Homfreyganj massacre
Homfreyganj massacre | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 11°40′48″N 92°46′12″E / 11.68000°N 92.77000°E |
Date | 30 January 1944 |
Attack type | mass murder, massacre |
Deaths | 44 Indian civilians |
Perpetrators | Imperial Japanese Army |
The Homfreyganj massacre was a massacre of suspected spies during World War II in the occupied Andaman Islands.
On January 30, 1944, 44 Indian civilians, suspected of spying, were put to death by the Japanese.[1] They were all shot dead at point-blank range. The majority of the victims were members of the Indian Independence League.[2]
At the time of the massacre, the Andaman Islands were technically under Azad Hind control, although in fact, the Japanese were very much in charge. Despite the lack of practical authority, the Azad Hind government was often accused of "failing its people".[3]
Background
The
Japanese Invasion
By early 1942, the islands had a population of about 40,000, of which 3,000–5,000 were indigenous people, and the rest being several hundred Europeans, and Indians. Previously, the Japanese had overwhelming success in Malaya and Singapore. This led to a reappraisal of the defense of the Andaman Islands and the people. It was decided that the islands were indefensible. On 10 March 1942, Indian Hindu priests, British women, and British children were evacuated. Led by Captain Kawasaki Harumi, the Japanese quickly dispatched an invasion force coming from
Japanese Occupation
The Japanese set up a seaplane base at Port Blair, and land forces grouped around Port Blair and Ross Island. They often went on patrols looking for enemies in small motorboats but their noisy vehicles often made their presence clear. There were also many aircraft searches but no British activity was ever spotted. The Japanese wanted to make political capital from their occupation by appearing to transfer the administration of the Andaman Islands to the Indian Independence Movement (Azad Hind) but the Japanese retained all their power. The Indian leader Subhas Chandra Bhose visited Port Blair in 1943 and the islands were given governors appointed by him, as well as new names but no authority was handed over to Azad Hind by the Japanese Navy. During his trip, the Japanese were still arresting and torturing members of Azad Hind. After Bhose had left, on 30 January 1944, 44 Indians, the majority of them being part of the Indian Independence League, were accused of spying and shot in what was known as the Homfreyganj Massacre.[4]
Aftermath
The worst atrocities were saved for last. Food became increasingly scarce, so the Japanese decided to get rid of the old and unemployable. On 13 August 1945, 300 Indians were loaded onto 3 boats which were taken to an uninhabited island. When the boats were several hundred yards from the beach, they were forced to jump into the ocean. About ⅓ of them drowned, and the ones who made it ashore starved to death. Only 11 were alive when British rescuers arrived 6 weeks later. The following day 800 civilians were taken to another uninhabited island where they were left on the beach. 19 Japanese troops came ashore and shot or bayoneted every last one of them. Later, troops came to burn and bury all the dead bodies.[4]
References
- ^ "WWII | pacific | Event view". Archived from the original on 2012-04-02. Retrieved 2011-10-26.
- ^ Dasgupta Red Sun over Black Water pp67, 87, 91-5; Mathur Kala Pani pp249-51
- ^ Iqbal Singh The Andaman Story p249
- ^ ISBN 9781473874237.