CM Majhi pays tribute to Netaji and Azad Hind Fauj on Founding Day
Synopsis
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi offered a devout salute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj on 21 October 2026, the 83rd anniversary of the INA's founding and the proclamation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind in Singapore.
Key Takeaways
21 October 2026 marks the 83rd founding anniversary of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army).
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi posted a tribute in Odia saluting Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the INA's soldiers.
Subhas Chandra Bose proclaimed the Provisional Government of Azad Hind in Singapore on 21 October 1943 .
The INA fought British forces on a front stretching from Southeast Asia to India's northeastern frontier, with key battles at Imphal and Kohima in 1944 .
BJP-led governments consistently commemorate the INA legacy as part of a broader effort to highlight non-Congress contributions to India's freedom movement.
Odisha holds special emotional resonance for Netaji tributes, as Cuttack in Odisha was his birthplace.
On the 83rd founding anniversary of the Azad Hind Fauj, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi offered a heartfelt salute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the brave soldiers of the Indian National Army — men and women who staked everything on the belief that freedom was worth dying for.
Posting in Odia on 21 October 2026, CM Majhi wrote: 'Azad Hind Faujar pratishthadibasare Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose ebam Azad Hind Faujar bira sainikmananka bhaktiputa pranama' — a devout salute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the valiant soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj on the Army's Founding Day.
The day that shook British India's confidence
On 21 October 1943, in Singapore, Subhas Chandra Bose proclaimed the Provisional Government of Azad Hind and assumed supreme command of the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army). It was one of the most audacious gambles in the entire independence movement — a government-in-exile backed by an armed force, fighting on soil stretching from Southeast Asia to the northeastern frontier of India.
The INA drew its ranks from Indian prisoners of war and civilian volunteers across Malaya, Burma, and Singapore. At its peak it fielded tens of thousands of soldiers united by a single watchword: Jai Hind. The army's march toward the Indian mainland, and the fierce resistance at Imphal and Kohima in 1944, made the British colonial establishment acutely aware that its grip on India was slipping.
BJP's consistent commemoration of the INA legacy
CM Majhi's tribute is part of a deliberate, consistent pattern. BJP-led state governments across India have made commemorating Netaji and the INA a political and cultural priority — framing the independence struggle as larger than any single party or movement. For the BJP, celebrating the INA represents an explicit acknowledgment of non-Congress contributions to the freedom movement, one that resonates strongly in Bengal and Odisha, two states with deep emotional ties to Bose.
Odisha, Bose's ancestral connection through his Cuttack birthplace, lends this tribute particular regional resonance. Every 21 October, the anniversary doubles as an occasion to reinforce that history in the public imagination.
Eighty-three years after a government-in-exile proclaimed its existence in a borrowed conference hall in Singapore, the memory of that defiance still commands a nation's attention — and its gratitude.
Point of View
From the hologram at India Gate to state-level commemorations, the 21 October message is both a genuine mark of respect and a culturally calculated signal to voters in Odisha, where Bose's Cuttack roots make the tribute especially potent. The consistency of such messaging across BJP-governed states suggests a coordinated commemorative calendar rather than spontaneous homage. Whether it translates into substantive policy — curriculum changes, monument investments, archival access — will be the truer measure of the party's stated commitment to the INA's legacy.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 21 October celebrated as Azad Hind Fauj Diwas?
21 October marks the day in 1943 when Subhas Chandra Bose proclaimed the Provisional Government of Azad Hind in Singapore and assumed command of the Indian National Army, making it the formal founding date of the Azad Hind Fauj.
What did Mohan Charan Majhi say about Netaji on 21 October 2026?
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi posted a tribute in Odia offering a devout salute — bhaktiputa pranama — to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the brave soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj on the army's founding anniversary.
What is the Azad Hind Fauj and who led it?
The Azad Hind Fauj , also known as the Indian National Army (INA), was an armed force formed to fight British colonial rule during World War II. It was reorganised and led by Subhas Chandra Bose from 1943 , drawing recruits from Indian prisoners of war and civilians across Southeast Asia.
What is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's connection to Odisha?
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born in Cuttack, Odisha , giving the state a particularly strong emotional and historical bond with his legacy and making tributes from Odisha's leadership especially significant.
Why does the BJP commemorate the INA on 21 October every year?
The BJP uses INA commemorations to highlight non-Congress contributions to India's independence movement, positioning revolutionary nationalist figures like Netaji Bose as central to the freedom struggle's full story — a framing that resonates politically, especially in states like Odisha and West Bengal.
