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Indonesia marked 79 years of independence on August 17, 2024 with a ceremony organised in the future capital of Nusantara.

• Indonesian President attended the Independence Day ceremony at the new Presidential Palace, built in the shape of the mythical eagle-winged protector figure Garuda.

About Nusantara

• Name: Nusantara is an old Javanese term that means ‘archipelago’
• Location: In East Kalimantan (located 2,300 kilometres from Jakarta)  on the eastern side of Borneo island, shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei.
  • The new capital will be located in the North Penajam Paser and Kutai Kartanegara regions
• Area: 2,600 square km (1,000 square miles)
• Transfer of Power: Nusantara will be the new capital replacing Jakarta in the “first semester” of 2024
  • The construction of the new capital began in mid-2022
  • All of Indonesia’s government institutions is slated to move to East Kalimantan along with the offices and homes of civil servants and ministers. The presidential palace will also move to the new capital.
• Reason for Shift in Capital:
  • Limitations of Jakarta: Jakarta has reached its saturation  with about 10 million people in the city limits and three times that number in the greater metropolitan area
  • Economy: In Jakarta the congestion costs the economy an estimated $4.5 billion a year due urban flooding and clogging. 
  • Pollution: The air and groundwater in the old capital are heavily polluted with regular features in the Most polluted cities list
  • Sinking: Jakarta has been described as the world’s most rapidly sinking city. It is estimated that one-third of the city could be submerged by 2050, because of uncontrolled groundwater extraction, as well as the rise of the Java Sea due to climate change.

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The year 2024 is expected to witness four supermoons in a row with the first one slated to occur on August 19, Monday at about 12:00 AM IST.

• Supermoons in 2024: 
  • Aug 19: 224,917 miles (361,969 kilometers): It will be a Blue Moon
  • Sep 18: 222,131 miles (357,485 kilometers): It will be a  Super Harvest Moon.
  • Oct 17: 222,055 miles (357,363 kilometers): It’ll be a Super Hunter’s Moon and the closest full supermoon for 2024.
  • Nov 15: 224,853 miles (361,866 kilometers)

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The August Supermoon

• It will also be a Blue Moon which corresponds with the Hindu festival Raksha Bandhan, also called Rakhi Purnima.
• Other Names: Many other names reported for this Moon as the Red Moon, the Corn or Green Corn Moon, the Barley Moon, the Herb Moon, the Grain Moon, and the Dog Moon
• The Moon will appear for three full days, from Sunday morning through early Wednesday morning. 
• Visibility: The August Supermoon Blue Moon can be witnessed globally
  • Asia and Australia: The full moon will be visible on August 20 from Nepal Standard Time eastward across the rest of Asia and Australia to the International Date Line.
    • In India, we will be able to see it during the night of August 19 and into the early morning of August 20.

About Supermoons

• Coined By: The term supermoon was coined by astronomer Richard Nolle in 1979.
• A supermoon occurs when the moon is within 90 percent of its nearest approach to Earth. 
  • They are known to be the brightest and biggest full moons of the year. It appears around 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than a regular moon.
• Occurrence: When the full moon and Perigee closely coincides with each other, in the language of popular culture, we have a supermoon.
• Moon Illusion: It happens when the moon is near the horizon. The moon appears larger due to this and the effect is strongest when the moon is either rising or setting.

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About Blue Moon

• Origin: The first Blue Moon was recorded from 1528 onwards and is believed that the name Blue Moon originated from an old phrase meaning ‘betrayer moon’. However Blue Moon is not Blue in colour
• Types: There are two types of Blue Moon,
  • The second full moon of a month with two full moons came to be known as a ‘Blue Moon’ since 1940.
  • Seasonal Blue Moon: A third full moon in a season that has four full moons is known as a seasonal blue moon. 
    • This is the type of Blue Moon that will be visible on August 19. 

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According to the scientific study of the land use dynamics of the Aravali range post 1975 published in the journal ‘Earth Science Informatics’, there has been a widespread ecological degradation in the Aravali Range.

