Enough really is enough. Indian footballers have finally reached their breaking point — and their message is damning. With the AIFF paralysed by incompetence and inertia, the players have taken the extraordinary step of appealing directly to FIFA to rescue a sport that has been left
India's IT Ministry issued a 72-hour ultimatum to X. Platform must remove Grok AI-generated "obscene" content or lose safe harbour protection under Section 79. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a warning to the Elon Musk-owned social media platform X (formerly
Abhishek Banerjee, who launched the party's outreach campaign, 'Abaar Jitbe Bangla', in South 24 Parganas district's Baruipur, said Trinamool's vote share and seats will increase this time. KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday alleged that many voters
The Premier League kicked off the New Year with an unexpected twist, featuring three matches that ended without a goal. In a frustrating outing, Manchester City drew with Sunderland, further distancing themselves from Arsenal's lead. Liverpool and Tottenham also struggled to find the back of the
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and businessman Robert Vadra's son, Raihan Vadra, has got engaged to his long-time girlfriend Aviva Baig. The engagement took place on Monday and was made public through a social media post by Raihan. (Also read: Priyanka Gandhi's son Raihan Vadra gets engaged to
January 3,1946: INA defendants walk free after trial that gripped India
On January 3,1946, a drama unfolded in the Red Fort in Delhi. It meant freedom for the three men involved and deeply influenced the freedom struggle for hundreds of millions more in British India.
That morning, Major-General Shah Nawaz Khan and Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and Prem Kumar Sahgal of the Indian National Army were asked to go down to an office in the Red Fort.
They were the defendants in the first INA trial held by the British after World War II ended, accused of waging war against the king.
They had been imprisoned in Salimgarh Fort, which adjoined the Red Fort. They were probably expecting the worst. Instead, they were told that they had been sentenced to life – but that the sentence had been commuted. They were released immediately.
The announcement was so unexpected, there was no one to greet them outside the Red Fort. They made their own way to a friend's home Once they got there, they had to identify themselves to be let in.
When the news made its way to the world, India rejoiced. In newspapers across the country, their release was hailed as a victory for India's freedom movement.
Khan, Dhillon and Sahgal were senior officers of the Indian National Army – a Muslim, Sikh and Hindu.
As World War II raged, the INA had been formed in December 1941by Captain Mohan Singh of the 14 Punjab Regiment, assisted by Japanese intelligence officials. He recruited men, many from the British Indian Army, to fight against Britain to win freedom from the colonisers.
But when Singh realised that the Japanese promises to arm Indian volunteers to attack India to free her of British rule were hollow, he refused to cooperate. He was arrested in December 1942.
It was then that the Japanese asked for former Congress leader Subhas Chandra Bose to be sent to Singapore. Bose was in Berlin, having failed to get the help of German leader Adolf Hitler's help to attack India. He arrived on July 2, 1943, to fulfil his tryst with destiny.
In India, there had been a news blackout on the INA in India. The British did not want the people to know that thousands of Indian soldiers had signed up to fight against them. Even though the INA was small, poorly equipped and little used by the Japanese who were in control, the very fact that it existed was, the British feared, something that would enthuse and unite the people of India.
The INA had been part of the Japanese forces invading India in early 1944 and had been pushed back into Burma. Though the INA lost the battle, it won the war.
Soon after Japan's surrender on August 15, 1945, the commander-in-chief of the Indian Army, General Claude Auchinleck lifted the media blackout on the INA.
Immediately, news of these Indian soldiers willing to fight the mighty British Empire to free India hit the headlines and won the sympathy of the people of India – even of soldiers in the Indian Army.
Though the INA had mainly been kept in the rear by Japan, when they got to fight, they fought bravely. Even if these were minor skirmishes with no strategic impact, their willingness to do so was what mattered.
To add to this, in perhaps one of the biggest political own-goals in history, the Britain decided to court martial some of the Indian soldiers who had joined the INA. Technically, all the 22,000 were guilty of treason, but Auchinleck decided to hold trials for 600, to demonstrate to the Indian Army that loyalty and oaths could not be just thrown aside.
