Bhubaneswar: Eminent researcher Anil Dhir has requested the state government to collect the INA flag that was first unfurled in Indian Territory and keep it in Netaji Museum at Cuttack.
Dhir said in a small village of Manipur, one last veteran of Netaji’s Indian National Army posses the first flag that was unfurled in Indian Territory. It was not the Tricolour, but the INA Flag that was flown in liberated India at Moirang April 14, 1944 by Colonel Shaukat Hayat Malik, commander of the Bahadur Group.
He said the first flag of Independent India should find its place in the Netaji Museum at Cuttack.
Dhir said he had written several times to the authorities to collect the flag and keep it in the Netaji Museum at Cuttack.
He said, Shishak recollects that he was with the group when the flag was hoisted. The INA forces came under a severe barrage and had to retreat soon after, leaving the flag at the flag post.
On that night, he had sneaked in to the place and got the flag down. Since then, the flag is with me, he remarked.
Dhir said, Shishak is one of the last few of the Indian National Army veterans. His small house, just below the Shashank War Memorial is a private museum filled with war memorabilia. He has samurai swords, helmets, artillery pieces, bullets, shells and photographs. His visitor’s book had scores of entries.
There were testimonials from Japanese, British, Indian and even German visitors. Shishak showed me his passport, which proved that he had made two trips to Japan where he was honoured for his war efforts, but the Union government still does not recognise him as a freedom fighter.
The Battle for Imphal and Kohima has been adjudged as ‘Britain’s Greatest Battle’. The British forces had fought the combined armies of Netaji’s Azad Hind Force or Indian National Army and the Japanese.
It is estimated that the British lost 16,500 lives while the INA and the Japanese lost 53,000 soldiers. The fight for Imphal lasted nearly six months, while the Kohima battle was on for three months, Dhir said.
UNI
