammunition to fight
with.
The Kohima-Imphal road has been open
for quite some time and our Indo-British and Gurkha forces have been using
this road. There are no Japanese in or around Imphal.
Indian forces have destroyed the arms
and ammunition of the Japanese forces and have marched ahead a few miles
from Tammu.
Blue Image
The blue side depicts an Indian soldier sitting at home among his
friends in a time of peace. The text is:
As the Japanese retreat they also force you to retreat. You are
moving far away from your family and country.
If you escaped from our forces, then the Japanese would force you
to join manual labor units where they don't pay you for your work. Your life
will be even worse than a regular coolie.
But, there is a way to escape from this. When hundreds of your
soldier comrades realized that the Japanese have made fools out of, and,
betrayed them, they came to our side. They realized that our forces always
keep their promises and treat every soldier with respect and honor.
You will also be welcomed. You just must tell your real story to
any of our officers. You will be treated well.
You should come to our side as soon as possible and you should do
it secretly, so no one knows your true side. You will find yourself among
friends when you join us.
NOW COME BACK
TO INDIA!
SH/16
British leaflet SH-16 is all text in Hindustani. The text on front
is:
These things are ready for you.
FOOD, MEDICINES AND REST
Brave Indian Soldiers! Japanese plans have been destroyed because
of which misery has fallen on you.
Due to lack of food supply you are dying. You have no ammunition
left. You don't even have a bandage to put on your wounds. You don't even
have aircraft that can defend you. You don't have rifles or Howitzers.
The text on the back is:
Now even your supply lines have stopped. We have captured Tamu and
that supply line has also been broken which could have been used to get you
supply.
Now the time has come that you join your old British Brothers.
They have food for you. They have medicines for you and even there
is an arrangement of doctors who will treat you well.
Now the time has come for you to get rid of Japanese. British
forces have been given instructions to treat you well.
If you tell your true story to any officer, then you will be
treated well. This is our promise.
FORGET YOUR MISERY. THE BATTLE IS OVER FOR YOU.
SH/19
The text is in Hindustani on one side and in Urdu on the other
side. The text is:
INDIAN
BROTHERS OF ARAKAN
At the beginning of this year, many Indian soldiers came to Manipur
along with the Japanese army (due to Subhas Chandra Bose). They were close
to their Indian forces' brothers in that area. Incidentally, there were a
few lucky people who switched sides and joined their Indian forces brothers.
They are fortunate because now they are living happily in their house and
are safe. Their other soldier brothers who couldn't make decisions instantly
are now forced to retreat along with the Japanese as they are running away
on the other side of Chindwin or towards Tiddim. Some of those have already
died due to hunger while others are either hiding or have lost their way
trying to save themselves from the Allied forces bombing.
THEY HAVE LOST
THEIR OPPORTUNITY - NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!
Indian Brothers of Arakan, you are close to our forces. Be brave
and grab this opportunity. If you join your brothers of the British Indian
Army then you can easily return to your homes safely.
If you continue to help the Japanese, then you will never be able
to return to your homes.
So, what do you wish! Decide quickly - now! Remember your other
brothers who are in bad situations, those who couldn't take decisions
quickly in Manipur.
SH/28
This British leaflet is all text. Some of the text is:
BE ON YOUR GUARD
The hour for the final liberation of Burma has come. Now is your
chance to rid yourself of Japanese domination.
First, pounce upon all the Japanese in your area and kill them.
Then take up positions covering all the entrances to Rangoon from
Prome and Bassoin.
Further orders will be issued later.
SH/29
The exact same message as 2MPS/H/7 above was placed on a second British leaflet coded
SH/29. The leaflet is written in Urdu, Roman Urdu and English. This leaflet was stamped 14
May 1945 and that could be when it was disseminated or when it was filed by the British.
We mention SEAC above. A great number of leaflets were prepared by the Southeast Asia
Command. This command covered Burma, Ceylon, India, Thailand, Indochina, Malaya and
Singapore.
The leaflets had various codes. The four page newsletter Lay-Nat-Thah (Spirit of
the Air) was coded SBN. SBN/1, Dated 23 September 1944, mentions that British troops
chasing the defeated Japanese have occupied Sittaung. The newsletter was prepared by
Forward Base, Psychological Warfare Division, SEAC. The highest number I have seen for
this newsletter is SBN/53 dated 15 September 1945. This newsletter seems to have been
aimed mostly at Burma, though it was filled with news about India.
Leaflet SA-1
This leaflet was clearly dropped on numerous countries to declare the defeat of the
Japanese. Notice that it has been printed in ten languages, including Hindustani
In addition, some Indian troops who escaped the Japanese were formed by British Force
136 in late 1943 into five platoons called the Indian Field Broadcasting Units (IFBU).
They were assigned the task of propaganda patrols and raising the morale of civilians
while attacking the Japanese with loudspeakers and small 2-inch by 3-inch leaflets fired
from 2-inch mortars. A typical leaflet might say in four languages:
Safe Conduct Pass
Notice to Allied Forces: The man who brings this is to be well
treated in accordance with normal practice.
South East Asia
Command
The loudspeakers played Japanese music and gave reports of Japanese defeats, laced with
exhortations to desert. Force 136 was the cover name for the British Special Operations
Executive (SOE) and operated in South-East Asia from 1941 to 1945. Curiously, the current
British 15 (UK) PSYOP Group has adopted as an insignia the stag's head first worn by the
IFBU. According to their website, "the deer's antlers symbolize both the combat
support function of PSYOPS and the antennae associated with a major means of dissemination
of psychological warfare messages."
According to SOE in the Far East, Charles Cruickshank, Oxford University Press,
1983; the British used rumors and innuendos to help demoralize the Indians aligned with
the Japanese. Some examples are:
As soon as the Japanese troops reached the frontier of India they were struck down
by cholera as if by the Gods.
The Japanese are enrolling Burmese women in Battalions of Comfort and Cultural
Relaxation [Forced prostitution]
Japanese soldiers that were reprimanded by a Malayan Imam for entering his mosque
wearing boots had tortured him to death.
The Burma dream is over. 50,000 of your comrades rot in these hills.
He also mentions the Indian National Army:
The line taken with the Indian National Army serving with the Japanese was that
those who willingly surrendered would come to no harm…The sooner they surrendered the
better, since they would be driven further and further away from home, and end up as
Japanese slaves. “Which do you choose? Coolie labor or death?” This sometimes
had spectacular results. On one occasion 250 members of the Nehru Brigade surrendered in a
body.
When war between Britain and Germany broke out on 3 September 1939, the British viceroy
in India unilaterally declared India to be a belligerent. The move infuriated the Indian
people and eventually the Indian Congress adopted a resolution on 8 August 1942 demanding
freedom from Britain as a condition for Indian participation in the war. The British
rejected this resolution, which led to widespread public disorder. The British then jailed
members of the Indian Congress and this helped to create a leadership vacuum and provided
an impetus for the ascendancy of Subhash Chandra Bose as a leader of the militant
opposition.
Bhatt continues:
Being the most important colony of the British Empire, India was a very attractive
target for the Japanese, and Churchill’s war cabinet had feared a Japanese invasion
of India. Both the Axis powers – German and Japan – were establishing contacts
with the Indian leadership…The Axis powers, particularly, Germany, had already made
India a target of their psychological warfare.
The British responded with launching an Indian Section in the Eastern Service of the
BBC in London, broadcasting in English and Hindustani…
Paul M. A. Linebarger discusses the Japanese propaganda system in Psychological
Warfare, Washington Infantry Journal Press, 1948:
The Japanese developed a close-knit system (the Joho Kyuku) which combined public
relations of both army and navy, all domestic government publishing, complete control of
book publishing, magazines, press, radio, and film, propaganda intelligence and over-all
psychological warfare.
The Japanese moved into the western colonial areas of the Far East between 1940 and
1942…They organized the following “independent” governments…Azad Hind
(Free Indian government-in-exile) and the Azad Hind Army….
Major Fujiwara
Iwaichi
Joyce C. Lebra tells us that the Japanese had very early eyes on subverting Indian
troops in Jungle Alliance – Japan and the Indian National Army, Asia Pacific
Press, Singapore, 1971. As early as 1 October 1941 they sent Major Fujiwara Iwaichi to
Thailand to make contact with anti-British dissidents. The Japanese knew the war was
coming and already had the date of the Pearl Harbor attack, and wanted to have a
pro-Indian independence organization in place. Iwaichi met with Pritan Singh, leader of
the Indian Independence League. Lebra says:
The Sikh and his cohorts were already were already distributing propaganda leaflets
among Indian officers and men in the British-India Army in the border states of
Malaya…Pritan Singh suggested anti-British broadcasts beamed to India from
Tokyo…
On New Year’s Eve, 1941, Iwaichi met Captain Mohan Singh, an Indian officer who
had defected from the British Army. A decision was made to create an Indian National Army.
Six points were agreed upon:
The Indians would organize an Indian National Army (INA).
The Japanese would give it whole-hearted aid.
The Indian National Army and the Japanese Army would cooperate for the time being.
The Japanese would recognize Mohan Singh as the leader of the captive Indians.
The Japanese would treat Indian captives as friends and allow them to join the INA.
The Indian National Army would be considered an Ally by the Japanese.
For the first time the name of Subhas Chandra Bose was brought up as a possible
eventual leader of this army. After the start of the war and the early victories of the
Japanese, the Indian propagandists moved forward with the Japanese Army:
Mohan Singh personally chose volunteers for his propaganda unit. The men wore
regular uniforms and Fujiwara Kikan passes and “F” insignia to get through
Japanese lines…With a hand-printing press and Hindi and Urdu movable type, they
worked day and night printing the first propaganda leaflets…As fighting spread
through Malaya and the battle lines fell under Japanese assault, increasing numbers of
Indians were brought into Ipoh headquarters by the Propaganda teams.
Lebra says one of the main reasons for the failure of the INA to become a major
fighting force was that the Japanese had never planned to add India as a part of their
“Greater Prosperity Sphere.” They came across various anti-British factions and
were willing to use them for propaganda purposes against the British, but they did not
want to train and arm them fully, both as a possible future opponent and for the simple
reason that it would be expensive at a time that the war was starting to turn against
them.
In the first days of the Japanese invasion of Malaya they held about 2,500 Indian
prisoners. This early group was formed into five battalions. Some INA propaganda troops
broadcast from Saigon and Penang, and another detachment was sent to help with propaganda
operations in Burma. Two companies of the INA accompanied the Japanese on the attack
against Singapore. However, the refusal of the Japanese to allow the INA to grow into a
formidable fighting force caused many officers and men to resign their positions and the
unit was reorganized in 15 February 1943. At this stage the only thing that could revive
the morale and fighting spirit of the INA was the arrival of Subhas Chandra Bose. >
Anthony Rhodes talks about the Japanese plans for India in Propaganda, Wellfleet
Press, Secaucus, NJ, 1987.
India was regarded as potentially part of Japan’s Greater East-Asian
Co-Prosperity Sphere. A “Free India” radio station was installed in Saigon,
which encouraged the natives of the subcontinent to rise against their aggressors while
the British were weak and fully occupied elsewhere. “Indian Independence”
transmitters were also set up in Bangkok and Singapore, as was an “Indian Muslim
Station.” The Japanese formed the Indian National Army with Subhas Chandra Bose as
its leader. Numerous leaflets were dropped on British Indian troops calling on them to
join the Japanese and help liberate their mother country. One gaudy leaflet showed two
Indians chasing a caricature of a British soldier surrounded by his shattered equipment
and tattered flag. Another anti-British leaflet declared that the Japanese Army had
“exterminated the diabolical British power from all parts of East Asia” and it
was now time to free India for the Indians.
Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945) had been a fervent nationalist since his youth. For a
time he was a follower of Gandhi, but he soon became disillusioned with the philosophy of
non-violence. His book, The Indian Struggle,
was published in 1934 and advocated a dictatorship form of government for India. Between
1920 and 1941, Bose was arrested eleven times for fomenting agitation. In 1939 he visited Berlin
where he attempted to enlist Nazi support for his independence movement. Back in India, He
was placed under close house arrest in 1940, but managed to deceive the British and
escape, and after a historic overland trek to Kabul made his way back to Berlin in 1941.
While in Germany he made broadcasts advocating freedom for India.
The Indian Legion
He supported the elite special unit (Sonderkommando
B) and the Indian Legion numbering about 3000 men that the Germans formed from Indian
prisoners of war in North Africa. On 26 January 1942, Bose founded his Azad Hind (Free India) organization in the
Kaiserhof Hotel in Berlin. The Axis powers immediately recognized and granted diplomatic
representation to the new organization. Bose then gave anti-British speeches there that
were broadcast by the Japanese in Thailand to India. The Indian Legion was to lead the
German advance through Asia Minor and Afghanistan and into Northern India. Its members
were recruited from among the prisoners-of-war captured in North Africa and later in Italy.
200 Indian Legion troops were parachuted into Iran under Operation Bajadere to
undertake in sabotage operations. Three companies would be sent to Italy and see front
line combat duty, the remainder of the Legion would be assigned to France guarding the
Atlantic Wall, participating in anti-partisan operations and escorting supply convoys. In
April 1943 the Legion’s three battalions were deployed to Holland, Then to France. In
early 1944 the Legion was declared part of the Indian National Army. After D-Day they
retreated with the German Army and disbanded in April 1945.
When the war ended most were captured and sent back to India to stand trial for
treason against the British Empire. But civilian uproar caused by the very thought of
trials to condemn fellow countrymen which had served with the Axis against their British
overlords, caused the trials to be abandoned.
The Italians also recruited an Indian force from prisoners of war, known as the Centro
Militare India. It existed from April 1942 to November 1942, when it was disbanded
after a mutiny.
A Japanese Propaganda leaflet Honoring Bose
This leaflet depicts Bose, backed up by Japanese tanks, cutting the head
off a British lion that was feasting on Indian bones. The text in Hindi, Bengali and Urdu
is:
Subhas Bose has beheaded British Lion
Hail! Subhas Bose Hail!
Bose was disappointed with his Fascist allies. The Germans refused to come out in favor
of Indian independence. The Italians were even worse and unsure of what to do with Bose,
kept him in virtual house arrest. He returned to Germany and broadcast Azad Hind
(Free India) from Berlin and also published a propaganda magazine with the same title.
Propaganda Minister Goebbels said in his diary:
March 1 – We have succeeded in prevailing upon the Indian Nationalist leader,
Bose, to issue an imposing a declaration of War against England. It will be published most
prominently in the German press and commented upon. In that way we shall now start our
official fight on behalf of India, although we don’t as yet admit it publicly.
In May, Goebbels says that Mussolini wanted Bose to establish an Indian
Government-in-exile but Berlin had not approved. He also notes that Japan was eager for a
liberated Indian government.
According to Lebra writing from Japanese archives:
In August, when Bose assumed command of the renamed Azad Hind Fauj he reorganized
it. Though he became commander, he refrained from assuming any personal military
rank…
The Provisional Government of Free India came into being at an inaugural meeting on
21 October 1943 in the Cathay cinema building…Bose read a proclamation of
Independence on behalf of the cabinet of the new government…The Japanese Government
on 23 October announced its recognition. It was followed immediately by Germany, Italy,
Croatia, Manchukuo, Nanking, the Philippines, Thailand and Burma.
Some of the recruiting of Indian troops is mentioned by Gurbachan Singh Mangat in Indian
National Army, Gagan Publishers, New Delhi, 1991. He says that a party of 27 men under
command of a Lieutenant Jamil Ahmed Khan was sent to Italy to interview Indian POWs
captured by the Axis. The group also produced loudspeaker messages and propaganda leaflets
to drop over Indian troops fighting with the British forces. Leaflets were also fired to
the Indian troops by mortar and rocket (propagandawerfer).
In 2009, author Martin Bamber sent me a letter asking permission to
use some of the images in this article and sending some further data on
Jamil Ahmad Khan:
The rocket used was most likely the 7.3-centimeter PgGr41 rocket
that could carry .5 kilogram of paper leaflets. Another squad led by
Feldwebel Banta Singh used the 8.1-centimeter rocket. One of these leaflets
was later recovered by an Italian farmer in the town of Faenza, near where
the British 8th Indian Division operated in early 1945. On one side it
pictured Indian soldiers (quoting their names, ranks, service numbers and
former Indian Army units) receiving exemplary hospital care. The back had a
Hindustani propaganda message:
MY INDIAN FRIENDS
What do you think? Do
you still believe the English Propaganda that Germans kill their prisoners?
