Netaji Never Set Foot in Naga Hills District of Assam During the Second World War

Some individuals, groups and organisations still insist that Subhas Chandra Bose had visited their natal villages without offering us any historical proof. They should not do so by distorting history, particularly the where about of Bose during the Battle of Kohima by conjuring imaginary stories about him saying that ‘Bose stayed in this house, slept in this place, camped under bamboo grooves, carrying Bomb on each side of hip, wearing Gumboot,etc. Instead claims about Bose’s presence during the Second World War should be based solely on historical facts.

It was sometime on 15th March 1944, when the 31st Division of the Japanese under the Command of Lieutenant General Kotuku Sato left Homalin (a town located at the westbank of river Chindwin, some 200 miles on the ground and 75 miles as the crow flew from Kohima ) and reached Kohima on the 4th of April 1944, (KOHIMA, Arthur Swinson, page 8). By then Subhas Bose was all along in Rangoon and reached Mamyo (a small town located at 25 miles east of Mandalay , 220 miles south east of Homalin and more than 420 miles or about 30 days walk from Kohima ) only on 7th April 1944, and remained there till 16th April before he left for the ‘frontiers’. By the Third week of May 1944, he returned to Mamyo from the frontier and shifted his headquarter to Rangoon again on 21st May 1944, because he was finding it increasingly difficult to get accurate news from the front (His Majesty’s opponent by Sugata Bose, page 273,275 and 277).

From the above movement it is understood that Subhas Bose was in the ‘frontiers ‘ for about a month or so from the third week of April to the third week of May 1944. Around that time , Yamauchi’s 15th devision and the Bahadur group of INA commanded by Shaukat Ali Malik were very well advancing towards Imphal. Imphal being closer to Mamyo than Kohima for a hundred miles or so, moreover, Imphal became the main destination of the INA after the failed campaign in Arakan and Chin Hills. (His Majesty’s opponent’ by Sugata Bose ,Page 275) Bose was believed to be somewhere near Imphal or for that matter near the Manipur state, awaiting for the fall of Imphal, so that he could address the nation directly from the soil of India over the Radio and expect ‘flood of defection’ and become the non-violent soldier of freedom inside the country even though they fought with arms outside India. Meanwhile, the Japanese hope the news of the fall of Imphal could be presented as a gift to Emperor Hirohito, whose birthday fell on April 29,( His Majesty’s opponent’ by Sujata Bose, page 275,283).

However, because of the direct intervention of the Admiral Mountbatten, Supreme Commander of South East Command, taking over of Imphal was delayed which compelled Bose to return to Mamyo and subsequently Imphal was saved.

In the meantime the 31st division under General Sato that entered Naga hills and reached Kohima from three directions did not include any of the regiment or division of INA, particularly the Northern and Centre columns; Laruri -Meluri – Phek – Chazouba- Meriama – Zubza, and Jessami – Chizami – Kikrüma- Chakhabama-Kohima, respectively. It was only in the middle of May 1944, the Subhas Brigade of INA, commanded by Shah Nawaz Khan, followed the route of Southern Column of the 31st Division commanded by Major General Miyazaki; Ukhrul-Mao Gate – Viswema-Kohima, and reached nearby Kohima but nothing was recorded or reported about their direct confrontation with the British Indian Army in and around Kohima (‘KOHIMA’ Arthur Swinson, page 1-17)

On 21st Oct 1943, Bose declared the formation of Provisional Government of Azad Hind in Singapore and became the Head of the State, the Prime Minister, in Charge of War and Foreign Affairs and the Supreme Commander of the INA (Subash Chandra Bose, what Netaji did, what Netaji said, the Nationalist and the Commander. Edited by Vinitha Ramchadani, page 100). Subhas Chandra Bose, holding such high responsible positions was not expected to be in a remote, hostile and vulnerable land that is also alone amidst the strange and alien environment and an army of a different nation (Japan ) surrounded by the people and villages where there hardly existed any anti-British feeling. Rather by then Kohima District of Assam and its people were very homely with the British government, particularly, with the District administrator, C.R.Pawsey. Moreover, the geographical distance between Kohima and Mymyo of Burma does not permit Subhas Bose to be near the Battle of Kohima during the Second World War. Beside this piece of historical evidence, I have already established in my previous articles in the same subject published in local dailies; Nagaland Post on 22.4.2017, Nagaland Page on 22.4.2017, Eastern Mirror on 21.4.2017, 19.5.17, 9.6.2017, and Morung Express on 21.4.2017, 20.5.2017 drawing in historical facts that Subhas Bose was nowhere near the Naga Hills district of Assam during the Second World War.

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression and can write a tale or story in any form or write books basing on the tale or story told by knaves. But it should not be interpreted as historical facts or events. If, however, anyone can prove me wrong and show me the historical evidence but not imaginative stories, I would certainly be happy to reconsider my position, after all, that is what scholarly writing is all about.

Therefore, until such evidence is present, I expect and wish the literati, intellectuals and thinkers like Mr. Thepfulhouvi Solo, who cherish the age-old Naga values of Truth and Honesty to come forward in preventing those elements from distorting the Naga History . Otherwise, one day it may come to shame us all.

K.Puroh
kuhupoyopuroh@gmail.com