Bose himself handled the foreign affairs and war portfolios. A.C. Chatterjee was in charge of finance, while S.A. Ayer served as the minister for publicity and propaganda. Lakshmi Swaminathan was entrusted with the ministry of women’s affairs. Several officers of Bose’s Indian National Army (INA), also known as the Azad Hind Fauj, were included in the cabinet.
The provisional government received recognition from Germany, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, China, Italy, Manchukuo and Ireland, according to the account provided in the source.
According to a BBC report referencing Dr Rajendra Patoria’s book Netaji Subhas, Bose was living in Germany when Rash Behari Bose, the founder of the Azad Hind Fauj who was based in Japan, invited him to join the movement in the East. On July 4, 1943, at a ceremony held at Cathay Building in Singapore, Rash Behari Bose handed over the command of the Indian National Army to Subhas Chandra Bose.
Following this transfer of command, Bose, in his capacity as the supreme commander of the Azad Hind Fauj, established the Provisional Government of Free India in Singapore on October 21, 1943. The government was recognised by nine countries, including Germany, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, China, Italy and Ireland, as stated in the account. Its primary objective was to fight the British during the Second World War. Japan provided substantial support to the Azad Hind Fauj, and Indians living outside the country joined its ranks.
The army subsequently made its presence felt on Indian soil. On March 19, 1944, members of the Azad Hind Fauj hoisted the national flag for the first time on Indian territory. Colonel Shaukat Malik, with the assistance of some Manipuris and fellow members of the Azad Hind movement, raised the flag at Moirang in Manipur.
On July 6, 1944, Bose delivered a broadcast from Rangoon Radio Station addressed to Mahatma Gandhi, explaining his position and seeking Gandhi’s support.
Earlier, on March 21, 1944, the Azad Hind Fauj had entered Indian territory with the slogan “Chalo Delhi” (On to Delhi). The government that Bose established in Singapore and the army associated with it both had their origins outside India. The Azad Hind Fauj was established in Tokyo, Japan, in 1942 by Rash Behari Bose, before Subhas Chandra Bose assumed its command in 1943 and went on to establish the provisional government.
The establishment of the Azad Hind Government on October 21, 1943, marked a key development in Bose’s campaign to organise an armed struggle against British rule, bringing together a provisional administration, an army and support from countries that recognised the government during the Second World War.
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