LOOK!
Overleaf are
photographs of some of your comrades who were wounded in battle. They have
been sent to a hospital and are receiving excellent care.
GERMANS ARE HUMAN
And they know how to act in a humane way.
AND
Prisoners of war can
spend their time in camps in comfort and will return home after the war is
ended.
WAIT!
For the second
edition where we will publish photographs of your friends who have been
captured recently.
March towards Delhi!
I love this Japanese leaflet because it depicts Bose at the head of his army,
astride a horse and beating war drums. The text is in Hindi, Urdu and Bengali. It says:
March towards Delhi!
No power can stop Azad Hind Fauz [Indian National Army]
marching towards Delhi.
Meanwhile, on 3 February 1943 Bose began a voyage aboard German submarine U-180 to the
coast of Madagascar where he was met by Japanese submarine I-29. He reached Sabang on 1
May. He was immediately flown to Tokyo. He met with and impressed Prime Minister Hideki
Tojo, and was sent to Singapore where he assumed the presidency of the Indian Independence
League and command of the reconstituted Indian National Army (INA). On 21 October 1943, a
Provisional Government of Azad Hind was formed with Bose as its first president. The
Provisional Government of Azad Hind immediately declared war against Great Britain and the
United States of America. By now Bose was well known throughout India and was called
Netaji (“Revered Leader”).
Mohan Singe began the formation of the Indian National Army in Singapore. Once Bose
arrived from Europe he assumed command to the INA. Three divisions were ultimately formed.
The first division disintegrated in August 1944 after the disastrous attack on Imphal.
6,000 Indians marched into the jungle, 2,600 disabled and ill troops marched out. The
second division fought in Burma against the British in early 1945, but by May 1945 the
troops threw down their arms in Rangoon. At its peak the INA numbered over 35,000 men,
with about 17,000 in Burma and 14,000 in Malaya, the rest in recruiting and training camp.
The Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
It is worth noting that the very forward-thinking Bose wanted women fighters. When he
took command of the Indian National Army in June 1943, he announced that he wanted women
to join the freedom fight. Many women enrolled in the INA’s all-female Rani of
Jhansi Regiment. The Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi died in battle in 1858 defending her
state and was beloved as a brave warrior and patriot. She had once said in regard to the
British:
We fight for independence. In the words of Lord Krishna, we will if we are
victorious, enjoy the fruits of victory; if defeated and killed on the field of battle, we
shall surely earn eternal glory and salvation.
Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan
Also known as Lakshmi Sahgal; was an officer of the Indian National Army tasked with
founding the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, and the Minister of Women's Affairs in the Azad Hind
government. She is commonly referred to as “Captain Lakshmi,” a reference to her
rank when taken prisoner in Burma during the Second World War. Above, she appears on a
patriotic fund-raising commemorative banknote.
Bose with the all-female Rani of Jhansi guerilla corps in Singapore, 1943.
Wikimedia Commons
Inspecting the troops
Mr. A. K. Sengupta prepared a four-page booklet honoring Subhas
Chandra Bose on what would have been his 67th birthday had he survived the
war. In the image above, Bose is depicted inspecting a unit of the Jhansi
Rani Regiment in Rangoon, 1944. Other pages show various Azad Hind and
Commemorative stamps.
Sengupta - commemorative booklet
On his 67th birthday, 23 January 1964, India issued two
commemorative stamps, honoring Bose, so Mr. Sengupta came up with a brochure
showing Azad Hind stamps on one side and commemorative stamps on the other
side. Both were postmarked with the same cancellation: Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose - 23-1-64 - Netaji Bhawan. The Last Word Bhawan
means "Big House," and was placed on the stamps because Bose's home was made
a museum. The last page is a picture of Bose and his slogan "Unity, Faith
and Sacrifice."
ASHA (ASAKO), VOLUNTEER OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY, 1945
Asha/Asako, was born
in Kobe, Japan in 1928 from Indian parents. She was still attending the
Showa Girls' High School when she first met Indian nationalist, Subhas
Chandra Bose who had arrived in Japan to rally support for the Indian
National Army. Inspired by Bose, she rallied the cause of the Indian
independence movement and joined the Azad Hind Fauj. Asha Sahay became a
part of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, one of the very few all-female combat
regiments of the Second World War on any side. Japanese diplomat Ryohei
Kasai, wrote about her in "Asako, India's Freedom Patriot," 2016.
A contingent of combat-trained Ranis was deployed to Burma in May 1944. They never
took part in combat operations and were returned to Bangkok due to British battlefield
advances. Two of the females were killed in enemy attacks.
Bhatt says:
It can be said that India’s real involvement in modern psychological warfare
began when Subhas Bose and his Indian National Army waged it. The Azad Hind radio stated
its regular broadcasts from January 1942, in most of the prominent Indian languages
including Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, Pashto and also English. To recruit
from the Indian community in South East Asia, the INA ran a sustained campaign, with
leaflets printed in Hindi in both Devnagari and Roman scripts on various themes like:
independence, ills of the British rule, exploitation, discrimination etc.
Author Roger E. Tidy tells us more about the various Indian propaganda radio
stations:
“Free India Radio” (Azad Hind Radio) was the main propaganda station for India
set up by the exiled Subhas Chandra Bose with German assistance. Bose’s
Provisional Indian Government in Berlin also had two other radio stations, namely
“National Congress Radio” and “Free Moslem Radio.” (“National
Congress Radio,” by the way, had nothing to do with the short-lived “Congress
Radio,” which was a clandestine station operated by Gandhi supports on British soil).
Moreover, there was an Italian-sponsored Indian station known as “Radio Himalaya,”
run by the exiled Indian Moslem Iqbal Shedai. In addition to these stations, there was a
German station manned by Indians called “The Brothers” (BBC Monitoring Service
translation), to which the men in the leaflet *399/11 44 below are listening.
After the fall of Singapore in early 1942 the Japanese captured 40,000 Indian
soldiers. Some volunteers were organized into an Indian National Army, better known as
Azad Hind Fauz. This unit saw no action, and was torn by dissention among its high
officers and with the Japanese. It was not an effective fighting force until the arrival
of Netaji Bose in Singapore. In 1944, while under the command of Bose, the INA fought
alongside the Japanese on the Burma front in an attempt to advance into India. The drive
toward Imphal stalled. The Japanese retreated, and there was a horrendous loss of life
among the troops of the INA. It became clear to Bose that his dream of a free India was
ended. It would only be realized after the war by political rather than military means.
Bose moved from Rangoon to Bangkok to Saigon. Two days after the Japanese surrender on 15
August 1945, he attempted to preserve his political movement by flying to Manchuria where
he hoped to gain asylum with the advancing Soviet forces. (Or, according to British Agent
1189, a spy in the INA high command, Bose was flying to Yunnan to set up a provisional
government with the assistance of Communist Chinese forces). Lebra says that he was flying
to the USSR to try and convince the Russians to free India from the north. A third
published report stated that he was flying to the Japanese home islands.
Wherever he was going, Bose was killed on 18 August in an aborted takeoff after a
refueling stop at Taihaku airport on Taiwan. Many Indians did not believe that Bose was
killed in this crash and there were rumors that he had taken three bags full of gold and
jewelry belonging to the Azad Hind Bank. Some thought that he was in hiding and would
reappear again when the time was right. Lebra says the airport was Taihoku and local
Indians donated two strong boxes full of Treasure for Bose’s use. Apparently there
was a problem with the left engine and it was tested on the ground. Once the plane was
airborne the left engine fell off the wing and the plane came down. Bose is said to have
escaped from the plane, but fully on fire. He died soon afterward of third degree burns.
Tatsuo Hayashida, the Japanese officer who brought Bose’s ashes and treasure from
Taipei to Japan tells us more about the death in Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose – His
Great Struggle and Martyrdom, Allied Publishers, Bombay, 1970:
The plane was carrying thirteen passengers as against the maximum limit of nine,
thus allowing the total load to reach about two tons against the maximum load limit of one
ton…The entrance door was blocked and jammed by luggage…Netaji had to go through
the fire…Netaji’s clothes were on fire. His trousers had caught fire and burnt
to his body. He was wearing khaki drill clothes….
The “treasure,” many of the pieces melted, burned and scorched was placed in
a wooden box and brought to Japanese headquarters. It was later handed over to Azad Hind
authorities to be used as they saw fit. They were kept hidden from the occupation
authorities until 1951 when they were placed in the National Museum at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
There were three separate official investigations into his death. The front page of the
Calcutta Weekly from January of 1965 reads “Netaji is alive,
American sources confirm.” There is a photo of Bose and the comment, “Netaji!!
The nation pays homage to you.” After Indian independence in 1947, Subhash Chandra
Bose was proclaimed a national hero.
A brief comment about Subhas Chandra Bose. To the British he was a collaborator and
traitor like Quisling of Norway who went over to the enemy at a time when Britain was
fighting for its life and empire. Given a chance, they would have tried, convicted and
hung Bose and all of his officers and government officials after the war, just as had been
done to so many Germans at Nurnberg.
To some Indians at the start of the war, and I suspect most Indians at the end of the
war, he was a patriot. Like George Washington or any liberator, he had taken the fight to
the enemy in an attempt to free his country from foreign domination.
Was Bose a collaborator? Technically we have to say “yes” because he had to
work with the Japanese to get training for his men as well as arms and transportation. Was
he a traitor? I think we can say “no,” since he never was subservient to the
Japanese and considered himself and his government their equal. The most telling aspect of
his attitude about the price of freedom is that when the Japanese marched on India they
wanted the Indians far to the rear, thinking them more trouble than they were worth.
However, Bose wanted the Indian National Army to lead the attack and asked that the first
foot on Indian soil be Indian and the first blood shed on Indian soil be Indian. Those are
not the words of a collaborator and traitor.
India honors Bose with Postage Stamps
Although the British, their allies and many Indians considered Bose a
traitor because of his collaboration with both the Germans and the Japanese, there were
many Indians that considered him a patriot who had sacrificed his career and life for the
freedom of India. On his 67th birthday on 23 January 1964, India commemorated Bose with a
pair of postage stamps. The commemorative booklet printed by the Indian Post and
Telegraphs Department depicts the stamps and quotes Gandhi:
Netaji was like a son to me. I came to know him as a lieutenant full of
promise…He preferred selfless service to selfish ambition…
Netaji’s name is one to compare with. His patriotism is second to none. His
bravery shines through all his actions.
Shortly before his reported death, Bose had laid the foundation for an Indian National
Army memorial in Singapore. One of the first actions of the British on their return to
Singapore was to demolish the memorial.
Bose: The Forgotten Hero
In 2005 Subhas Chandra Bose was recognized in Shyam Benegal’s motion picture
biography: Bose: The Forgotten Hero. The movie depicts the last five years of the
life of the Indian independence leader, from his resignation as the president of the
Indian National Congress to the final radio announcement of his death.The film won two
National Film Awards, the most prominent film awards in India.
A Japanese Leaflet
for the Philippines that mentions India
Heavy industries in England
Before we leave the Area of
Japanese leaflets, I think we should show this one that was prepared to be
disseminated in the Philippines, but mentioned Great Britain, India, and the
V1 Rocket. It depicts Indian factories and if you were to only see one side
you would think it was for India. At the top of the leaflet German V1
missiles are blasting England, while below Japanese aircraft are bombing
factories in India. One Indian worker smacks Prime Minister Churchill as he
quickly leaves his workplace. The text is
V1
Heavy industries in
England are being threatened to be smashed by German V1s
Munition factories in
India will be shortly reduced to ashes by the powerful Japanese air units
Fellow countrymen!
Keep away from all the military objectives!
The other side of this leaflet is
for U.S. and Filipino troops in the Philippines and depicts American
President Roosevelt standing in formal dress and top hat, surrounded by
sinking American warships with the Philippine island of Leyte in the
background. This is a late leaflet, but since it mentions a 4th term,
clearly Roosevelt is still alive. The text is:
WHAT IS CONCEALED
BEHIND ROOSEVELT - AMBITION?
For my reelection for the 4th term, I have no time to be thinking
of tens of thousands of American youths who have been sacrificed in the
battles off Formosa and off the Philippines.
German Leaflets
The Germans prepared a number of leaflets against the Indian troops of the British Army
reminding them of their persecution at home and telling them of the Indian troops who had
come over to the Axis in an attempt to win their independence. The leaflets are not
particularly colorful although some have attractive images. Many are simply text in the
various languages of the Indian subcontinent. We will depict several to give the reader a
general idea of the type of propaganda leaflets prepared by Germany.
It is interesting to note that as always the Germans were playing both sides of the
street. That is, at the same time that they were telling the Indians that they were their
friends and wanted to help them escape the domination by the evil British, they attacked
them in other propaganda. For instance, Pradeep Kanthan told me that his father was part
of the British 8th Army in Italy in from 1943 to 1945. He added:
As a sapper he had to stay behind to remove the mines he had laid. He spoke Italian
fluently by the time he came back to India. He told me about German propaganda when I was
a kid. The Germans had spread leaflets to the Italian population saying that Indians were
barbarians and would pillage and rape at will. It was very hard for Indians to get close
to locals or get any support from them for this reason. My father found this out when he
tried to employ locals in clearing minefields.
He said that in the East the Japanese spread similar propaganda. The Japanese
pretended to be pro-Indian, but after the recapture of Burma and Singapore the Korean
comfort women who were assigned to the Japanese forces wanted to surrender to American
troops and not to Indian troops who they believed were barbarians.
161/9
44 "Free Excursion to London
This German leaflet depicts three Indian troops looking at three scantily-dressed
dancing girls. The propaganda text is very interesting. The Germans claim that after the
war the British intend to give any Indians who had been held prisoner, a tour of London.
They then suggest that rather than being killed on the battlefield, wouldn't it be better
to allow yourself to be taken prisoner so that you can take part in the free tour. The
text is:
Tour of London! Free!
All India Radio Delhi has said in its evening news bulletin of 25 September 1944
that the British government has decided recently that those prisoners of war who would be
in Germany would be sent to London after the war. Beautiful girls having magical eyes are
waiting even from now itself for those Indians who had jumped into the flames of war for
the victory of England but fortunately did not meet the death. After this pleasure trip
(of London) they will be sent home.
But What Will Become of You Who Are Still on Battlefields?
Be victims of the chilly winds of the Alps
Be frozen in the freezing cold of Italy
Face the adversary's platoons and weapons
And finally, be targets of bullets!
Go to permanent sleep with the desire to go home!
If the war is going to end soon as the British propaganda says, then is it justified
for you to lose your life in the terminal stage?
One stone two birds!
Protect your life!
Tour of London via Germany!
And then home!
The back depicts the same three Indian soldiers enjoying a cruise on a ship named
"London." The text is the same as on the front.
156/9/44
Another very busy "delta" leaflet depicts "Death"
holding a British flag at the top and starving Indians below. The back has a long text
message and depicts Churchill holding a bag of money. The text is very long and written in
Urdu Roman letters and Urdu script. The text talks about the British and German radio
broadcasts, the British causing strife between the Hindus and the Moslems, and the British
looting of Indian foodstuffs and industrial items. It says in part:
Question from BBC London
On Thursday, 21st September 1944, BBC London had a question for our fighting
soldiers on its morning program for Indians.
"Do you ever wonder why India is so poor? If you think about answering this
question with all your new experiences and ideas you can figure out what can you do for
betterment of India once the war is over."
We know that many of our brothers have never heard our [German radio] program,
and very few of those who have heard our program believe what we say. However, we can
answer the question about why India is so poor.
It is because of the unfortunate presence of Britain in India!
Why is that?
The British government's policy has been to cause confusion among Indians since the
beginning. This confusion started during the reigns of the Muslim rulers and Hindu kings
in India. Can anyone give any proof quoting facts that there was any such communal
fighting before the British came to India?
No! There was not! Never!
India never had shortage of workers and farmers producing products and crops. But, who
now gets all the wealth produced in India?
It is all sent to the British Empire and not used for the betterment of India!
