The veterans, Laltiram, Parmanand, Hira Singh and Bhaagmal, will parade down the iconic Rajpath in a jeep.
New Delhi: In a first, four veterans of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) will parade down the iconic Rajpath on Republic Day as part of government’s efforts to reclaim the nationalist legacy of the leader.
The four veterans — Laltiram (98) from Chandigarh, Parmanand (99), Hira Singh (97) and Bhaagmal (95), all from Gurugram — will parade down in a jeep.
“There is a first for everything. It is nice that the veterans of the INA are getting to take part in the Republic Day celebrations,” said Major General Rajpal Punia, Chief of Staff, HQ Delhi Area.
Punia said the Indian Army has connection to the INA as the initial soldiers of the INA were POWs hailing from British Army.
Asked if there was a selection criterion to pick the veterans, he said there was none and anyone was welcome.
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INA legacy
After quitting the Congress in 1939, Netaji formed the Indian National Army in Southeast Asia in 1942. He did so with the help of Japan.
The INA comprised Indian soldiers the British Indian army captured in war. Netaji established a provisional government of Free India or Azad Hind in 1943 in Andaman and Nicobar, then under Japanese forces.
The Narendra Modi government has been promoting the legacy of Netaji. While it claims that it is doing so to do justice to the tall leader, sceptics see it as a political move to rewrite the legacy of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and to cash in on the possible dividends in the state of West Bengal.