Had this been done out of the public eye. it may have mattered less. But The Auk, as he was known, decided to hold these in Delhi. Not only that, he did so in the historic Red Fort, which held great significance in the minds of Indians as the base of the Mughal Empire and where Bahadur Shah Zafar's trial had been conducted in 1858.
Another bad decision was to choose a Muslim, a Hindu and a Sikh as the accused in the first trial. The charge of treason – waging war against the King – had no sympathy with a people ripe for independence.
The Congress party organised the defence, led by Bhulabhai Desai. The team included legal luminaries such as Jawaharlal Nehru and Asaf Ali.
The newspapers followed the progress of the trial. There were demonstrations against it across India. The families of the accused pleaded with the defendants to apologise and save their lives, but Khan, Dhillon and Sahgal refused.
Letters flew between Viceregal Lodge, the residence of the commander-in-chief, and London. How was the trial verdict to be managed, given the public support for the INA? What would happen if they were sentenced to death or life in prison?
In the end, they were found guilty of treason and sentenced to life in prison, but The Auk decided to commute the sentences.
This meant the verdict stood, but the men were freed.
The British realised that they had lost India, and more importantly the Indian Army, without which they could not hold India. This was the true victory for the INA.
Gautam Hazarika is the author of The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II. He can be contacted at ghazarika70@yahoo.com.sg.
Source: Scroll
Related Posts: 2026 Kia Seltos SUV India price announcement tomorrow — what buyers should know BCCI Set To Bring Nicholas Lee As India Women’s Strength & Conditioning Coach 1,700+ Govt School Students To Get Free IIT, NIT, AIIMS Coaching Wellness in India 2026 Ex-India Cricketer Explodes Over Gill’s T20 World Cup Snub The year angry men dominated Bollywood - and what it means for India India to launch Drone Shakti Mission soon Realme 16 Pro Series India Launch Confirmed North India Shivers Under Cold Wave As IMD Issues Red Alert India Squad for NZ ODIs Today
On October 13, special judge Vishal Gogne framed charges against Lalu Yadav, Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi Yadav and others for their alleged involvement in the IRCTC hotels scandal. The court framed charges of corruption (under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act)
Just now
A Karnataka government survey shows most voters trust Electronic Voting Machines. This finding challenges the Congress party's campaign against EVMs. The survey indicates high trust in EVMs across various regions. The BJP highlighted these results, criticizing the Congress's stance
Just now
In 1955, a 19-year-old trainee teacher from Italy arrived in Wales with his dad and a small choir to compete in the annual Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod. The choir consists of amateurs and has little expectation of success but the group from Modena take first place and change the course
Just now
Zohran Mamdani's swearing-in ceremony took a heartwarming turn as filmmaker Mira Nair went viral for recording her son while he thanked her during his speech. New Delhi: Zohran Mamdani grabbed headlines once again as he took oath as New York City's 112th mayor on Thursday
Just now
Apart from making history as the new New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani has another reason to celebrate. He made his Kaun Banega Crorepati debut this week, albeit not as a contestant but a the topic for a question on the show. During the 26 December episode of the show
Just now
Aries: On this particular day, don't push yourself to be witty or rely on pickup lines. For those flying solo today, just be yourself; someone may fancy your true nature more than a flashy persona. For those in a relationship, enjoy some regular time with your partner without trying too hard
Just now
The gut-brain link is a two-way connection in which the gut and the brain influence each other. It shows that the gut is responsible for much more than just digestion. This highlights the need for a more well-rounded approach to nutrition, one that supports vital two-way connections such as the
Just now
The Union government on Friday wrote to social media platform X, directing it to identify and remove sexually explicit content generated by its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, ANI reported. The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology told X to “undertake a comprehensive
Just now
India's ODI squad for NZ series at home will be announced today, While India have already named their squads for the five match T20I series against New Zealand and the T20 World Cup that follows. India's ODI squad for NZ series at home will be announced today
Just now