Britain has ruled India for 200 years but the Indian poor are still dying because of
hunger.
Why is that?
Because, all the food produced in India is sent to the hungry and starving British
people. Besides a lot of potatoes and ice, the British produce nothing else.
Because of the British, there is also a weakening of the educational and
industrial systems of 163-944
And this is the reason why India is so poor!
What did you see and learn in other countries?
The country has to be free and independent to be prosperous!
Think! Are you doing any good for your country helping the British?
163-944
The above leaflet depicts Indian nationalist leader Mahatma Gandhi weaving cloth. The
leaflet is coded
163-944 which indicates that it was disseminated in 1944 over Allied troops fighting in Italy
by the Propaganda-Einsatz Fuehrer organization. Text on the front is:
Boycott foreign goods!
The back is all text in several Indian languages:
The Mahatma’s life is full of sorrow, with many problems and
sacrifices.
His thousands of companions also had to face the hardships of being a political
prisoner. This is all for love of their country! They are doing all this for their
country, for their Indian brothers, for you.
Yes for you! And your children too!
They should not have to join the army to fulfill their hunger and earn a living, and
they shouldn’t have to give up their life for free for another country and race. Like
you! And if you lose your life for this army all of the sacrifices of the Mahatmas will go
to waste.
Be alive!
Don’t let the sacrifices be in vain! Take advantage of that
whatever you do!
Think really hard before doing anything!
[Note] There are a number of German leaflets in the series addressed to Indians. Some
examples are
131/8 44 "Happy Tidings", 146/8 44 "V1 India", 156/9 44 "London's BBC
Equivalent", and 161/9 44 "Free Excursion to London."
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was a major
political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. In India, he
is recognized as the Father of the Nation. He was the pioneer of Satyagraha, the
resistance of tyranny through mass civil disobedience. Gandhi is commonly known in India
and across the world as Mahatma Gandhi. “Mahatma” can be translated as
“Great Soul.” Non-cooperation and peaceful resistance were Gandhi's
"weapons" in the fight against injustice. In December 1921, Gandhi was invested
with executive authority on behalf of the Indian National Congress. Gandhi expanded his
non-violence platform to include the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially British
goods. Linked to this was his advocacy that homespun cloth be worn by all Indians instead
of British-made textiles. Gandhi exhorted Indian men and women, rich or poor, to spend
time each day spinning cloth in support of the independence movement. Gandhi was arrested
on 10 March 1922, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years imprisonment. In March
1931, the British Government agreed to set all political prisoners free in return for the
suspension of the civil disobedience movement.
British “Hand Spinning” Propaganda Leaflet
We should mention here that British propaganda attempted to refute Gandhi’s
charges and produced propaganda leaflets such as the above where they claimed that the
British laws had actually improved the Indian weaver’s lot, rather than harmed them.
With the onset of WWII, Gandhi declared that India could not be party to a war
ostensibly being fought for democratic freedom, while that freedom was denied in India
herself. As the war progressed, Gandhi increased his demands for independence, drafting a
resolution calling for the British to Quit India. Gandhi and the entire Congress Working
Committee were arrested in by the British on 9 August 1942. Gandhi was held for two years.
After the end of WWII Gandhi continued to work for a peaceful independent India with
Hindus and Muslims living together in peace. On 30 January 1948 on his way to a prayer
meeting, Gandhi was shot and killed by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu radical who held Gandhi
responsible for weakening India by insisting upon equitable treatment for the area now
known as Pakistan.
121
A / 6 44
A second German leaflet depicts the Indian nationalist Netaji (Leader) Subhas Chandra
Bose. He had earlier escaped the watchful eyes of the British in India and made his way to
Germany. Later in a remarkable feat, he was taken by German and Japanese submarine to Japan
in May 1943. The front of the leaflet bears an autographed photograph of Bose in Indian
National Army uniform. The back is all text and says in part:
Most of you may be familiar with this face. If not, then listen. He is known
as the National leader, and he is famous by his name. This man is ever ready to lay down
his life for his country and for you. And now he is calling for you to join in his
fight for freedom.
The propaganda by the British about prisoners of war being put to death are all
lies.
147
/ 8 44
A third German leaflet apparently uses an old Indian fable as its theme. It depicts an
elephant with a mouse controlling it. The mouse’s tail flies the Union Jack. The back
is all text in two of the Indian languages and says in part:
A mouse is the leader of the Elephant
Once upon a time when an elephant was sleeping, a mouse came up to him and saw him
sleeping so soundly that he tied the elephant with a chain. Even since the elephant has
remained a slave of the mouse. One day a cat
came by and wanted to eat the mouse. The mouse ran to the elephant and asked for help. He
promised the elephant that if he helped the mouse would set him free. The innocent
elephant helped the mouse against the cat and then asked him to release the chains. The
mouse laughed at the elephant and replied, “You don’t deserve to be set free;
you are not fit for it.” After a few days the same cat came again and attacked the
mouse. The mouse once again went to the elephant for help.
The elephant replied, “You are dishonest; a traitor and deceiver! I won’t
help you. I’ll try to break my chains by myself. It is good for the cat to eat
you.” And that is exactly what happened, the cat ate the mouse and the elephant
applied a bit of strength to break his own chains and was free.
This is your state! A big country like India is a slave to a small country like Britain.
The Indian soldiers should be fighting for their freedom which can only be achieved if England
is destroyed. You are only fighting to remain enslaved.
146/8
44
This leaflet is interesting because it is another in a long line of German propaganda
leaflets that use the vengeance weapon V-1 as the theme. In the background London is
burning, struck by the incessant V-1 flying bombs. In the foreground, a sweating Winston
Churchill is escaping the bombing with a rickety wagon apparently holding India’s
wealth. Some of the text on the back in Hindi and Urdu is:
Our India, Better than the Whole World!
We hear this famous line of Dr. Iqbal on BBC London radio. There is no doubt that
India is one of the most beautiful, prosperous, fertile and brave countries of the
world. But this entire wealth and priceless Indian blood is being used by the
British Empire that rules India by force. Ask the hearts of the Londoners what devastation
the German secret V-1 weapon has rained on England. But Churchill is unperturbed for if India
remains in the hands of the British, then after the war not one but ten such Londons could
be built. Hence, Churchill is against giving independence to India. On the other hand,
real patriotic Indians are sacrificing their lives for the achievement of freedom. For
just a little money, you people are giving up your lives in foreign lands for the benefit
of foreign nations. Aren't you ashamed of how long you have been slaves? If you cannot
fight for the freedom of India, at least refuse to fight and die for the British.
Remember, India belongs to the Indians and not to the English. They were born to loot your
country. If you are thoughtful you will think about what you should do. Save your life for
the future!
[Note: The title “Our India, better than the whole World!” is the title of a
famous patriotic poem by the noted Urdu poet Mohammad Iqbal. In his youth he was
pro-independence. Later, he supported the creation of a separate Pakistan].
LwP. 116 / AI. 115.3.44
A fourth German leaflet is all text and very wordy. The message is:
God does not change the state of any civilization unless and until the civilization
thinks of changing the state itself!
INDIANS!
Do you know what is happening in the world? Every civilization is trying its hardest
to fight for its freedom. In India everything possible is being done in order to achieve
this freedom. Japanese and German representatives have already promised Subhash Chandra
Bose that they will help India in its war for freedom!
A FREE INDIAN ARMY
Under the leadership of Subhash Chandra Bose the Japanese Army has entered India
through Burma and at this moment the free Indian flag is waving inside Manipur. This army
will fight until the British Army is completely destroyed. Thousands of Indian soldiers
among the British troops are leaving and joining the Indian National Army to fight for
their freedom from the British. On one side the Indians soldiers are leaving to fight for
their own freedom, and yet you are still fighting for those who have enslaved you. You are
helping those who have kept you in slavery for over 200 years! You are fighting for the
British Army against yourselves! And why is this death your fate? Because you are still
slaves of the British! Fighting for England strengthens the chains of your slavery. Dying
with dignity is better than a life without respect! Right now foreign armies rule India
and have no respect for the Indian people!
THINK ABOUT IT!
What should you be doing now?
Everyone. Listen every day to the Hindustani news from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. on
both 449.1 medium wave and 28.3 and 39.6 shortwave.
[Note] The code LwP usually signifies German propaganda to Allies and Italians in
1944. The meaning of the code is unknown but we do know that starting in 1944 all German
propaganda for the enemy was under the command of SS Standarte Kurt Eggers. The
operations in Italy were called Sudstern. Subdivisions under this
command issued different series of leaflets at different locations using different
codes. It has been suggested that LwP could represent “Luftwaffe Propaganda.” We
note that many of the leaflets also bear the "AI" code. There are a great number
of "LwP" leaflets to the Indians. Some examples are: "Soldiers of the
Indian Division", "Janubi Italy en Hindustani sipahio" and "Beware
Indian Soldiers". The various subdivisions apparently cooperated well with each other
and in Italy many of the leaflets have two codes. For example, “LwP 112 AI
111-3-44” and LWP 119 AI 120-4-44.”
The "AI" in the code indicates the German organization propaganda-Abschnitts
Offizer Italien and the date indicates April 1944. There are a great number of
"AI|" leaflets to the Indians. Some examples are: AI 115-3-44 "Oh
Indians," AI 120-4-44 "Beware Indians," and AI 121a-4-44
"Soldiers of the 4th Indian Division."
LwP. 112a AI 111a 3 44
This is a tactical leaflet targeting the Indian 4th Division fighting beneath the
monastery of Monte Cassino. The battle of Monte Cassino has been well documented. At the
Allies moved northward on the Italian peninsula they were stopped near the ancient abbey
by very accurate German artillery. Allied reconnaissance aircraft erronessly reported
seeing German troops inside the monastery. In fact, the Germans had scrupulosly avoided
entering the monastery. American, British, New Zealand, Polish and Indian forces were all
beaten back from Germans entrenched on the slopes below the monastery. On 11 February
1944, the acting commander of 4th Indian Division, Brigadier H. W. Dimoline requested the
bombing of the abbey of Monte Cassino. On 15 February 1944, 142 B-17 Flying Fortresses, 47
B-25 Mitchell and 40 B-26 Marauder medium bombers dropped 493 tons of bombs on Monte
Cassino. The Germans then occupied it and made use of the rubble to build defensive
positions. Twenty-five years later in 1969 the American government admitted after years of
review that “the abbey was actually unoccupied by German troops.”
The Germans produced a number of divide and Conquer leaflets targeting Allied forces
during the battle for Monte Cassino. Among the various minorities that they claim were
being forced to fight and die for the Americans and British were those from New Zealand,
India and Poland. The leaflet above targets the Indian 4th Division. The language is Urdu
and the script is Arabic-Persian (the standard script of the Urdu) and Roman so all
Indians could read it. The Indian soldier depicted on the front being pushed forward
by Churchill is most likely a Sikh or a Muslim. The text in part is:
SOLDIERS OF THE
4TH INDIAN DIVISION!
You have seen in the last attack on Cassino how many Indian
soldiers have gone to permanent sleep. Looking at these miserable deaths, every human
cries. This is the same place where the American forces earlier attacked and got a bloody
nose.
INDIANS ARE CANNON FODDER
Where the American and British forces fail, the voiceless Indians
are put in the front to be cannon fodder. Think a bit, what business have you got in
Italy? Why are you unnecessarily making thousands of Indian children orphans and Indian
women widows?
GOLDEN
OPPORTUNITY
Take advantage of the chance to quickly cross over to the German
side. Spend your time in a prisoner-or-war camp and at the end of the war go home safely.
Your brothers are present here in the thousands.
Note: You can cross over to the Germans safely by
showing this paper.
There is a German language message at the bottom to explain to the
sentry what the Indian with the leaflet expects. It tells the German soldier that the Indian
soldier who approaches the German lines with the leaflet is to be treated with respect and
returned home after the end of the war.
LwP 120a./AI.121a4 44
Another leaflet of the “LwP” series is more tactical and actually aimed at
the Indian Fourth Division. It urges the Indians to desert the British and come over to
the German side where they will be able to join Subhas Bose and fight for India’s
freedom. Some of the text is:
INDIAN FOURTH DIVISION, YOU ARE A TARGET OF OUR BULLETS
…The Indians are led by Subhas Chandra Bose, who has organized Indian troops
and formed an army in Germany to fight against the British…
Indian troops serving with the British in Egypt seem to
be
amused by divisive German propaganda leaflets dropped by the Luftwaffe.
Life in a German Prisoner-of-War Camp
This is the first page of a German newspaper leaflet that depicts 23 happy and healthy
Indian captives in a prisoner of war camp. The languages are Hindi, Hindi (Romani) and
Urdu scripts. There is a also mixture of Hindi and Urdu that was once called Hindustani.
The text is:
Life in a German Prisoner-of-War Camp
Many Indian sepoys (privates) are living comfortably in the German
prisoner-of-war camps. This newspaper depicts photographs of the prisoners’ life in
those camps. There is excellent schedule of prisoners’ meals, sports, the reading of
books, dance and skits for entertainment. The camps have temples for the Hindus, mosques
for the Muslims and ‘gurudwaras’ for the Sikhs.
Now guess who among them has won? It seems that only those who are smiling
have won. But actually all of them (seen in the picture) have won because they have saved
their lives and are living happily in the prisoner-of war camps.
DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?
Another well illustrated German leaflet bears no code and depicts ten photographs
of Indians receiving good medical care from German doctors and nurses on the front and
back. Some of the Indian troops and their regiments are named to make the leaflet seem
more truthful and trustworthy. For instance, one patient is identified as number 111206,
Dhan Bahadur of the Gurkha Rifles. The text is in part:
DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER?
These are your comrades who have been wounded.
But why were they wounded?
They were wounded because of their own foolishness.
They could have surrendered to the Germans.
Germans never kill and prisoners of war and they treat the wounded very well.
The names of each Indian soldier are given.
Milap
This German leaflet depicts an Indian family thinking of their husband far away
fighting the war. The title “Milap” can be translated as “union,”
“meeting,” or “being together.”The text on the front is:
UNION
After bidding farewell to you, we kept on looking for you on the horizon. We even
looked for you in the direction where we were not supposed to.
The text on the back is:
Indian Brothers! If you have a look at your situation, you will notice that your
reunion (with your dear ones) is not just very difficult, but impossible. Thousands die
everyday on the battlefield. Is it necessary that you also be one of them?
No, certainly not! Why not to cross over to the German side whenever the opportunity
arises? Thousands of your Indian brothers are leading a comfortable life in
prisoner-of-war camps. The war is over for them. At the end of the war, they will
certainly return to their relatives and be happy.
[Note] The message is a poetic couplet and it is in the “gazal” form. Urdu is
famous for this form of poetry which it borrowed from the Persian. It abundantly uses
similes, exaggeration and sharp contrasts for expression. The second line “looked for
you in the direction where we were not supposed to” ...sounds strange in English, but
can be explained as: We have been so desperate that we know where you have gone and watch
the way you are supposed to return home. But, not only in that direction; we look all
around hoping that you might return from any direction.
*1912/2 45
This German leaflet depicts an Indian woman praying for the safety of her husband and
presenting a lotus blossom to a God. The back is in Hindi (in Roman script—known in India
as Romani Hindi) and Urdu:
OH GOD!
I humbly beg you with folded hands and by placing flowers on your idol. Please do me
the great favor of saving my husband’s life in the war. Please do not let a hot flame
come anywhere near the support of my life.
These are the prayers of a faithful wife, seeking blessings for her spouse, Subedar
(Warrant Officer) Ram Saroop Singh of the First Punjab Regiment while he was breathing his
last on a battlefield after being wounded for the sake of the British. How could this
innocent and sweet woman know that the branch bearing her desires has been chopped off and
that darkness is spread all over her world of aspirations. She does not know that the bud
of love in her heart has died before blossoming.
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
Because Subedar Ram Saroop Singh was uncaring and lost his life. Had he laid down
his arms, his wife's desires would have all been fulfilled.
DO YOU ALSO
want to expose your mothers, sisters and wives to such misery? NO! Then why are you
prepared to fight against the Germans and die for the benefit of the British? It is better
that in this difficult final phase of war you cross over to the German side and live
comfortably in our camps till the end of the war and then happily go home.
