Mohan Singh (military officer)
Mohan Singh | |
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Indian Independence movement, Partition of India |
Mohan Singh (3 January 1909 – 26 December 1989) was a
Early life
He was born in a Ghumman Jat Sikh family and only son of Tara Singh and Hukam Kaur, a couple of Ugoke village, near Sialkot (now in Pakistan). His father died two months before his birth and his mother shifted to her parents' home in Badiana in the same district, where Mohan Singh was born and brought up.
Military career
Gen. Mohan Singh passed
Mohan Singh had been promoted temporary Captain when his battalion was earmarked for operational service in the Far East.[4] The battalion was still carrying out intensive training at Secunderabad in December 1940 when he married Jasvant Kaur, the sister of a fellow officer. He left for Malaya with his unit on 4 March 1941.
Second World War
Action in Malaya
The British force in the northern part of the Malaya Peninsula, including Mohan Singh's battalion, 1/14 Punjab Regiment, was fleeing towards the South. Mohan Singh's own forces had been outgunned and destroyed by Japanese forces at
Indian National Army
He was the founder of Indian National Army although Pritam Singh was involved to a large extent, it was Fujiwara who, with his sincerity of purpose and belief,[6] convinced Mohan Singh to betray his oath to the British Crown by uniting with the Japanese mission for the greater motive of Indian independence.[7] This included the promise that he would be treated as an ally and a friend, and not a prisoner of war. For public related or political matters, Singh always looked towards Subhash Chandra Bose. Bose was considered the Man of Destiny, in which they, Singh, was willing to shed their blood and also let the Japanese attain leadership and support.[8] Singh initially helped Fujiwara take control of the situation of looting and arson that had developed in Alor Star; in December 1941, after meeting with the Japanese commanding general, Singh was convinced of its feasibility of raising an armed Indian unit. Between himself, Pritam Singh and Fujiwara, Mohan Singh set about contacting Indians in the British Indian Army in Southeast Asia and also began recruiting from among those captured by the Japanese in Malaya. All Indian prisoners of war and stragglers were placed under his charge, and he was asked to restore order in the town of Alor Star. From there, he began to conduct what was known as "patriotic education" to raise the army.[8] Thus the nucleus of what came to be the Ajad Hind Fauj also known as Indian National Army was born. [7][6] Kuala Lumpur fell on 11 January 1942 with 3,500 Indian prisoners of war, and Singapore on 15 February with 85,000 British troops, of whom 45,000 were Indians. Mohan Singh asked for volunteers who would form the Ajad Hind Fauj (literally translates to Free India Army) to fight for Indian independence from the British rule. For him, the army was to be only formed by Indians, and intended only for use by India.[8]
A large number of men came forward to join what came to be termed as the Ajad Hind Fauj (National Army of independent India). The new set-up came into being on 1 September 1942 by which time the strength of volunteers had reached 40,000. Mohan Singh, now their
Disagreements with Japan
Though Mohan Singh had kept a good relationship with the members of
It was only after the arrival of another Indian leader of great political standing, Subhas Chandra Bose, from Germany to the Far-Eastern front in June 1943 that the Indian National Army was revived in the form of Azad Hind Fauj. However, Mohan Singh could not be reinstated to the revived army.
Upon Japan's defeat, Mohan Singh was taken into custody by the British and repatriated to India to face trials. However, due to public pressure, roused by the INA
1947 and later
Singh entered politics and joined the Indian National Congress in February 1947.[9] His dream of independence was realized with India's Independence on 15 August 1947, but this was accompanied by the partition of the country into India and Pakistan.[10] He had to leave his hearth and home in what then became Pakistan and came to India a homeless refugee.[11] He was allotted some land in the village of Jugiana, near Ludhiana, where he settled permanently.[12] Due to this he created a private military named the Desh Sevak Sena with a woman's wing named the Desh Istri Sena with its base at Majithia House, Amritsar.[13][14] They helped thousands of Sikhs and Hindus and escorted Muslims, sometimes forcefully, out of East Punjab.[15] After the Partition riots ended he planned to attack Simla and declare Azad Hind although the Desh Sevak Sena was quickly disbanded and merged into the National Volunteer Corps.[16][17]
After a stint as a legislator in the
Death
Mohan Singh died at Jugiana on 26 December 1989 due to cancer.
Reference
- ^ Ray, N.R. (1984). Challenge, a Saga of India's Struggle for Freedom. People's Publishing House. p. 586.
- ISBN 978-81-7629-842-1.
- ^ April 1936 Indian Army List
- ^ July 1941 Indian Army List
- ^ Lebra 1977, p. 23
- ^ a b c Fay 1993, p. 75
- ^ a b c Lebra 1977, p. 24
- ^ a b c Toye, Hugh (1959). The Springing Tiger Subash Chandra Bose.
- ^ "Gen. Mohan Singh (INA) Joins Congress". Indian Daily Mail. 17 February 1947. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ^ Journal of Indian History. Department of Modern Indian History. 1960.
- ISBN 978-81-230-2180-5.
- ^ Patel, Vallabhbhai (1973). Sardar Patel's Correspondence, 1945-50. Navajivan Publishing House.
- ^ Assembly (Legislative), India Constituent (1948). The Constituent Assembly of India (Legislative) Debates: Official Report. Manager of Publications.
- ^ Journal of Indian History. Department of Modern Indian History. 1960.
- ISBN 978-0-429-95854-0.
- ^ Chopra, Mohindar Singh (1997). 1947, a Soldier's Story. Military Studies Convention.
- ^ Chopra, Mohindar Singh (1997). 1947, a Soldier's Story. Military Studies Convention.
Bibliography
- "Mohan Singh, General, Soldiers Contribution to Indian Independence Delhi, 1974"
- Lebra, Joyce C. (1977), Japanese trained armies in South-East Asia, New York, Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-03995-6.
- Fay, Peter W. (1993), The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945., Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press., ISBN 0-472-08342-2.
External links
- General Mohan Singh Archived 17 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine at the Sikh History.