Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, bowed to the martyrs of the Azad Hind Fauj on the army's foundation day, invoking the immortal battle cry of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose — 'Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe azadi dunga' ('Give me blood, I will give you freedom') — as he saluted the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for India's independence.

The slogan that refused to die

Chouhan's tribute centred on the electrifying rallying cry that Subhas Chandra Bose used to mobilise tens of thousands of soldiers across Southeast Asia during World War II. The phrase, delivered with the urgency of a commander who knew time was running out, remains one of the most quoted lines from India's freedom struggle. Chouhan quoted it in full, describing the martyrs as 'hutatmaon' — those who gave up their souls — whose contribution, he said, 'will remain immortal forever'.

The Azad Hind Fauj and its place in India's independence story

The Indian National Army (INA), known in Hindi as the Azad Hind Fauj, was formed by Indian nationalists during World War II with the goal of overthrowing British rule in India, initially with Japanese support. It drew its ranks from Indian prisoners of war and the Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia, and fought in the Burma-India theatre in the hope of marching into Delhi under a free flag. Though the military campaign did not succeed, the INA's legacy — and the subsequent treason trials of its officers — catalysed public outrage that historians credit as one of the accelerants of the final push toward independence in 1947.

Bose, who headed the Azad Hind provisional government, remains a towering and somewhat contested figure in Indian historical memory: celebrated across party lines for his uncompromising nationalism, even as debates about his wartime alliances continue in academic circles. His 'Give me blood' slogan is remembered not merely as rhetoric but as the compact he offered to every soldier who enlisted.

A ritual of remembrance, and why it still matters

Senior ministers and political leaders across the spectrum mark independence-movement anniversaries with public tributes — a practice that keeps the freedom struggle alive in national discourse. For the BJP, embracing Bose's legacy has carried particular resonance, with the party and its governments investing in INA memorials, archival releases, and official commemorations in recent years. Chouhan's post, signed off with the nationalist salute 'Jai Hind!', follows that tradition. The Azad Hind Fauj's foundation day is a moment that belongs to every Indian — and every October, the names of its martyrs get another day in the light.