END THESE DIFFICULT MOMENTS OF SEPARATION
When I asked Arunkumar Bhatt if he recognized the God he said that it did not seem to
be among the Hindu pantheon. He thought it was more likely that the representation
was of Buddha. He also pointed out that the scenario did not look Indian. For
instance, it is not a Hindu practice to place flowers on the palm of God. The flowers are
placed either at the feet or on the head. The posture of the god was also unfamiliar. One
wonders if the Germans erred, or purposely chose a non-Hindu representation for this
leaflet.
Leaflet * 376 / 12 /44
This leaflet was printed in December 1944 for use against the Indians in Italy. The
“*” indicates the
Sudstern
“Southern Star” section of the Skorpion propaganda organization
thought to be attached to the German 10th Army. We note that this same leaflet was
produced in English (*374/12/44) and in Polish (*373/12/44). The text says in part:
May God bless you with a happy New Year
Think about it – during the New Year – uniforms, shining shoes, and
turbans, etc. Going back home in good spirits. But all of this has become a dream, and now
you dance on a rope, and a little slip can bring you down right over the sharp bayonets.
Then you will become a statistic of the dead. But is it possible to go home in good cheer
by taking this leaflet to the Germans without any fear?
If you want to know more about this offer than listen to the radio at 5:30 p.m.
to 6:00 p.m. on medium wave 449.1 or on short wave 476.
[Note] There were a number of
Sudstern leaflets to the Indians. Examples are;
*376/12 44 "Happy New Year 1945", and *378/12 44 "Our Indian Friends".
There is an entire *1900 series consisting of only Indian-language leaflets. There
appears to be 29, ending in * 1929.4.45.
* 1907 – 1 – 45
A similar leaflet from the same Skorpion organization is coded * 1907 –
1 – 45, which indicates production in January 1945. This leaflet uses the Po River
as its major theme. The Germans produced a number of leaflets with the same concept,
showing Allied soldiers drowning beneath the dark waters and titles such as “Death in
the Po” or “The Po is Waiting for You.” There are five paragraphs in the
leaflet. Some of the text is:
A BATH IN THE PO
Have you forgotten your comrades who died fighting?
What is the Po? It is a river 208 yards wide and 1040 yards at its maximum width.
It is 7 to 20 feet deep and the banks are 18 to 30 feet high. It flows at 20 miles an
hour.
Why do you play with death?
What can you do? Pretend to be sick and go to the hospital and in this way you
can avoid fighting.
Leaflet *339/11 44
Leaflet *339/11 44 is a radio leaflet produced an attempt to get Indian soldiers to
listen to the German propaganda radio. It depicts two Indians listening to the radio on
the front. The text is:
Whoever listens to the radio always remains connected and up to
date.
The back is all text and gives the wavelengths of various propaganda stations in
various languages. The text is:
You can listen daily in the evening.
Between 5:30 PM to 6:00 PM: MW 449.1 and SW 47.6
Between 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM: SW 47.6
The Voice of Bhai [Brother] Band Radio.
Broadcasts correct news from all over the world, plays Indian music and news for the
betterment of Indian soldiers.
Leaflet 1926.4.45
This leaflet is the usual German divide-and-conquer aimed at driving a wedge between
the Indians and their British officers. The front of the leaflets depicts an officer
talking to a girl in a peaceful Indian city. The text is:
Entry to the city is strictly prohibited
But who watches the officers?
The back of the leaflet depicts an Indian soldier dying in combat. The meaning is
clear. Indians are being sacrificed by their officer corps. The text is:
Who commands this company?
Company Commander Major Sarbuland.
Where are all the officers?
Can it be that they are strictly forbidden to serve on the front lines?
Uncoded Leaflet
There is a small all-text series of leaflets that appear to be news sheets. I
generally do not show leaflets that have no images or illustrations, but since the Germans
went to the trouble of producing more than one (I have a second almost identical leaflet)
we should depict at least one of the series. The text is written in Arabic
In the Name of God most Merciful
Our brave Arab brothers: The Colonial enemy promised you the independence of your
countries in the last war, showing sympathy, love and care until he drove you to war, made
your youth Cannon-fodder, and tens of thousands died and the rest came home handicapped
and unable to work and make a living. And, when the war ended they did not honor their
promises, but started torturing you and ignoring the handicapped and martyrs’
families who fought for them. The colonial powers were the cause of their suffering
The Only good Indian…
This German divide and conquer leaflet targeted the Indians fighting alongside the
British. Nothing is known about the producers of this leaflet except for a small quote
stating, “The code-letter A can be found on many German leaflets dropped in Northwest
Europe 1944-1945.” As usual, the Germans point out that the Indians are doing the
fighting for the British, and add that Montgomery has given his men seven days leave while
the Indians die on the front lines. We can date this leaflet to some extent because it
mentions Arnhem and that airborne assault on Holland took place in September 1944. This
leaflet seems to have been prepared in October 1944 or shortly afterwards. What is
particularly interesting about the heading from the historical point is that it had
nothing to do with India. The comment, “The only good Indian is a dead Indian”
is a bastardization of a statement allegedly uttered by U.S. General Philip Sheridan in
1869. Sheridan repeatedly denied ever making such a statement, but several eye witnesses
agree that he said it. Sheridan was well known as a bigot and Indian hater and few that
knew him doubted his agreement with the statement. The original quote is thought to be
“The only good Indians I ever saw were dead.” The Germans cleverly worked an
American verbal slur against its own native people into a British attack on its Indian
colonial troops.
Long Live Independent India
Courtesy of Rod Oakland
All of the German leaflets depicted above were dropped on Indians fighting for the
British in Northwest Europe and Italy late in the war. The next leaflet we show was
dropped on Indian troops fighting in North Africa. Notice at the bottom of the leaflet
there is a brief message in German for Afrika Korps troops and their Italian Allies. The
leaflet is coded 434 J VIII./VIII.42. This probably indicates that it was disseminated in
August 1942. At the center is the spinning wheel, the symbol of Mahatma Gandhi's movement
calling for use of hand spun and woven cotton clothes in preference to the mill-made cloth
of Britain. The spinning wheel is also in the flag of Indian National Congress. The text
around the symbol is:
Long Live Independent India
The back is all text:
Liberty Pass
Whoever shows this surrender pass will be accepted as a friend of the Axis forces.
His personal freedom and liberty to follow his own religious practices are fully
guaranteed. Just bring this surrender pass with you.
India, Death to England.
All Indian enlisted men and officers who come over with this surrender pass will
be freed.
At the bottom of the leaflet in both German and Italian:
Safe conduct pass for Indian officers and soldiers.
There is a report of a North Africa leaflet coded 348 J.V. in Hindu with a circular
symbol. It was dropped on the Indian 4th Division resting north of Haifa. The leaflet
above could be this item, or this could be a second leaflet using the same symbol.
Another leaflet dropped on the British during the North African campaign bears a
cartoon of an Indian chained to England with Urdu text. No more in known about this
leaflet.
Grey Propaganda Using India as a Theme
During WWII, both the Allied and Axis powers tried to influence neutral
countries through propaganda leaflets, radio, mail and posters. In this small section we
will discuss just one such operation. The nation of Portugal was neutral during the war
and both Great Britain and Germany printed a number of propaganda items that mentioned India
in an attempt to sway the Portuguese people. Below we will depict three British and three
German items. None have any indication to show where they were produced, although the
German items sometime claim to originate from Feiheitverlag Switzerland, which is
almost certainly a lie since the Swiss were very strict about their neutrality. All the
cards are printed in Portuguese and while the British attempts to convince the neutrals
that the Indians are loyal British subjects, the Germans do just the opposite. These
Grey propaganda items with different themes are also found in the German, English, French,
Italian, Greek and Serbo-Croat languages.
In Freedom – Strength – India
This British “Grey” Ministry of Information card coded “RE”
claims that India is peaceful under British rule and establishing the fundamentals of a
new prosperity. India joins Britain in the fight against Nazi tyranny. India produced
63,000 tons of steel in 1914, and produced 977,000 tons of steel in 1936.
In Freedom – Strength - India
This British “Grey” Ministry of Information card coded “RH”
claims that India is taking an energetic part in the struggle against Germany. It points
out that India had 2,874 factories in 1914 but had 9,323 factories in 1936.
BUT WHAT A SHOCK TO HITLER!
Another British card for the neutral Portuguese depicts a group of
military members of the British Empire marching to war. There appears to be
Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, and some dark-skinned troops from the
colonies and South Africa. In the back is a Sikh soldier wearing a turban.
The card is coded 'J.S.' At the top of the card a smug-looking Hitler says:
It seems that different parts of the British empire are putting
their own independence above their loyalty to England.
The text in the center of the card is:
BUT WHAT A SHOCK TO HITLER!
The enormous war effort of the Empire and the British Community, on
land, sea, and air, constitute an epic of united resistance to Nazi
aggression.
At the bottom of the card worried and sweaty Hitler adds:
Germany perfectly recognizes the energy and resilience of Great
Britain and the loyalty of the Empire to the Motherland.
Mourning India
This alleged Swiss product, probably printed by the German Propaganda Ministry,
depicts an Indian woman standing near a tombstone. It implies that the Indians are against
the British and may soon rise us against their colonial rulers. The text is:
India in Mourning
Years of lost opportunities.
Here lies the hope of settling the Indian question.
The Voice of India
The German card depicts a British man approaching an Indian with flowers
outstretched, but what may be a weapon behind his back. The text is:
The Voice of India
John Bull, you have been unmasked.
American Peace
The final German card alleged to have been printed in Switzerland depicts American
President Roosevelt holding a peace pipe to a tethered group that he apparently intends to
enslave. The first captive is British Prime Minister Churchill, then a South or Central
American, an Arab, a native of the Far East or China, and finally an Indian. The text is:
Pax Americana
Participation of all the nations for the benefit of the world
This strange uncoded German leaflet is all text and appears to be a rare example of
the Germans using a fatwa of jihad against the Allies. The language is Urdu,
and the script is Devnagari which is used by the Hindus and not by the Muslims who are the
apparent targets of the leaflet. It is likely that the target group is not the Muslim but
the Hindu and Sikh troops of the British Indian Army. In that case, the aim could be a
“divide and conquer” attempt to drive a wedge between the Hindu and Muslim
troops in the Allied ranks. The text is:
News
Sheik-ul-Islam [The
High Priest of Islam, in later years assumed the title of President of Religious Affairs]
in Holy Mecca has on the occasion of the Id Festival issued an edict to you [all the
Muslims] that declares “jihad” against the English, Russian and French people.
Sulan-e-rum [The King
of Turkey…actually the Sultanate of Rum, a
Turkish sultanate that controlled much of Anatolia. “Rum” implies “Rome”
since much of the territory had once been Roman]has
gone to war against the barbaric English, French and Russian nations and his allies are
the Afghan people.
This is a very mysterious leaflet because it mentions Turkey as a German ally when Turkey
was actually on the side of the Western powers. It also mentions a Turkish king, a
position that did not exist during WWII. The Emir of Turkey did join the Central Powers
during WWI. So, at first look, this appears to be a WWI leaflet.
The Grand Mufti Meets Adolf Hitler
The leader of the German people Adolf Hitler and the great Mufti Mr. Amin
Al-Husseini during their meeting in Berlin.
The proof would seem to be overwhelming, except that the leaflet was a gift of a
German Luftwaffe pilot stationed in North Africa during WWII. And, we know that the
Grand Mufti met with Hitler on at least one occasion to offer support. So, although I
strongly suspect that this is a WWI leaflet to British Indian colonial troops, we depict
it just in case it is some strange sort of German black WWII
propaganda. In 1942, Jerusalem's Grand Mufti, Amin al-Husseini, took to the
airwaves and broadcast in Arabic from Berlin. At that time he already was "prime
minister" of a pan-Arab government formed in the German capital. Could it be that the
German propaganda postcard above shows the man that the Indian-language leaflet calls
“The High Priest.”
German “Azad Hind” Propaganda Postage Stamp
My original 1972 description of the above 1 rupee plus 2 rupees stamp is “A
turbaned soldier carrying the Azad Hind flag with two companions in German-style field
caps, the design flanked by two ceremonial swords.” This stamp is one of a set
produced in Germany for propaganda purposes and meant to be used at some future time in
territories controlled by the Free Indian Army. Twelve million stamps were printed and
gummed by the Reichsdruckerei in Berlin. The failure of the Free Indian Army to achieve
any military success left the stamps without a reason for use, and the entire issue was
still in storage in Europe at the end of the war. None of the stamps was ever placed in
use. Postwar forgeries exist, printed offset rather than photogravure, with a washed-out
and somewhat unclear appearance.
A Postwar Envelope bearing the genuine “Azad Hind” Stamps
Although the stamps were never used postally, many patriotic Indians and philatelic
specialists placed them on various philatelic covers for show. This 1964 envelope,
designed in honor of the Indian National Army’s Martyrs Memorial bears the five low
value designs. They are; a nurse comforting a wounded soldier, a map of the Indian
subcontinent with a broken chain across it, a turbaned soldier wearing the springing tiger
insignia of the Indian Legion and aiming a German MG 34 machine gun, an Indian girl
working at a spinning wheel, and a plough framing a rice field with a farmer working on
it. The stamps are cancelled with a special stamp reading “NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE
– CALCUTTA. One can clearly see that the Germans took great care in selecting the
images on these propaganda stamps.
There is no proof that the Free Indian Movement ever produced any banknotes.
However, former members of the INA that I interviewed told me that there were plans for
such currency by the new Independent Indian Government. Joyce Lebra mentions the banknotes
twice in his book. The first was at a meeting between Bose and Tojo:
Bose mentioned the issue of abandoned Indian property and the desire of the Free
Independent Provisional Government to issue its own banknotes. To the latter, Tojo did not
object.
10 Rupee note (1943)
Courtesy of https://www.quora.com
100 Rupee note (1943)
Courtesy of https://www.quora.com
Alleged Bank of Azad Hind Banknotes depicting Bose.
Commemorative issues made to collect funds
In March 1944 Bose demanded the establishment of a National Bank of Azad Hind. In
another meeting he demanded that when the Japanese and Indians invade India:
Special currency issued by the Free India provisional Government should be used
rather than Japanese military currency.
There is a rumor that the Germans printed banknotes for Bose about the same time they
printed the stamps, but allegedly they were lost when the ship they were sent in was
torpedoed on its way to Japan. We do know that to serve the financial needs of the
Provisional Government of Azad Hind, an Azad Hind Bank was established. The bank
was created on 5 April 1944 and capitalized at several million rupees.
Photograph Weekly
From the bureau
of information. Feb 26. Issue no. 309. 10-sen
The Japanese
showed Bose off quite often as an Indian patriot doing all to free his
occupied Country. Here he appears in a 1943 Japanese magazine.
A Receipt for a “Voluntary” Contribution to Indian
Independence.
The bank quickly became the preferred bank of the Indian community in Burma.
It held a sizeable amount of gold from ornaments and valuables donated by Indian
women. The bank paid all the expenses of the Provisional Government and the INA, and
even repaid some loans given by the Japanese government. It is my understanding that
the bank applied great pressure on wealthy Indians to donate to the cause. They send out
polite requests for donations but it was understood that beneath the friendly request was
the iron hand of Japan.
A “Friendly” request for an Additional Donation
In the above form letter, an Indian who has donated to the Azad Hind movement is
informed that a further donation is expected. In this case, the donor sent $7,000 as an
initial contribution and has been “requested” to send an additional $18,824.
In 1944, when the British reclaimed Burma from the Japanese, the war department
seized the Azad Hind Bank’s assets. After many debates, the British turned over the
assets to the newly formed Reserve Bank of India in Calcutta. Distributions were made
to verifiable account holders, although it appears that in some cases the Bank held back
funds. One published report tells of an individual named Ramalinga Nadar who had deposited
423 million rupees and 16,105 gold coins in the bank and who was refused repayment. This
might be due to the fact that he supplied workers to the Japanese during the war.
The Bank of Independent Commemorative Bose-Hitler note
This 1000 (no currency unit) note depicts Bose at left shaking the hand of Adolf
Hitler. The note is almost impossible to copy because of its strange vertical rainbow
color printing, starting with red at the left, yellow in the center and green at the
right.
