CM Samrat Choudhary pays tribute on Azad Hind Fauj Foundation Day
Synopsis
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary marked the 83rd Foundation Day of the Azad Hind Fauj on 21 October 2026, paying tribute to the INA soldiers who fought for India's independence under Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Key Takeaways
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary posted a tribute on 21 October 2026 , marking the Azad Hind Fauj Foundation Day .
The Azad Hind Fauj (INA) was established on 21 October 1943 by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as the armed force of the Provisional Government of Free India.
Choudhary honoured the soldiers' 'indomitable courage, sacrifice and patriotism' and called their legacy a permanent inspiration.
The BJP has increasingly highlighted Bose's role in the freedom movement as part of its broader nationalist commemoration efforts.
The INA's post-war trials at the Red Fort are credited with galvanising Indian public opinion and hastening the end of British rule.
Eighty-three years after Subhas Chandra Bose raised the flag of the Azad Hind Fauj in Singapore on 21 October 1943, the soldiers who staked everything for India's freedom received fresh homage — this time from Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who marked the anniversary with a tribute on Wednesday, 21 October 2026.
Posting in Hindi, CM Choudhary wrote: 'आजाद हिन्द फौज के स्थापना दिवस पर माँ भारती की स्वतंत्रता के लिए अपना सर्वस्व समर्पित करने वाले सभी वीर सेनानियों को कोटि-कोटि नमन।' — 'On the Foundation Day of the Azad Hind Fauj, I bow a million times to every brave soldier who dedicated everything for the freedom of Mother India.' He added that their 'indomitable courage, sacrifice and patriotism will forever inspire us to serve the nation and uphold its glory.'
The army that rattled an empire: what Azad Hind Fauj stood for
The Indian National Army (INA), known popularly as the Azad Hind Fauj, was established by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as the armed wing of his Provisional Government of Free India. Its formation on 21 October 1943 was a direct military challenge to British colonial rule — soldiers drawn from Indian prisoners of war and the Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia marched under the slogan 'Chalo Dilli' ('March to Delhi'). The army never captured Delhi, but its moral impact on the independence movement was seismic.
The INA trials held after World War II — when the British prosecuted three of its officers at the Red Fort — galvanised public opinion across India and are widely credited with accelerating the end of colonial rule. The soldiers' legacy has since been claimed by leaders across the political spectrum.
BJP's sustained push to reclaim Netaji's legacy
In recent years, the BJP has made a deliberate effort to foreground Bose alongside figures such as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as symbols of a nationalism it argues was historically underplayed. Annual Azad Hind Fauj Day observances have grown in official visibility — a pattern CM Choudhary's post reflects and reinforces. For Bihar, a state with deep ties to the freedom movement, such commemorations also carry local resonance.
Point of View
Choudhary signals alignment with a party-wide commemoration strategy that has grown steadily in official visibility. For a state like Bihar, where the freedom movement carries deep local memory, such posts also serve a grassroots resonance beyond national optics. The gesture is routine in form but pointed in its ideological framing.
NationPress
21 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Azad Hind Fauj established?
The Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) was established on 21 October 1943 by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Singapore as the armed wing of the Provisional Government of Free India.
Who is Samrat Choudhary?
Samrat Choudhary is the Chief Minister of Bihar and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) .
Why is 21 October significant for the INA?
21 October marks the anniversary of the founding of the Azad Hind Fauj and the Provisional Government of Free India in 1943, making it the official Foundation Day of the Indian National Army.
What was the role of the Azad Hind Fauj in India's independence?
The Azad Hind Fauj mounted a direct military challenge to British rule during World War II . Its post-war trials at the Red Fort galvanised Indian public opinion and are widely credited with accelerating the end of colonial rule.
Why does the BJP commemorate Subhas Chandra Bose?
The BJP has in recent years made a concerted effort to highlight Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's legacy alongside other nationalist icons, framing his contributions as central to India's freedom struggle.
