Indian National Army

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24747, 12 December 1945, Page 6

Indian National Army

In 'heir speeches at Calcutta, Lord Wavell and Mr Gandhi are agreed that violence and disorders will not bring any nearer a solution of : the Indian problem. Mr Gandhi gave his advice to a great crowd. A day earlier, another crowd, described as the greatest ever assembled in Calcutta, listened to two other Congress stalwarts, Pandit Nehru and Mr Patel. Their counsel, however, was not Mr Gandhi's. Mr Patel made , no appeal for patience: British power in India could not, he said, be tolerated any longer. Nor did Pandit Nehru encourage his listeners to seek a peaceful solution. Though sporadic violence would not pay, " If we are forced to adopt the "way of violence", he said, "then "it is for the nation to do so deliberately,- not casually" The' occasion for these inflammatory words was the opening ceremony of " Indian National Army Week"; and Pandit Nehru and Mr Patel knew that they had a responsive audience: For Calcutta was the scene of the bloodiest of last month's demonstrations by Con'gress followers against the trial of Indian soldiers who went over to the Japanese. In three or four days last month 33 persons were killed in that city, all but two of them policemen and British and Ameri • can soldiers; more than 300 soldiers, officials, and citizens were injured: and nearly 150 Government vehicles were destroyed or damaged. Those violent protests were not against a harsh decision. Although the offence of going over to the enemy is the most serious a soldier can commit and is punishable by death in almost all countries, the Government of India had declared itself ready to treat "with ' mercy and generosity" the rank and file of the I.N.A. Allowance must be made, it said, for the circumstances in which *he rank and file found themselves placed after their capture. They were in no position to learn the truth of the progress of the war. The news they heard was that given in false propagandist Japanese or German reports. Some of the 1.N.A." had been misled by this propaganda or had given way to pressure or a desire for better treatment, and had joined the enemy with no motive beyond that of improving their living conditions. Most of those who had joined the I.N.A. had been " merely misguided", and these would be granted clemency. That is, they would be discharged from the Indian Army, but as an act of grace they would be given leave with pay for 42 days and would not be required to refund the allowances paid to their families during the time they were in enemy pay and enemy hands. There were, however, the Government's state-

ment added, some leaders who appeared to have consciously embraced the enemy cause, and there were others who had committed particularly heinous crimes. To these it would be wrong to extend the same measure of clemency; and they must, accordingly, stand, trial by court-martial. It was this extremely lenient decision that set the Congress Party, to quote the " Observer's " correspondent in New Delhi, "blaring a steadily rising " hymn of hate" against Britain; and as the trials opened, Congress followers went from words to blows. This week, in Calcutta may therefore be expected to be, at best, a tense and anxious period. If Mr Gandhi's advice prevails, the sooner it will be possible to hope to see, on the Indian side, the goodwill, common sense, and patience essential if India is to become independent.