There are no known Azad Hind banknotes, but at the end of the war, in order to raise
funds for Indian National Army veterans and other causes, a number of commemorative
propaganda banknotes were prepared bearing the image of Subhas Bose or other Indian
patriots. One actually depicted Bose with Adolf Hitler. These banknotes were sold with the
profits going to various charities.
I first mentioned the banknotes in an article entitled “The Almost Stamps of
Free India” published in the Journal of the Society of Philatelic Americans
of December 1971. I stated in the story that I had received a letter from Biren Roy, a
member of the Indian Parliament in 1968. Biren Roy said:
I have spoken to Colonel Prem Sahgal of the Indian National Army who was
Netaji’s private aide-de-camp in the Far East. He stated that stamps were
printed under the orders of Netaji Bose in Germany. He states that currency notes were
also printed, but lost when the ship in which they were carried was sunk.
Pukhraj J. Surana, In “I.N.A. Currency” Numismatics Digest, June
1981, volume 5, part 1 (Bombay), page 68, states:
The bank had issued notes in the denomination of 5, 10, and 100 rupees.
A more recent report is found in The Forgotten Army, Peter Ward Fay, The
University of Michigan Press, 1995, page 307. The author says about Bose:
He [Bose] must prepare the ground for the freedom army’s triumph,
prepare it in every detail (already the details included freshly printed Azad Hind rupee
notes and Azad Hind stamps).
The commemorative fund-raising banknotes were issued by the following
“banks”:
The Azad Hind Bank, the Bank of Independent, the Bank of
Independent Chalo Delhi, the Bank of Independent Jai Hind, the
Bank of Independence, the Bank of good Luck, the Jai Hind Bank of
Independent, Our Own Bank, Our Own Bank Jai Hind, and the Jai
Hind bank.
My buddy Howard Daniel was studying these in 2020 for one of his reference
books on Burma and he added:
There were never ever any Azad Hind bank notes printed for the Azad Hind
Bank in Rangoon because the Japanese would not allow them to be printed. The Japanese instead gave them Japanese Burma Military Certificates
(known as JIM) to be issued from their bank. Indians from all over Southeast Asia did send pre-war currencies to
the bank and even gold, silver, gems, etc. The Azad Hind movement was very popular in Southeast Asian among
the ethnic Indians, but it had its limits placed on it by the Japanese.
In correspondence with Howard Nitin Rohatgi added:
The INA or Bose
himself would never have permitted Gandhi on one of the notes. In addition
to Gandhi, there are images of Nehru on some, MA Jinnah, an architect of
the partition of India for a separate section for Muslims - Pakistan, and
even a photo of Bose shaking hands with the Fuhrer.
Readers wanting to know more about this subject should see my article “Free India
Movement Banknotes” in The International Banknote Society Journal, Vol. 40,
No. 3, 2001.
The Azad Hind Commemorative coin
The commemorative Indian coin above depicts Subhas Bose on the obverse and the leaping
tiger of the Free India movement on the reverse. Text on the front with Bose's portrait
is:
Unity - Faith -Sacrifice
23rd January 1897
Text on the back in Hindi is:
Provisional Government of Azad Hind
Victory to India
1 Rupee
There also exists an Indian rupee coin of King George VI dated 1942 counterstruck on
the obverse over the crown: “P.G.A.H. 1943.” Although it is not known when this
coin was defaced or who did it, the letters would seem to indicate “Provisional
Government of Azad Hind
Japanese Leaflets
Caveat Emptor! In this section I will depict many genuine Japanese
leaflets dropped on Indian troops. In the past several years I have seen many leaflets
that appear to be reproductions offered to collectors. I feel the need to warn collectors
to be very careful of what they buy and to be sure of its provenience. In a recent search
of EBay, I found 17 of the full-color leaflets I depict in this article offered at an
average price of $9.99. An actual WWII Japanese leaflet for India is surely worth a
minimum of $20, and perhaps more. The dealer does not call these leaflets reproductions,
but at the bottom of his listing is a single line: “We treat it as Vintage Reprint
Collectibles.” I think that says it all.
The Japanese propaganda leaflets to the Indians were quite different from the German
leaflets. Whereas the German leaflets tended to be monochromatic and sometime wordy on the
back, the Japanese leaflets were very bright and full-colored, sometimes very
“busy” with numerous images piled one upon another, and with minimal text. They
also made great use of political satire and cartoons attacking Allied leaders such as
Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Chiang Kai-shek, and also the various nations
opposed to Japan.
As I reread my
comments in this article written about three decades ago, I realized that
Graham Shaw wrote very similar comments about these leaflets. Back about
2020 I worked with an author named Graham Shaw on his research into the
Japanese leaflets supporting the Free India movement. I gave him the
complete use of all my leaflet images for his study, A Little-known
Dimension of Indian Freedom Movement Iconography: Indian-language leaflets
printed by the Japanese during the Second World War. I thought I might
add some of Grahams comments to this article because he went into more
depth than I did (edited for brevity):
The Japanese
Leaflets are very striking polychromatic leaflets with Indian-language
slogans produced by the Japanese in support of the Indian Independence
League in East Asia (IIL) and Netaji Subhas Chandra Boses Indian National
Army (INA) for whose troops the British coined the derogatory acronym 'IFs'
'Japanese-Inspired Fifth Columnists' or 'JapaneseInspired Fascists'.
These leaflets were the product of the fierce propaganda war waged between
the Allies and the Japanese to win the hearts and minds of Indians not only
in India itself but also in mainland Southeast Asia during the later years
of the Second World War.
The Second
World War also saw the internationalization of Japanese propaganda. Aimed at
several different national audiences, leaflets were produced in many
languages including Chinese, Vietnamese, Bahasa (for both Malaya and
Indonesia), Thai, Burmese, Shan, Tamil, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and even New
Guinea Pidgin English (Tok Pisin) as well as English itself. The themes
deployed in the leaflets were skillfully tailored to the circumstances and
fears of each audience.
The images
produced by the Japanese in support of the IIL and INA seem to have been
almost totally ignored, despite their presence in major public collections
such as the Imperial War Museum and the National Army Museum, both in
London. These leaflets deserve to be better known as they add a new
dimension to the iconography of the Indian Freedom Movement. What a contrast
the dynamic Japanese images made from their Indian counterparts.
The posters in
support of the Freedom Movement printed in India itself were completely
different in look and feel to these Japanese examples. Often, they were
black-and-white, with color coming into more widespread use only in the
later 1940s in posters produced just after Independence. The India-printed
examples were static icon-like images, creating a mood that was prevailingly
somber and suffused with a powerful patriotic piety. They often referenced
Hindu mythology. Other posters paid homage to those who had already made the
ultimate sacrifice to liberate Mother India. The leaders of the Freedom
Movement were often portrayed reverentially. Rarely was a more satirical,
humorous tone deployed, but one or two instances can be found.
Since Indian propaganda was most aimed at Britain, it often showed a fat Caucasian
individual performing some cruel act. In many cases it looks like Winston Churchill; in
other cases it does not. In those cases, it will usually be a caricature of John Bull, the
national personification of Great Britain in general and England in particular. He is
usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.
The Japanese attitude toward psychological warfare against Indian troops is
mentioned by Lieutenant Colonel Mahmood Khan Durrani in The Sixth Column, Cassell
and Company, 1955. Durrani was a prisoner of the Japanese and quotes a lecture given by a
Japanese officer on how leaflets should be prepared for use against the Indians fighting
for the British. He says in part:
Propaganda leaflets dropped for troops must be easily noticed and yet at the same
time easily concealable on the person of the soldier so that he might hide them from his
officers and read them at his leisure.
The handbill should be of an attractive color so that it might not escape the
notice of all soldiers.
The leaflet should have, if possible, the picture of a beautiful woman, after the
method used by the Germans in the First World War. This device would insure that the
soldier would be attracted and would be unable to resist looking at the picture over and
over again. This would rouse his passion, and his heart would be inclined for love and to
hate fighting.
The text of the posters must remind soldiers of their wives and children in
trouble, thanks to their serving as mercenaries in the hands of foreigners who had selfish
motives. This would have the effect of striking the most tender chords.
The poster should give a photograph of or mention the gardens and fruits of the
country the soldiers belonged to, so that it might remind them of the happy and bubbling
life of their countrymen in contrast to their own wretched lives as soldier and the deadly
destruction of war in store for them. Thus the soldier would have a craving to go back to
the peaceful and happy life he had once lived, and he would be likely to desert at the
first opportunity.
The handbill should include a definite promise that it would serve as a ticket
for entry into their fold as a friend to whoever should desert their ranks of his army and
come to their side with it. And as such a friend, he would be given a long holiday and
sent to his country to meet his parents, wife, children and friends.
Graham Shaw
adds:
Evidently the
Japanese leaflets' images and captions together often proved highly
effective:
Although they
had been trained to ignore axis propaganda, some of the propaganda reaching
the Indian troops was extremely unnerving... It was directed at the weakest
spots in the psychological armory of the sepoys. It played on their
homesickness, on their anxieties about hunger at home and on their desire
for the war to end ...Officers use men as cannon fodder, so the storyline
went: why would Indians fight for an imperial master?
The degree to
which the Japanese were able to fine-tune their propaganda messages to
strike home at the Indian soldier's mental state was remarkable, as Captain
Mohan Singh himself testified in his memoirs:
The Japanese were dropping many leaflets,
expressing their war aims in pithy slogans, assuring the colored races of
their immediate liberation and beseeching them to join hands in that mighty
undertaking. They were appealing to the honor, dignity, and self-respect of
all Asians in general, and Indians in particular: 'Asia for the Asians';
'Kick out the white devils from the East'; and 'India for the Indians', were
some of the propaganda professions. In a normal situation, no one would have
given any serious heed to the shibboleths of the invading hordes, but at
that moment their effect on me was tremendous. I felt as if they were
voicing my feelings.
Yasmin Khan says in The Raj at War: A People’s History of India’s Second
World War:
Although the troops had been trained to ignore Axis propaganda, some of it reaching
the Indian troops was extremely unnerving...it was directed at the weakest spots in the
psychological armory of the Sepoys. It played on their homesickness, anxieties about
hunger and home and on their desire for the war to end.
One of the earliest reported attempts to propagandize the Indians occurred in January
1942 in Singapore. Japanese aircraft dropped small yellow leaflets printed in black:
Terrible riots in Singapore! Secret evacuation of British Troops!
A terrible riot has broken out in Singapore! British and Australian soldiers are
being secretly evacuated from Singapore! Malayan and Indian soldiers! Pack up your
troubles in your old kit bag and cooperate with the Nippon Army.
British and Australian soldiers! Return to your homes at once by hook or by
crook. You may never get another chance to see your beloved ones in England or Australia.
The concept of the British leaving the Indians behind will be found below in a
leaflet we call “No Room in the Truck.”
Another leaflet depicted Chinese, Malay and Indian soldiers welcoming the Japanese
troops with John Bull and Uncle Sam running away.
So, how did the Japanese print their leaflets. Shaw tells us about their
printing projects:
Steps to produce Indian-language leaflets were first taken when the Fujiwara
Kikan moved to Ipoh near the island of Penang on New Years Day 1942. The
main impetus for their creation was the desire to demoralize British Indian
troops stationed in the Malayan peninsula and encourage them to desert and
come over to the INA side. Their production was especially urgent as a major
assault by the Japanese Army on the British defensive line along the Slim
River was imminent. Since the Kikan had no printing equipment of its own,
there was no alternative but to commandeer materials from presses owned by
the local Indian community. As Fujiwara recalled in his war-service memoir:
"Pritam [Singh] solicited the cooperation of Indian residents of the city to
round up printing type in Hindi, as he planned to drop propaganda leaflets
from the air By 3 January the Ipoh I. I. L. office had managed to acquire
sets of type in Hindi and Urdu plus a hand-operated printing press, though
in poor condition. The battle of Slim was approaching moment by moment. It
would be impossible for I. I. L. and I. N. A. propaganda units to cover the
entire front before fighting commenced. In response to a request by Pritam
and Capt. Mohan, I decided to drop leaflets from the air an idea I had had
in mind for some time. Capt. Mohan prepared 'Letter to Fellow Indian
Soldiers' appealing to them to desert and join the I. N. A. In this letter
we outlined the purpose of the I. N. A. and included the guidelines for
surrender that we had given to I. N. A. agents. The I. I. L. also produced
handbills stating its political objectives and urging participation in the
movement. We had these leaflets printed in forty-eight hours."
Your demand for Independence
One Japanese leaflet depicts the Allied leaders Roosevelt, Churchill and Chiang
Kai-shek trying to push or pull an Indian into the fight against the Japanese. I first
described this leaflet in my 1972 booklet. The text in Hindi and Bengali is:
The defeated countries, whose destruction is inevitable, are casting greedy eyes
on India. Do not pay attention to their sweet talk.
Churchill holds a whip with a flag attached and the text:
We accept your demand for independence.
Towards Freedom
Several leaflets show Indians on horseback charging. Similar leaflets are found in
both horizontal and vertical format. This leaflet curiously calls Japan's occupation of Burma
and the Philippines “freedom!” and calls for the Indians to revolt against
British rule. The flag shown is that of the Indian National Congress (the political party
spearheading the freedom movement). The people are shown holding farm implements and
sticks as weapons to underscore the point that they can even revolt without firearms!
The Japanese leaflet is bilingual, Hindu and Bengali, the language that dominates
eastern India and the present Bangla Desh. The Japanese believed that their invading army
would first occupy the east during its march into India from Burma. The text is:
Burma and the Philippines have attained freedom. Oh India! You must
also awaken and rise.
All the Asians…
Another leaflet that implies that the Japanese are leading all Asians toward freedom
from the Europeans depicts John Bull holding the Asian people in chains while an Indian
fighter swings a sledge hammer at his head. In the background The people of Asia chase
American and British troops. The text in Hindi and Bangla is:
All the Asians are marching towards victory.
Forward. We shall also break the chains of slavery and fight for our
independence.
The British Barbarism
In the above leaflet, a caricature of Churchill is about to chop off the fingers of
a bound Indian worker in a textile shop. Other fingers litter the floor and in the
background the British have set the shop ablaze. The leaflet is written in Hindi and
Bengali. The text is:
To save Manchester, the British rulers shed the blood of Indians and in
return gave them hunger and poverty
BRITISH CRUELTY
Another image of an Indian with his hands in jeopardy is depicted in this
leaflet where a knife clearly marked with a British flag cuts off the
fingers of an Indian cloth weaver. The text is:
BRITISH CRUELTY
Destruction of Dacca Textile Industry
Remember, fingers were cut off to save Manchester
The theme of this leaflet is British cruelty and the way that they destroyed
the Indian economy. The British are shown destroying the Indian economy
while making great profits for the British textile industry.
The theme of this leaflet is British cruelty and the way that they destroyed the
Indian economy. It addresses the total destruction of the Indian industrial economy
with a view to making profits for the British textile industry. The theme would be
well-understood throughout India because Mahatma Gandhi had based his non-violent struggle
on svadeshi (the use of Indian goods and boycott of British factory products).
He and his supporters wore khadi (hand spun and hand-loomed woven cloth. I
don’t quite understand the mix-up in coding, but this is one of two Japanese leaflets
I have seen coded C.168. This leaflet seems to exist in some different variations, A
second version has text in Hindi and Bangla. The text on the back is:
The Devil British-Americans are the enemy of India. They are oppressing the whole
world. Kick the British-Americans out of your country and liberate your motherland. The
Indian National Army has paved the way to march towards your motherland. Our nationalist
vision and flag has reached the India-Burma border for liberty or death in this war. It
will soon reach Delhi via Chhatgaon [now Bangladesh] and Calcutta.
Indian friend – awake – arise! We will unite and take revenge for all
this oppression from the British-Americans by striking them.
The Supreme Commander of Provincial Government of Azad Hind
The Axe
The leaflet above depicts an axe and calls the British “Demons.” This
leaflet uses the same general themes. This is an interesting leaflet that shows Churchill
holding a rope tied to the leg of an Indian. The Indian has an axe labeled
“Freedom” and is about to chop the rope, freeing him from the British weight.
Chiang Kai-shek is in the background, seeming confused. Off to the right are a number of
bundles the probably had been carried by the Indian; the first two labeled “Bound for
England,” the last bundle says “British Atrocities; Indian goods.” The text
is:
This axe is way to liberate us from the British Demon!
