Proclamation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind

Continued from page 1

For the first time in recent history, Indians abroad have also been politically roused and united in one organization. They are not only thinking and feeling in tune with their countrymen at home, but are also marching in step with them along the path to freedom. In East Asia, in particular, over two million Indians are now organized as one solid phalanx, inspired by the slogan of \\'Total Mobilisation\\'. And in front of them stand the salaried ranks of India\\'s Army of Liberation, with the slogan \\'Onward to Delhi\\', on their lips.

Having goaded Indians to desperation by its hypocrisy and having driven them to starvation and death by plunder and loot, British rule in India has forfeited the goodwill of the Indian people altogether and is now living a precarious existence. It needs but a flame to destroy the last vestige of that happy rule. To light that flame is the task of India\\'s Army of Liberation. Assured of enthusiastic support of the civil population at home and also of large sections of Britain\\'s Indian Army, and backed by gallant and invincible allies abroad - but relying in the first instance on its own strength, India\\'s Army of Liberation is confident of fulfilling its historic role.

Now that the dawn of freedom is at hand, it is the duty of the Indian people to set up a provisional Government of their own and launch the last struggle under the banner of the Government. But with all the Indian Leaders in prison and the people at home totally disarmed, it is not possible to set up a Provisional Government. It is therefore the duty of the Indian Independence League in East Asia, supported by all patriotic Indians at home and abroad, to undertake this task - the task of setting up a Provisional Government of Azad Hind (Free India) and of conducting the last fight for freedom, with the help of the Army of Liberation, (that is, the Azad Hind Fauj or the Indian National Army) organized by the League. Having been constituted as the Provisional Government of Azad Hind by the Indian Independence League in East Asia, we enter upon our duties with full sense of responsibility that has devolved on us. We pray that the province may bless our work and struggle for the emancipation of our Motherland. And we hereby pledge our lives for our comrades in arms to the cause of her freedom, of her welfare and her exaltation among the nations of the world.

It will be the task of the Provisional Government to launch and to conduct the struggle that will bring about the expulsion of the British and their allies from the soil of India. It will then be the task of the Provisional Government to bring about the establishment of a permanent National Government of Azad Hind constituted in accordance with the will of the Indian people and enjoying their confidence. After the British and their allies are overthrown and until a permanent National Government of Azad Hind is set up on Indian soil, the Provisional Government will administer the affairs of the country in trust for the Indian people.

The provisional Government is entitled to, and hereby claims, the allegiance of every Indian. It guarantees religious liberty, as well as equal rights and equal opportunities to all its citizens. It declares its firm resolves to pursue the happiness and prosperity of the whole nation and of its parts, cherishing all the children of the nation equally and transcending all the differences cunningly fostered by an alien government in the past.

In the name of God, in the name of bygone generations who have welded the Indian people into one nation, and in the dead heroes who have bequeathed to us a tradition of heroism and self-sacrifice-we call upon the Indian people to rally round our banner and strike for India\\'s freedom. We call upon them to launch the final struggle (against the British and all their allies in India and prosecute that struggle) with valour and perseverance in full faith in final victory - until the enemy is expelled from Indian soil and the Indian people are once again a free nation

Signed on behalf on the Provisional Government of Azad Hind

Subhas Chandra Bose
Head of State, Prime Minister and Minister of War and Foreign Affairs

Captain (Dr) Lakshmi
Women\\'s Organization

SA Ayer
Publicity and Propaganda

Lt -Col AC Chatterji
Finance

Lt-Col Aziz Ahmad, Lt-Col NS Bhagat, Lt-Col JK Bhonsle, Lt-Col Gulzara Singh, Lt-Col MZ Kiani, Lt-Col AD Loganadhan, Lt-Col Ehsan Qadir, Lt-Col Shah Nawaz
Representatives of the Armed Forces

AM Sahay
Secretary (with Ministerial Rank)

Rash Behari Bose
Supreme Advisor

Karim Ghani, Debnath Das, DM Khan, A Yellapa, J Thivy, Sardar Ishar Singh
Adviser

AN Sarkar
Legal Adviser