In a major casting development Rani Mukerji has reportedly joined the cast of Oh My God 3 (OMG 3). This marks the first time Mukerji and Akshay Kumar will share screen space in a feature film. New Delhi: Actress Rani Mukerji is reportedly all set to join the cast of Akshay Kumar's Oh My God 3
Just now
Upcoming SME IPO: Silverstorm Parks and Resorts, an integrated amusement destination, has filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with BSE SME in preparation for its upcoming IPO. The issue will comprise up to 62,00,000 equity shares with a face value of ₹10 each
Just now
Elon Musk has reacted sharply after a Somali TikToker said during a livestream that he was “about to die,” a comment widely interpreted as a threat to the billionaire's life. The remark was made during a livestream by a creator identified online as “Dowza.z”
Just now
If this new year's resolution is to cut down on soda and go the healthy way, you need to make Tepache. This is a lightly fermented Mexican drink that uses pineapple scraps and water to turn into something golden, fizzy, healthy and wonderfully refreshing
Just now
The government on Friday approved Rs 41,863 crore of investments by 22 companies under the Electronic Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) and called on the electronics industry to reduce import dependence by deepening domestic sourcing across value chains
Just now
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch a nationwide outreach campaign in support of the G-RAM-G scheme, aiming to counter the Congress's proposed “Save MGNREGA" movement scheduled to begin on January 5. As part of the strategy
Just now
President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the unravelling of a $2.9 million computer chips deal that he concluded threatened US security interests if the current owner, HieFo Corp, remained in control of the technology.The executive order cast a spotlight on a business deal that drew scant attention
Just now
The US Embassy in India has issued a stern warning to visa applicants, particularly those seeking H-1B and H-4 work visas, stating that violations of US immigration laws could lead to significant criminal penalties. This comes amid the ongoing H-1B visa policy overhaul
Just now
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday said that an Election Commission survey is being misused to create a misleading narrative against allegations of electoral malpractice raised by Rahul Gandhi. In a post on X, he argued that the survey, now being cited by sections of the media
Just now
Less than 24 hours after throngs of ecstatic supporters poured into Manhattan for his history-making inauguration, Zohran Mamdani began his first full day of work with a routine familiar to many New Yorkers: trudging to the subway from a cramped apartment
Just now
The Commission for Air Quality Management on Friday revoked Stage 3 restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan in Delhi and the National Capital Region after the air quality improved. The commission said that the Air Quality Index in Delhi had “significantly improved” to 236 on
Just now
IMD has issued a red alert for parts of North India amid severe cold wave conditions, with dense fog warnings across multiple states, while Delhi remains cold and foggy on January 3–4. As North India witnesses cold wave–like conditions
Just now
The U.S. Justice Department said it foiled a New Year's Eve ISIS-inspired attack by 18-year-old Christan Sturdivant from North Carolina. He was charged with providing material support to a foreign terrorist group. FBI agents found a handwritten plan titled “New Years Attack 2026”
Just now
Luke Littler surged into his third successive PDC World Championship final and will face European champion Gian van Veen in what promises to be a blockbuster conclusion to the tournament. World champion Littler came from a set down to beat 20th seed Ryan Searle in impressive style, averaging 105
Just now
Realme 16 Pro: The lineup includes the Realme 16 Pro 5G and the Realme 16 Pro+ 5G, along with the upcoming Realme Pad 3 5G. While Realme has confirmed the launch date, pricing details are yet to be officially announced. Realme 16 Pro: The Realme 16 Pro series is set to launch in India in the first
Just now
Claims that democracy is in crisis are certainly not new, but recent history has given the claim a new urgency. Over the past decade or so, there has been no shortage of people expressing concern that democratic institutions are under strain
Just now
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified the Sangh's role in uniting society and instilling virtues. He emphasized it is not a paramilitary group and cautioned against understanding it through the BJP or Vidya Bharti. Bhagwat highlighted the Sangh's unique nature and its mission to prevent foreign
Just now
Anthony Joshua's driver has been charged after a crash in Nigeria injured the boxer and killed two of his team members, police have said. Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was charged at the Sagamu Magistrates' Court on Friday. Police sources told the BBC the charges included causing death by dangerous
Just now