We Indians have had a bad experience. There is no way to save fellow Indians other
than to use the axe for freedom. We will end 300 years of murder and atrocity-filled
history by using the freedom axe. We will end the life of the British Demon that rules
over 350 million Indians from Asia and from the world. This is the time for it.
Look…
The Japanese seemed to love to insult Chiang Kai-shek. In this leaflet, an injured
Churchill and a bandaged Chiang look at India and are not happy to see it protected by
Indian soldiers. On the map of India it says “Indian Subcontinent.” The text is
in in Hindi and Bengali. It says:
Look, they all want our soldiers and materials and resources.
A Second Japanese leaflet coded C.168
The second Japanese leaflet coded C.168 depicts John Bull forcing an Indian soldier
into the front lines. The text on the Front is:
Kill all the British - I don't want to die for British!
The text on the back is the same as the other C.168 above.
"Boycott British Goods" label
The above label with the text “Boycott British Goods” features Jawaharlal
Nehru. It was issued by Dholera Satyagraha Samiti of Ranpur during India's struggle for
freedom. Additional text asked the Indian people to boycott all British products and asks
the people of Gujarat to use these Boycott labels on every letter that they post.
Because of the industrial revolution the British could mass-produce goods. That
required raw materials and huge markets for the finished products, particularly cotton
textiles. To secure both, the British destroyed the decentralized traditional Indian
textile industry. They imposed heavy taxes on Indian textiles made in great part by
hand-looms so that the inferior cloth of the British textile mills located mostly in Manchester
could continue to profit.
Indian artisans; spinners, weavers and processors, were among the best in the world.
The legend is that the superfine variety of cloth called malamal produced by the
weavers of Dacca (now the capital of Bangladesh) was so thin that a 20-yard long piece
could be folded and packed in a present-day match box! Because of the British actions it
became difficult for the artisans to sell their produce and buy raw cotton. QAs a result,
both the textile workers and all the other economic activities depending on the
textiles were impoverished. It was so severe that the desperate weavers of Dacca chopped
of their own fingers in protest.
Beat the devil…
Another Japanese leaflet that has the theme of British barbarism depicts an English
officer stabbing a chained Indian in the back while John Bull enjoys a nice piece of
bloody meat which seems to be vaguely in the shape of India. In the background is an
Indian patriot with a stick. The text in Hindi and Bangla is:
Beat the devil with sticks and save India!
What Purpose…?
This caricature almost appears to have been drawn by the same artist as the leaflet
above. Look at the bloated evil face of the British soldier and compare it to that of
Churchill in the previous leaflet. This leaflet depicts Churchill making a chained and
blindfolded Indian advance against the Japanese by whipping him. He advances over
destroyed British aircraft and ships. He approaches a heroic Japanese soldier standing
before his national flag. The implication is that the Indian soldiers gain nothing by
fighting the Japanese. They are slaves of the British and should fight their masters and
not the Japanese. The text is:
What purpose of yours is served by fighting the Japanese army?
Ideal India
This leaflet coded P-160 is very busy. Among the numerous images crowded into the
full-color leaflet are an Indian warrior, a school child, a woman, an elephant, Indian
aristocracy and buildings in the background. The text is:
Ideal India
Look at this nation and her natural beauty and resources. This India is being
exploited by the atrocities of the Englishmen. An ideal India can only be built when
Indians themselves protect it after gaining independence.
[Note] The writing on the blackboard is, "Peaceful haven." The
leaflet uses several symbols of Indian culture and resources. Strangely, the woman does
not look Indian. A typical Indian woman does not wear short hair even today.
The text on the back is Hindustani and Nepali. It is a letter signed by Subhas
Chandra Bose that says:
Gurkha Soldiers: Think properly and participate in the real work. Don't you ever
think about how the British-Americans are ruling you by cheating and setting traps?
Without an independent India, Nepal will continue to be treated like a small
state and will not have any say in the world. An independent India will mean an
independent and progressive Nepal.
Let’s work together; let’s be united and let’s stop fighting
amongst us brothers from now onwards.
The Supreme Commander of Provincial Government of Azad Hind
Subhas Chandra Bose
Destroy the Brutal British
This leaflet depicts a British woman walking on the sidewalk while an armed British
sentry looks down at two Indians in the gutter. The British had banned Indians from
walking on the sidewalks of their neighborhood. In Punjab, the Indians had to crawl off
the road if a British person passed by.
The text is:
Destroy the Brutal British
Remember the Punjab event of 1919? We Indians were forbidden from walking on the
sidewalks of our own motherland. The British did this to us.
[Note] On the afternoon of 13 April 1919, some 10,000 or more unarmed men, women,
and children gathered in Amritsar's public square to attend a protest meeting, despite a
ban on public assemblies. The British positioned men at the narrow passageway of the
square. Without warning, 50 soldiers fired 1,650 rounds of ammunition into the gathering.
Nearly 400 civilians were killed, and another 1,200 were left wounded without medical
attention. The British Brigadier Reginald E.H Dyer later stated that the firing would have
continued if he had more ammunition.
In 1943, an Independence League poster asked Indian troops to desert. Some of the
text is:
Don't be a traitor to India! Join us to strike the Satanic British.
Another Independence League in East Asia leaflet depicts Mahatma Gandhi and several
other Indians and the text:
GOD and Nippon to help India drive out the British devil.
Japan is sworn to aid India fight.
Who is responsible?
The dark and bony Indian man shows what the British-induced hunger and misery has
reduced him to. To the western eye the Japanese were not complimentary in this drawing. It
is very reminiscent of Eduardo Ciannelli, the evil leader of the Thugee cult, devoted to
Kali, the goddess of death and destruction in the 1939 pro-British propaganda movie Gunga Din. The Indian man points toward the reader
of the leaflet. There are the bones of the dead scattered all around him. Some of the
Indians who studied this picture said, “It is surely a dead person who died of
hunger.” The text in Hindi, Urdu and Bengali is:
Indians are being killed in large numbers. The British are trampling their dead
bodies while looting India of its food. Who is responsible for the Indians' death?
Glorious Freedom
This leaflet uses almost the same image of an angry, starving Indian. The background
is all in red, and gives the impression of a bloodbath. The text in Hindi and Bangla is:
1765: Torture in Dhaka
1857: 1st war of Indian Independence
Glorious Freedom. Revenge for our blood-bathed history.
The so called most educated, prodigal and well-wishers of India have only
produced a system of bribery, murder and suppression for last 300 years. The time has come
for us to realize our long-sought wish of independence. India has got the opportunity to
take revenge for our blood-bathed history and get glorious freedom. Shall we lose such an
opportunity by staying still and not doing anything?
1918: Sacrifice in First World War
1919: The Jallianwala Bagh episode of Amritsar
This leaflet reminds the Indians of the oppression they have tolerated for the last
300 years. Indians sacrificed themselves for the British in World War one and received
nothing in return. It tells the Indians that now is the time to take revenge. We mention
the 1919 Amritsar massacre, also known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre elsewhere in
this article.
Burma is ready…
On the subject of starvation, this leaflets features well-fed and healthy British
soldiers with bayonets at the Burma border keeping food from entering India. At the left a
starving Indian is depicted. The text is:
Burma is ready to send rice to Indians who are dying of starvation, but the British
are putting up obstacles in this supply.
Note: Rakhi Chakraborty wrote on 15 August 2014 that the British had a ruthless
economic agenda when it came to operating in India and that did not include empathy for
native citizens. Under the British Raj, India suffered countless famines…The British
had issued widespread orders for cash crops to be cultivated. These were intended to be
exported. Thus, farmers who were used to growing paddy and vegetables were now being
forced to cultivate indigo, poppy and other such items that yielded a high market value
for them but could be of no relief to a population starved of food. There was no backup of
edible crops in case of a famine. Winston Churchill is alleged to have said:
I hate Indians. They are a beastly people with a beastly religion. The famine was
their own fault for breeding like rabbits
Now is not the time for infighting
This leaflet attacks Winston Churchill and depicts him as a demon. He is in the
background and holds two Indians in his hands. The Indian on the left is identified as a
member of the Muslim League and the one on the right is a member of the Indian National
Congress. The text at the top is:
Now is not the time for infighting
The text at the bottom is:
The British policy of divide and rule
Churchill – the Spider
The Japanese often vilified Winston Churchill by caricaturing him as a beast or a
monster. In this leaflet he appears as a spider at the center of a web holding a pot of
gold, surely stolen from India. Around him, trapped in the British web of deceit (with a
“Union Jack” in the background) are various categories and castes of Indians.
The text is:
The time has come to make India free. Rise up and shatter the
British fetters.
Top of the World
A group of Asian men sit on top of the world toasting their freedom from Great Britain
while Churchill, with his stolen Indian loot falls away. It is written in the Hindi and
Bengali language. The text on the poster is:
This is just the right time to kick British out of Asia
The Elephant
In this leaflet a character who could be Churchill, but looks more like
the British symbol “John Bull” is held in the trunk of an Indian elephant. The
elephant is marked with the flag of the Indian National Congress. It has broken the chains
that held it fettered to England, and stomps on the British flag. At the right a bright
red sun shines down, and this very likely represents Japan whose flag bears a single red
sun (called a “meatball” by the Americans during WWII). The text in Hindi and
Bengali is:
Oh sleeping Elephant! Wake up and stand up.
At this opportune time, break the English chain and be free.
[Note] The elephant is a great symbol in Indian culture; it is considered very
auspicious, divine, powerful, magnificent and friendly. It symbolizes both India’s
culture and its mammoth size.
This is the opportunity
This leaflet seems a bit cruder than most of the Japanese leaflets. It seems more in a
“comic book” style. It depicts a John Bull almost pushed out of India and we see
German bombers in the background and flames that might imply a burning Britain. At the
right, Japanese bombers shoot down British aircraft and sink British ships. An Indian
soldier is seen standing on Indian soil with his foot held high as if he were kicking the
British out. The text in Hindi and Bangla is:
This is the opportunity. Get up and move forward by initiating fight
for independence!
The chain of slavery…
Another crude drawing depicts John Bull under the foot of an Indian whose chains have
been broken. The text in Hindi and Bangla is:
The chain of slavery has been broken now.
A Mountain of Skulls
This Japanese leaflet depicts a mountain of the skulls of Indian dead, overlooked by a
fort bristling with cannon and the Union Jack. Vultures fly high overhead. The fort is a
symbol of colonial power. As for the pile of skulls, it is said that Timur piled up
human skulls after sacking Delhi. He killed at least 100,000 before the city fell,
and anywhere from hundreds of thousands to a million after the destruction of Delhi. The
leaflet compares that atrocity with British colonial rule.
The text is in the Urdu, Hindi and Bengali languages and says:
The English are prepared to feed hundreds of Indians to the cannons
to save their empire.
Cannon Fodder
This leaflet has a very interesting image. It depicts finely dressed British soldiers
about to blow a cannon ball through an Indian prisoner. This atrocity propaganda was often
used by the British, so it is interesting to see it used against them. It alludes to the
accusations that the British unleashed a reign of terror to suppress the
“Mutiny” of 1857. Allegedly, they would blow people apart with cannons and hang
them from tree branches. This leaflet reminds the target audience of such acts and exhorts
them to take revenge. The text is:
When will you get an opportunity to take revenge, if not now? Do not
forget the British practice of blowing apart Indians after tying them to mouth of a
cannon's barrel.
[Note] The Indian Rebellion of 1857, also known as the First War of Indian
Independence was a prolonged period of armed uprisings in different parts of India against
the British occupation. The insurrection was triggered in part when the British introduced
new rifle cartridges rumored to be greased with oil made from the fat of animals. The fat
of cows was taboo to Hindus while Muslims were repelled by pig fat. In fact, this was just
the most recent in a number of Indian protests against British rule. By May 1857 the
rebellion turned into what was considered a full-fledged war in the affected regions. A
peace treaty was signed on 8 July 1858. The victorious British then allegedly adopted the
old Mughal punishment for mutiny and sentenced rebels were tied to the mouth of cannons
and blown to pieces.
Hanging Men
As mentioned in the previous leaflet, the British were accused of blowing Indians apart
by cannon or hanging them from trees after the armed revolt of 1857. In this leaflet we
see the caricature of John Bull, the symbol of Great Britain walking down a tree-shaded
lane. For as far as the eye can see Indians hang from trees, and in several cases their
grieving widows cry at their feet. It is reminiscent of the Gladiators revolt led by
Spartacus, when the Romans crucified thousands of mutineers along the road to Rome.
Never forget 1857. 100,000 Indian patriots were victims of the
British barbarism
War Material
This leaflet has some very strange symbolism. It depicts a caricature of Chinese leader
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek riding a horse. Chiang holds a whip tied to a giant bundle
of war materials that is atop an Indian. A hand holding scissors comes from above
(certainly representing Japan) and is cutting the rope holding the bundle to the horse. At
the lower right, Burmese natives carrying a peacock flag attack British troops and have
them on the run. The Japanese created a puppet state in Burma on 1 August 1943 and the
flag is the Independence Party flag, carried by their “Liberation Army.” This
would seem to be a polite Japanese jibe at the Indians: “If the Burmese can throw out
the British, why not you?”
The text is:
His (Chiang Kai-shek's) purpose of visiting India is only to get India's (war)
material. End relations with Chiang Kai-shek whose end has come and be free.
[Note] Chiang Kai-shek visited India from 9 February 1942 to 21 February 1942. He
conferred with the British and urged Indian nationalist leaders—particularly
Jawaharlal Nehru—to put aside political differences and join the fight against Japan.
In his farewell message to the people of India, Chiang Kai-shek called for whole-hearted
support in the war and indicated that Britain would certainly grant India freedom in the
near future.
Chiang Kai-shek is no God
This Japanese leaflet once again attempts to destroy any friendship between the
Chinese and Indian peoples. In the foreground Chiang Kai-shek walks with a rifle-bearing
Indian who does not realize that he is about to step into a bear trap labeled
"Privations of War." In the background, hiding behind a boulder, are Winston
Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, both badly bruised, apparently from earlier beatings by
the Japanese. Churchill holds a chain leading to the trap and he is about to spring it
shut on the Indian soldier’s leg. The text in Hindi and Bengali is:
Danger!
Do not fall for the British carrot of total self-rule. Chiang Kai-shek is no God.
Nor is Sir Stafford Cripps an Angel. All those men who lure India into war are India's
enemies and agents of Churchill. Only Indians can save India.
Chiang holds a blue banner that reads:
Conspiracy to acquire Indian manpower and resources.
[Note] The leaflet reinforces the nationalist Indian desire to stay out of WWII. Sir
Stafford Cripps was sent to India on what is known as the Cripps Mission to attempt to
negotiate an agreement with the nationalist leaders Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah
that would keep India loyal to the British war effort in exchange for a promise of full
self-government after the war. Mahatma Gandhi described the offer as “A post-dated
check drawn on a crashing bank!”
Indian Nation
This leaflet has interesting symbolism. At the left is a peaceful
Indian standing in a fertile countryside with outstretched arms. Generalissimo Chiang
Kai-shek and President Franklin D. Roosevelt stand at the right in flames with broken
cannon and bent sword, their arms also outstretched, but their hands drip blood. The
Japanese apparently think that Roosevelt is about to be thrown out of office because he
holds a paper that reads, “Proposal for Resignation.” The text in Hindi
and Bengali is:
Indian Nation! Do not get bogged down in the mud of war.
The flames at the bottom are labeled:
Privations of war.
A Dance of Death
This leaflet shows Churchill or John Bull as a fight promoter encouraging two
Indians (a Hindu and a Muslim) to fight to the death. There are at least six dead Indians
on the ground of the enclosure where the fight takes place. The Japanese are pointing out
how the British have set Indian against Indian to weaken them and make them easier to
subjugate. By the time the WW II broke out the Muslims League led by Mohammad Ali Jinnah
had already launched its campaign for a separate Muslim Pakistan and the British following
their policy of “divide and conquer” were encouraging him. The Muslim League
officially passed a resolution for the creation of Pakistan in 1940. The British were
encouraging the division of Indian society. The enclosure is marked "India"
in both Hindu and Bengali. The text is:
Stop dancing to the English tune and come together forgetting religious
differences for the sake of independence.
No Room on the Truck
This leaflet depicts the British piling onto the back of a truck in an attempt to
escape the victorious Japanese military forces. A Japanese bomber is in the background.
Some Indian colonial troops try to get into the truck along with the British, but they are
kicked aside and knocked to the ground. One lies dead beneath the rear wheels. This
clearly shows the regard the British have for their Indian colonial troops. The text in
Hindi is:
Residents of India! The Englishmen are just not bothered about you. You will see
this scene wherever you look.
Raghu Karnad may be talking about this leaflet in his book Farthest Field: An Indian
Story of the Second World War:
After the fall of the city of Rangoon to the Japanese, the air was filled with
“thousands of fluttering leaflets. These were propaganda cartoons...depicting
starving Indians ground under the heels of fat imperialists or turbaned jawans being
kicked out of evacuation lorries by blond-haired Tommies.
Slaves or Independence
This leaflet depicts two scenes on India. In the first the Indians have gone to war
for the British and the scene is of death and desolation with dead Indians on the ground
and vultures overhead. In the second scene, the Indians have not been pulled into the war
by the British and a couple share a pleasant meal surrounded by trees, children and farm
yard animals.
The Japanese designers of this leaflet appear to have little knowledge about actual
Indian lifestyle and habits. At the time, except for a few westernized urbanites, most
Indians did not use formal chairs and dining tables. The text is:
As slaves of the British - Hunger and death rule.
After independence - Happiness and peace rule.
Oh leader of slaves…
We don’t know much about this leaflet. But, like the one above it is blank on the
back and consists of cartoons at the left and right. I suspect this was made by the same
people that made the “Slaves or Independence” leaflet above. At the left the
leaflet depicts a coin with a British pound sign and a skull as indicated in the second
line where they talk about the cost of WWI and death. At the right they depict an Indian
citizen and another coin with the face of Churchill, as indicated in the third line where
they talk about the future loss of life and cost of the WWII. The leaflet is written in
Hindi and Bengali. The text is:
Oh Leader of Slaves, Do you still want to fight for the British?
In the last European War, India lost 3,977,000,000 Rupees and the lives of 280,000
soldiers.
In the current war, the British are asking India to offer all of its wealth and the
lives of 366,000,000 citizens [The entire Indian population].
Indian servants
This Japanese leaflet depicts Winston Churchill being waited on and served by
Indians. One brings him drinks while a second polishes his boots. Another Indian has
pulled back a curtain and points to Burmese nationalists attacking and beating British
troops into submission. The clear intent is to shame those Indians who have collaborated
with the British occupiers. The text is:
All of the British colonies are up in arms. We Indians need not continue to be
subjugated under the British boots any more. Come on, let us also arise and do not let
this good opportunity slip away from our hands.
This leaflet is mentioned by Stephen C. Mercado the Shadow Warriors of
Nakano: A History of the Japanese Army Elite Intelligence School. He
also adds a bit of background about the Japanese propaganda campaign in
India (edited for Brevity):
The Japanese Army in 1942, unprepared to conquer India, chose to foment
rebellion. The man chosen was Colonel Iwakuro Hideo. Iwakuro opened an
agency on 25 March 1943 in Saigon. His agency was to develop propaganda for
Indians resident throughout Asia, train Indian commandos and infiltrate them
into India, maintain covert contact with Indian nationalists, and organize
the Indian National Army. Colonel Saito Juro took charge of propaganda.
Eventually, the agency would grow to more than 500 members stationed in
Bangkok, Singapore, Rangoon, Saigon, and Hong Kong.
Singapore was the base for the agency broadcasts in English, Hindi, Bengali,
and other reginal languages. Iwakuro produced pamphlets and leaflets
deriding Indian rule and urging Indians to revolt. One leaflet showed an
Indian pushing aside a curtain to reveal to a shocked Churchill two Burmese
in native dress chasing out of Burma a British soldier in a tattered
uniform. Most leaflets put their message across by using cartoons that
depicted such scenes as the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, when a senior British
officer in Punjab ordered his troops to fire into an unarmed crowd of
demonstrators. The Iwakuro agency would use the Indian National Army men for
radio broadcasts, agent infiltration and other covert activities.
Photographs of INA soldiers on parade would serve the purpose as propaganda.
Hide the Crops
The next two Japanese leaflets seem to be from the same series and both show the
British destroying Indian crops to keep them in bondage and servitude without a viable
economy. In the leaflet above, the British attack peaceful farmers and actually bayonet
one in the foreground. In the background, Indians try to escape with their crops while the
British shoot at them. The text in Hindi, Urdu and Bengali is:
Farmers: hide your food grains and provisions before the British come to loot
your stock.
Burn the Cotton
In this leaflet the British are burning the cotton fields of a poor Indian farmer
who is depicted without any fingers on his hands. In addition, they have destroyed the
equipment the family uses to make cotton cloth for their clothing. This certainly is to
remind the Indians once again how the British destroyed the Indian cotton industry to
force them to buy cheap British products. The text in Hindi and Bengali is:
A Sample of the British Atrocities
Just to save their economy, the British committed this barbarian
atrocity.
Indian workers had to chop off their own fingers and lose their
livelihood.
At Homes…At Front
We are not sure exactly where the Japanese disseminated this leaflet but it shows
Allied troops drinking and carousing with women at the top and the text:
At Homes
The image at the bottom of the leaflet depicts Indian troops charging forward through
heavy fire and some falling to the ground. The text is:
At Front
See how the British eat…
The top of this uncoded leaflet depicts a British family at a bountiful table, and a
maid feeding the dog a thick slice of meat. At the bottom, dead and starving Indians lie
on the ground while the birds come to feast on their bones. The text in Hindi, Urdu, and
Bengali is:
See how British eat lavishly and waste food items while Indians are dying because of
hunger and lack of food items.
Kill all the British…
Another leaflet uses the same general theme; British families feast while Indians
starve. This leaflet depicts a husband and wife sitting before a table with plates
overflowing with food while on the floor beneath their feet are several dead Indians. The
text in Hindi and Bangla is:
Kill all the British who are sucking Indian blood.
Those Indians that don’t get angry…
This leaflet depicts an Indian woman holding her man in a sea of dead bodies, while in
the background the Indian National Army is seen chasing fleeing British troops. The text
in Hindi and Bangla is:
Those Indians that don’t get angry remembering the Amritsar incident are not
true Indians.
Now the time has come for you to take revenge.
Note: On 19 April 1919, British Brigadier-General Reginald General Dyer killed hundreds
of Indians in peaceful prayer at a religious festival in what is known as the Amritsar
Massacre. Fifty British Indian Army soldiers opened fire at an unarmed gathering of men,
women and children without warning. The shooting lasted for ten to fifteen minutes, until
ammunition ran out. Dyer ordered soldiers to reload their rifles several times and they
were ordered to shoot to kill. The casualty estimates ranged from about 1,400 to 2,500,
depending on who was counting.
Devanshi Shah says about this leaflet:
The hooded woman is slightly larger than the dead men, not a soldier, she is
cradling, which is why it could be Bharat Maa (Mother India) as opposed to a common woman.
The Azad Hind flag can be seen in the background with farmers driving the British troops
away, indicating this image was circulated after Bose took over the I.N.A. The focus here
is not on taking up arms, but showing the anguish the incident created.
Use your weapons against…
This is one of the most striking images on any Japanese leaflet. It depicts an angry
Indian soldier bayoneting his British ally in the back. The text Hindi, Bangla and Urdu
is:
Use your weapons against the tyrannical Englishmen!
The Indian National Army is coming, join them and march towards New
Delhi!
British tyrannical Satan...
In this leaflet we see Allied leaders trying to hold the door closed against Japanese
armor. A British general, Churchill, Roosevelt and Chiang Kai-shek are all trying to hold
back the Japanese. And Indian patriot who was with them has seen the light and is suddenly
using his fist and a knife in an attempt to help the Japanese enter and free his people.
Some of the text in Hindi and Urdu is:
There is no need now for India to submit itself into the hands of the British
tyrannical Satan. Times have now changed.
Due to tyranny and deceit by the satanic British, India has allowed herself to be
terrorized, murdered, bled and looted by them. Whatever proposal the British may put in
front of us, we should not go on enduring the suffering that these conspiring deceivers
heap on us. The time has come for us to fight for our pride and independence.
The Chain of Slavery…
This leaflet has a simple image and text. In the foreground an Indian is released from
bondage by his chain being symbolically broken while in the background Japanese armor
chases fleeing British troops. The text in Hindi and Bangla is:
The chain of slavery have been broken
Indian Brothers, our countrymen…
This leaflet depicts a unit of British Indian troops being led forward by Winston
Churchill or John Bull; often the representation of the British individual could be either
one, and that might be exactly what they wanted to depict. The text in Hindi, Bangla
and Urdu is:
Indian Brothers, our countrymen are dying because of the tyranny of the British.
After seeing all this, you are still following the orders of the British? Remember,
killing the British is your first duty.
Move Forward
Since we show Churchill leading the troops in the leaflet above in this Japanese
leaflet we see Bose leading his Indian troops. He wields a sword in front of his flag and
moves forward. The text is in Hindi, and Urdu. “Babu” is an Indian term for
“Sir.” It says:
Move forward. March towards Delhi. Let us join together under the flag of freedom
and the in leadership of Subhas Babu. Freedom and liberty is near you now.
A Japanese Divide and Conquer Leaflet
Advice to Mohammedans
The Japanese made great use of “Divide and conquer” messages. They wanted
to separate the Indians from their British masters, and at the same time they wrote
specific leaflets for the Gurkhas and other groups that were aligned with the Indian
troops allied to the British Army. An example of trying to separate the Nepalese troops
from the British cause is found later on in this article coded B.1515. The leaflet above
attempts to cause antagonism between the British and the Muslim troops under British
command. The use of the term “Tantalus” is interesting because he was a mythical
being who was first favored by the Gods, but then sent to the Underworld, where he was
“tantalized” with hunger and thirst. The Japanese imply that the British will
make promises and offer gifts to the Muslims, but will never fulfill their promises. Note
also the term “abominable Jews.” The Japanese seem to have followed the lead of
their German allies.
The Japanese-Indian handwritten Letter Leaflets
A Japanese “hand-written” message
You are being encircled by powerful Japanese force. Any more resistance means
nothing but death! Stop fighting! Throw away your arms! Come out with your arms holding
up, and you will be treated as war prisoners.
The officer Commanding Japanese Army.
An Indian “hand-written” message
It is difficult to read the Indian text because the writing is faded in some places
and the name of the soldier and the places where he was captured is not always clear. I
will try to copy what I think the soldier is saying:
Hello my friends!
I am E. Tomikins. I was captivated by Japanese on 2nd inst. at Mytson. Japanese
are very kind to me. They treat me exactly as ruled in the Inter-national Law. I can send
a letter to my home too. Well, before going back to the prisoner’s camp in the rear,
I wish you will fight with hope. Never lose your valuable life in the hopeless fighting.
Good be with you.
There are a number of very interesting hand-written propaganda letters, all in
English, with text on one side from the “Officer Commanding the Japanese Army,”
and from by an Indian who has happily joined the Japanese on the other side. I have seen
five such letters with varying messages so far. The other letter-leaflets have such titles
on the front and back as: “Hello Comrade”; “To British and Indian
Soldier”; “Surrender”; and “Indians”
A Handwritten Letter by Subhas Chandra Bose
A Handwritten Letter by Subhas Chandra Bose
Besides the handwritten letters from Indian defectors and the Japanese commander, there
is at least one leaflet hand-written by Bose himself. This letter was written in those
heady early days of the war when the Japanese were pushing the British out of Burma and
seemed unstoppable on the way to the Indian border. Of course, they were stopped, and Bose
and his Indian National Army never marched into India. We should mention that the way this
letter is written, it could cause the British to believe that there was an armed
underground awaiting Bose in India and that could lead to harsh repression again any
Indian patriot that sought independence, and British troops kept back to watch the local
population. Thus, the leaflet works on two levels. It says:
Friends! Countrymen!
Today I have the unique privilege of sending you my heartiest greetings from the
soil of independent Burma. Let the example of liberated Burma inspire us all to commence
our last attack on British Imperialism.
The Indian National Army - the Azad Hind Fauj - is ready to commence the last
onslaught. Even our sisters in East Asia are now drilling with rifles and bayonets. We
shall soon be coming to you. We shall soon be setting up the "second front,"
which will help you to pull down the British Raj, once for all. Tell our comrades in
prison to be of good cheer. The day of their liberation is not far off. Meanwhile,
complete all your preparations, and wait for the "zero hour" when we shall
appear on the Indian frontier.
Then, rise as one many and kick out the accursed British from our holy land.
And, get out countrymen in the British Army of occupation to join you and me in the sacred
struggle for India's freedom, when the signal is given. Behold the dawn of India's
liberty!
Long Live Revolution! Long Live Free India!
Subhas Chandra Bose
Rangoon
1 August 1943
The Japanese “C” leaflets to Indian Troops
Leaflet C-215
There are a number of Japanese leaflets that mention Imphal. This was to be the great
victory when the Japanese and their Indian collaborators marched into India and started
their victorious advance across the sub-continent. Imphal was held by the Indian IV Corps,
part of the British 14th Army. They were spread thin and seemed ripe for the taking. The
Japanese plan was called U-Go, or “Operation C.” The attack started on 8
March 1944. The Japanese made some early advances but by April the battle stalled and
became a stalemate. On 1 May the British counterattacked. By June the Japanese realized
they had no hope of victory, but continued to fight and in some cases attack the British
forces. By July the battle was over and the sick and starving Japanese began the long walk
back to their bases in Burma.
The back of the leaflet also has a long propaganda text. We quote a small part of it:
To You the English Soldiers!
You are like fishes caught in a net, without an outlet. The only faith left for you
is death alone. When we think and give consideration about your loving wives,
parents and brothers we could never carry on inhuman-like actions. Therefore stop your
useless resistance….
The bottom of the leaflet bears a short message in Japanese:
Any person carrying this leaflet will be accepted as a prisoner of war and will be
given protection accordingly.
Japanese Imperial Army
Fall of Imphal
An
Indian
Independence League leaflet from The
Philippines talks about the British
losses. It says in part:
FALL OF IMPHAL
Way to Whole India Now Open!
Imphal has fallen! The Indian National Army in conjunction with the Japanese
Imperial Forces has at last captured Imphal – the strongest defense line of the enemy
and a key to the whole of India. The fall of Imphal not only means rejoicings for the
whole peoples of India and Greater East Asia, but spells also the beginning of the doom of
nearly a century of British imperialism in India.
The Japanese were a wee bit premature in this announcement. Imphal never fell and the
entire advance became a disaster for the Japanese and Indian forces. The defeat was the
greatest to that date in Japanese history. They had suffered 55,000 casualties, including
13,500 dead. Most of these losses were the result of starvation, disease and exhaustion.
Leaflet C.162
This leaflet depicts Subhas Chandra Bose giving a speech and quotes his comments:
It is impossible to re-capture Burma
It has been 2 years since the British began dreaming about re-capturing Burma.
During every monsoon season, the British repeat their commitment. It is actually a comedy
that instead of moving forward towards Burma they are standing still. Those of you who
have spent some time in the front line really know whether we are telling the truth or
not. You can very well guess the situation from the news. This proves that the British
have lost all of their strength, arms and ammunition against the Japanese Forces. With the
help of the Japanese Army, we Azad Hind are marching towards New Delhi. There is major
difference the between Indian National Army and the British Army. We never force anyone to
join and fight. Every soldier in our army is ready to fight our enemies just because of
his/her passion and patriotism. This is a golden opportunity for you to make the best of
this situation by joining us and kicking Englishmen out of our country.
Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Bose was not the Japanese first choice for command of the INA. After
other Indians had failed and been dismissed by the Japanese, Bose was
selected. Mercado tells us more about him (edited for brevity):
Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo turned to Adolf Hitler for a
solution. In Berlin was the leading Indian nationalist in exile, Subhas
Chandra Bose. The rounded face, glasses, and features hid a fierce
character. Bose from early in his career leaned toward armed resistance.
Bose interest in Japan was already well established. He was of two minds
regarding Japan. He was impressed that Japan had withstood western
colonialism and defeated a European power, Russia, in war. On the other
hand, the activities of Japan in China disturbed him. On 16 February 1942,
the day after Singapore surrendered, Bose requested that the Japanese send
him to Asia. The German dictator, perhaps thinking Bose would do more harm
to the British Empire from Asia, agreed to let Bose go.
Leaflet C. 228.
This leaflet is not really for the Indians. The text is in Chinese
and Japanese. Normally I would list it under Japanese leaflets for China but
the picture and the caption at the bottom depicts an Indian fighter and
mentions the Indian National Army so we will list it here. This was from a
series of four leaflets to the Chinese which all followed the same pattern.
They all bear long propaganda messages, sometimes four paragraphs, sometimes
five paragraphs, parts in Chinese and parts in Japanese. The first paragraph
mentions Sun Yat-sen, and states that the Japanese want to be friends and
help China and have no interest in taking any of their land. The second
paragraph warns of President Roosevelt and says he looks down on colored
people and tells the Chinese not to be American "running dogs." The third
paragraph uses the "Asia for the Asians" argument and asks the Chinese
people to follow the correct path. The fourth paragraph is a standard safe
conduct message to the Japanese telling them that anyone holding this
leaflet is to be treated well as a citizen who wants to be part of the new
China. The fifth paragraph explains the way to allegiance in the New China,
explains how to surrender, and is signed by "Commander, Japanese Army."
The image on this leaflet shows an Indian National Army member
holding his rifle with bayonet affixed. The caption of the image says:
Advance and attack victoriously, Indian National Army!
C 1117
Apparently, the British did more than just torture and murder Indians by hanging or
blowing them up with cannons. In this leaflet the Japanese show Indians being burned at
the stake by the British. The text is in Hindi, English and Urdu. It says:
You can’t forget this
I thought this might be an exaggeration but when I asked an Indian researcher he said:
There were many such incidents where such atrocities were done. It was common
practice to hang people (dissidents) from trees, burn them or kill them by using cannons.
There are other leaflets that show similar actions. Some of them clearly state that they
are related to events like the 1857 First Independence Struggle or the Jalianwala Bagh
incident. There are so many that it is difficult to access which one this leaflet is
specifically pointing to.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place on 13 April 1919 when a crowd of nonviolent
protesters were fired upon by troops of the British Army. Official British sources gave a
figure of 379 dead, with approximately 1,100 wounded. The casualty number estimated by the
Indian National Congress was more than 1,500, with approximately 1,000 dead. This
brutality stunned the entire Indian nation resulting in a loss of faith of the general
public in the intentions of Britain.
C1120
This Indian Independence League leaflet in English and Urdu depicts British soldiers
beating children that refused to bow to the British flag. The text is:
Drive out the British Devils
C1122
This leaflet has depicts Mahatma Gandhi, a senior leader of the Indian National
Congress Abul Kalam Azad, and Jawaharlal Nehru who would become the first Prime Minister
of India, and the text:
GOD bid Nippon to help India drive out the British Devil
Japan is sworn to help India fight
C 1123
GOD bid Nippon TO HELP INDIA
This leaflet depicts patriot Indians demanding freedom and holding military and farm
utensils, ready to fight the British. Some of the text is:
Strike the British Devil
Last Opportunity for Indian Independence
C 1125
This leaflet depicts British troops being bombed and knocked down at the left and
victorious Indian troops at the right. It test is the same in Bengali, Udru, English and
Tamil. The text is:
British enemy our only target
I have seen three Japanese leaflets to Indian troops bearing a “C” code.
Others in this group are C.168 (The Devil British-Americans are the enemy of India), and
C.189 (Train with the Japanese Army, Let's unite and fight against the British).
There are also “C” leaflets in the code 1000 numbers, all these are all from
the Indian Independence League in East Asia. Others that I have seen are C1110 that
depicts Roosevelt and Churchill on a sinking boat; C1124 that depicts Japanese bombs
falling on India and the text “Axis victory is certain;” C1127 that depicts
Mahatma Gandhi and the words “Liberate Gandhi, father of Indian Independence;”
and C1128 that depict Indian National Army troops with Churchill’s head on a bayonet.
The Japanese “M” leaflets to Indian Troops
Leaflet M 9054
A series of Japanese leaflets are coded with the letter “M.” M 9054 is
written in Hindustani/Hindi using Roman Letters and English and entitled “Enlistment
Card.”
Leaflet 9051 is entitled “Now is the time for independence.” Leaflet M 9053
is on a bright pink paper with text in English and Bangla and entitled “The
Japanese Army Promises you.”
The Japanese “N” leaflets to Indian Troops
Leaflet N 1010
I have only seen one Japanese “N” leaflet to Indian troops. It has a very
interesting message and lists all the victories that the Japanese have won over the
Allies. It offered the Indians the opportunity to join the Japanese and drive the British
out of India. The leaflet is signed by “The Japanese Army.”
“Editorial cartoons” of the Indian Independence League in
East Asia
There are several uncoded Japanese cartoon leaflets that look like those you see in the
editorial section of a newspaper. They are very detailed and appear on a brownish paper. I
have seen two that seen to be drawn by the same cartoonist. This cartoon depicts Churchill
riding on the back of an Indian soldier who is killing his own people and walking on the
fallen body of Mahatma Gandhi while Roosevelt stands in the background on a pile of skulls
and takes money. The text in Hindustani is:
All the wealth of the British is yours - which has been stolen from you. Snatch all
of your money and wealth from the British. The British are looting India using Indians.
You are slave of the British just for sake of some petty money. Your life is
precious. This is very bad thing.
Support us. We take responsibility for your defense. Let's join together and
destroy all the British.
The entry of Americans in India is bad omen - Statement by Gandhi
Indian Independence League in East Asia.
The second uncoded cartoon leaflet depicts Churchill and Roosevelt trying to nail
Mahatma Gandhi into a wooden box. The text in Hindustani is:
Why do you fight for the tyrannical British? Why do you become a scapegoat for British?
Turn the direction of your weapons towards the British. Snatch your lost wealth
from the British.
Indian Soldiers, instead of becoming slaves of the British, make then your slaves.
Get out of the slave mentality now. Make India Free!
Support us. We take complete responsibility for your life, household and all the
wealth.
We have to kick British out of India - statement by Gandhi.
Indian Independence League in East Asia.
Devanshi Shah says about this leaflet:
Here, John Bull and Uncle Sam, who are a very active part of WWII, are replaced by
Churchill and the British flag, along with Roosevelt, though there is no flag. The red sun
in the upper right corner, a widely held symbol used to illustrate the Japanese Army,
shows two of the rays with bombs headed directly at the enemy. Using very subtle
indicators of equivalence, by representing them in a common color, the Sun, along with
Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and the Azad Hind flag, contained in a box, and the banner of
Indian Independence League of East Asia, are portrayed as allies. While no direct mention
is made of Japanese involvement the Indo-Japan alliance is clearly already in effect.
Numbered Leaflets of the Indian Independence League in East Asia
There are numerous different sets of leaflets produced to encourage Indians to join the
Independence movement and fight the British. Leaflets from this series have four numeric
digits and no alpha characters. We depict a sampling of these leaflets:
Leaflet 5508
Courtesy of Rod Oakland
This Japanese leaflet is on a low-grade pulp paper and is probably a very early
leaflet. The text is English on the front, Urdu, the language of North India and the
national language of Pakistan on the back. It asks that the Indians continue the fight to
drive out the British. The text is:
COMPROMISE WITH BRITAIN MEANS SUICIDE
Crafty Britain will set traps all around you. Beware of these death traps. Have
nothing to do with Britain or her talks of compromise. Go on with the fight and abandon
all thoughts of settlement with Britain.
Remember that compromise with Britain means the betrayal of India. It will also mean
untold suffering for India’s millions and centuries of foreign exploitation.
RISE ALL OVER INDIA
DRIVE OUT THE BRITISH
Indian Independence League in East Asia
Leaflet 5512
Leaflet 5517
Leaflet 5519
Other leaflets in this series that I chose not to show were 5509 (A Warning and an
Advice), 5510 (To India’s Crusaders), 5513 (India’s Youth Plunge into Struggle),
and 5514 (Boycott British War Efforts.
Letter “A” Coded Leaflets of the Indian Independence
League in East Asia
I have seen six leaflets that start with the code “A.” Surely many more
exist. Once again I depict a brief sampling of them.
Leaflet A7518
Note the use of the term Inquilab Zindabad. This is a Hindi phrase
which translates to “Long Live Revolution.” It was a common phrase used by
revolutionaries during the British rule over India. It was popularized by revolutionaries
such as Subhas Chandra Bose. We will see this phrase often as we read Indian independence
propaganda.
Leaflet A7521
Leaflet A7525
Other leaflets in this series are A7519 (British use Indian Soldiers as Hired
Mules),A7520 (Awake Indian Soldiers Fight for Honour and Glory), and A7522 (Red Letter Day
in India’s History when Indian Soldiers reunite on Indian Soil).
Letter “B” Leaflets of the Indian National Army
Leaflet B.-1507
Leaflet B.-1514
Leaflet B.-1515
The Indian National Army produced a number of propaganda leaflets in the Indian and
English languages. I have seen seven such leaflets and depict three of them above.
Additional leaflets in this set are: B1501 (The Way to liberate India), B1502 (The Cry of
Indian Saint Mahatma Gandhi), B1503 (Take Revenge from the Britishers!), and B1518 (The
Provincial Government of Azad Hind has been established).
Letter “C” Coded Leaflets of the Indian Independence
League in East Asia
Leaflet C-1121
We only know of one “C” coded leaflet from the Indian Independence League in
East Asia. This Indian Independence league of East Asia leaflet depicts Indian women
crawling on the ground while British troops ridicule and beat them. The text is:
Avenge this British Outrage
Crawl along
Come on, crawl along.
Other “C’ Leaflets believed to be from the Independence League are C 1122
(God bid Nippon to help India drive out the British Devil) and C 1125 (British Enemy, our
Only Target).
Letter “P” Coded Leaflets of the Indian Independence
League in East Asia
Leaflet P-3002
<>I have seen just three of the leaflets coded with the letter P. The leaflet coded
P-3002 show Indian troops moving forward on tanks. The text is:
The Indian National Army is ready.
Support us
We take responsibility to defend you.
Indian Independence League In East Asia.
Leaflet P-3003
Leaflet P-3003 says:
To liberate India, the Indian National Army is ready.
Support us.
Kill the British and Americans.
Indian Independence League In East Asia.
Leaflet P-3005
Leaflet P-3005 shows enthusiastic Indians marching with rifles held high. The text is:
The Indian National Army is ready.
Support us.
Don't be afraid.
Indian Independence League In East Asia.
Letter “S” Coded Leaflets of the Indian Independence
League in East Asia
Leaflet S2502
Leaflet S2504
The Indian Independence League in East Asia prepared a set of brightly colored leaflets
bearing the letter “S.” I have seen five leaflets in this series and depict two
above. Additional leaflets are S2506 (Britain is India’s Aggressor), S2510 (Freedom
or Death), and S2511 (Do not Fear, Do not Doubt, Come over and Join Us).
Letter “Sh” Coded Leaflets of the Indian Independence
League in East Asia
Sh5054
This leaflet depicts the British general on his way to formally surrender Singapore to
the Japanese. This same image was also used on a Japanese postcard to commemorate their
victory. The same exact message is in Bengali, Hindi and English. The Text is:
How Glorious Retreat Ends
The Fall of Singapore. The British Commander-in-Chief off to sign the surrender.
(Feb. 15, 1942).
The Fall of Malaya Postcard
I depicted the postcard I mention above in an article on Malaya. I
said in that article that Malaya was a hotbed of psychological operations
during WWII. Both the Allies and the Japanese produced leaflets, posters,
and newspapers to win the hearts and minds of the populace. To give an idea
of the Allied campaign, leaflets were prepared that were coded CMA, SJM
(Southeast Asia Command leaflets to Japanese troops in Malaya), SMA (SEAC
appeals to citizens of Malaya to rescue pilots, etc.), and SMN (SEAC
newspaper Victory Herald to citizens of Malaya). There were many other
general codes for the Japanese troops in all the countries of Southeast
Asia, but those we mention were specific for Malaya.
At the same time the Japanese were printing anti-British leaflets
and posters to attack and humiliate the white colonialists. My favorite is
an image of the surrender of Singapore that was produced both as a color
postcard and as an aerial leaflet. The illustration was from a painting by
Miyamoto Saburo. The Japanese postcard description from the illustrated
brochure that it came in says:
The fall of Singapore - The East Asian fortress under the intrusion
of the British for more than a century - fell on Showa 15th year, the 2nd
month, on the 17th day at 6:40 p.m. In a single file, bearing white flags,
the British officers of the Malayan Command approached our mighty army to
surrender. From the right: Commanding Officer Malaya, Lieutenant General
Percival; Chief of the General Staff, Brigadier General Torrance; Staff
officer, Colonel Sugita; Interpreter, Ling-zhuan; Chief Administrator of the
British High Command, Malaya, Major General Newbiggen, who is holding the
Union Jack; and Captain Wylde who serves as interpreter.
Graham Shaw
adds:
During the
climactic battle for Singapore, leaflets again had an impact on British
military morale. As one prominent journalist George William Seabridge,
Editor of The Straits Times, remembered:
Here the
Japanese propagandists were at their most brilliant. By means of radio and
pamphlets dropped by aircraft, they flogged the point that they were
fighting only the white man: that the British were putting Asiatic troops in
the front line as cannon fodder, while the white soldiers remained skulking
in the background. They promised that any Asiatic soldier who gave himself
up would go unharmed, and there is evidence the promise was kept, at least
in the first instance Singapore fell so rapidly because the fight for it
was less than half-hearted.
Sh6057
Stop - Join us to Stop the British
This leaflet shows Mahatma Gandhi telling the British Indian soldiers not to
fight against those Indians fighting for a free India.
Uncoded Leaflets of the Indian Independence League in East Asia
Singapore Fell into Japanese Hands…
Uncoded Leaflets of the Azad Hindostan League
Dear Friends…
This Japanese leaflet to India is written in Hindustani. It was prepared by the
group,"Azad Hindostan League" that even my Indian friends do not recognize. The
text is:
Dear Friends!
Burma is going to get freedom in current year. For your progress and India's
liberation, join us. Friends, don't have any doubts about Japan. They deliver their
promise without hesitation. Because Japan is fully sure of Burma now, it is going to get
freedom soon. Kick the Anglo-Americans out of Hindustan [India] quickly so that
they can't loot priceless and precious items of Great East Asia.
Consider that Hindustan is for the Hindustani! Join forces with us and kick out your
Anglo-American enemy.
Because there was an "Indian Independence League," and "Azad" means
"Independence" and "Hindostan" means India, this might just be another
way of saying the same thing.
The author does not claim to be an expert on propaganda against India and this article
would have been impossible without the cooperation of Dr. Arunkumar Bhatt. He kindly
volunteered his time to translate a great number of leaflets. I also received a great deal
of help from the Indian researcher Jyotirmay Bareria who very generously shared his
personal collection with me in 2011.
World War One
Although not part of this article, it is worth noting that the British dragged the
Indians into WWI too. Here is a leaflet from the German forces dated 22 October 1914. Some
of the text is:
TO THE INDIAN ARMY
Do you know what is happening in your native country? Do you know that England (the
betrayer of your country and the whole of civilization) has brought your troops here
because she wished to be rid of you and feared the uprisings that have meanwhile broken
out in your country.
Readers who wish to comment on this article are encouraged to write the author at sgmbert@hotmail.com.
In Memoriam
With deep regret I inform the readers of this article that the man who inspired it,
Dr. Arunkumar Bhatt, Senior Assistant Editor and Deputy Chief of Bureau, The Hindu,
Mumbai, passed away on Tuesday, 29 July 2008 of a massive cardiac arrest. He was 53 years
old. A keen student of defense studies, Dr. Bhatt held a doctorate from the University of Pune,
and an MA in Defense Studies from the University of Madras.
Collage
In 2020, a College student from Stonybrook University asked to use
images from this article in a collage to show how the British have affected
India as a subcontinent. She used four of the propaganda leaflets. They
support the theme of how the Imperial British colonial rule of India
eventually led to the division into three countries; India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh.