Aravalli Range

• According to The Forest Survey of India (FSI) report, the Aravallis include the hills and a uniform 100-metre-wide buffer zone around the downsides of the hills.
• Formation: Aravalli Range is one of the oldest fold residual mountains, formed from the convergence of tectonic plates during the Proterozoic Era (2500-541 million years ago).
• Extent & Location : It  extends from Raisina Hills in New Delhi to  Khedbrahma and Palanpur in Gujarat,in a south-west direction, passing through southern Haryana and Rajasthan, and ending in Gujarat.  
  • The total length is approximately 692 kilometres.  
  • About  80%  of  this  length, which is approximately 550 kilometres, is located in the state of Rajasthan.
  • Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat have 20% of the share in the terrain.
• Elevation: Elevation ranges from 300m to 900m.
• Ranges: Divided into two main ranges: Sambhar Sirohi Range and Sambhar Khetri Range in Rajasthan.
• Highest peak: Guru Shikhar in Mount Abu (1,722 m).
• Physiography : Aravalli Range as a rough, rocky, and hilly terrain. 
  • It is characterised by its rugged topography, with rocky outcrops and hilly  landscapes. 
• Rivers : Major Flowing rivers Banas, Luni , Sahibi etc 
• Major Minerals : Cooper, Zinc, Marble, Lead, Silver etc
• Tribal Communities: Bhil, Bhil-Meena, Meena, Garasia, etc.

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• Significance of the Aravalli Range
  • Ecotone: Aravali forms as an ecotone zone between Thar desert and the Gangetic Plain, in a semi-arid environment.
  • Biodiversity: Home to 300 native plant species, 120 bird species, and exclusive animals like the jackal and mongoose.
  • Important Drainage System: Aravallis have provided a watershed between the Indus basin in the North West and the Ganga basin in the East.
  • Desertification Control: Acts as a barrier between the fertile plains to the east and the Thar Desert to the west.
    • Excessive mining is linked to the expansion of the Thar Desert.
    • Presence of loess in Mathura and Agra indicates desert expansion due to the weakened ecological barrier.
  • Climate Impact
    • Shapes the climate of northwest India.
    • During the monsoon, it guides moisture-laden winds, nourishing the sub-Himalayan rivers and replenishing north Indian plains.
    • In winter, it shields fertile alluvial river valleys from cold westerly winds from Central Asia.
  • Mount Abu serves as a pilgrimage site for Jains and is a well-visited tourist destination.

Threats to the Aravali Range

• Change in the Forest Area: During 1999 to 2019, thy forest area decreased upto 0.9% of the total area, which is 75,572.8 sq.km. 
  • Until 1999, 29,915 sq.km of the range was covered with dry deciduous forest. 

• • This was reduced to 29,210 sq.km in 2019, resulting in the disappearance of 705 sq.km of forest.
  • The Forest area of the central range in the Aravallis decreased by 32% along with significant increase in the land under cultivation between 1975 and 2019. 
• Illegal Quarrying: Over 25% and 31 hill ranges of the Aravallis in Rajasthan have disappeared due to illegal quarrying. 
  • Jaipur, Sikar, Alwar, Bhilwara, Chitorgarh and Rajsamand districts have intense mining activities.
• Prevalence and Impact of Mining: In the absence of proper industrialization and sustainable livelihood sources, communities rely on mining and ancillary industries for income. 
  • The demand for construction material in NCR and adjacent areas drives mining activities in the Aravalli. 
• Increase in Human Settlement: There is a constant growth in the human settlement from 4.5% in 1975 to 13.3% in 2019.
• Rate of Carbon Flux: Carbon flux refers to the Amount exchanged between carbon stocks over a specified time, as it records the movement of carbon between land, oceans, atmosphere and living beings.
  • The regions in the upper and lower aravali ranges recorded high positive rates of carbon flux as they received high rainfall and had protected areas.In contrast, the areas facing a negative rate of carbon flux in the main middle range are near the Thar desert.
• Enhanced Vegetation Index: EVI is a spatial tool in remote sensing that can be used to estimate the biomass and carbon sequestration potential of forests. 
  • It is also used to monitor the health of forests over large areas by detecting changes in vegetation.
  • The lowest value of zero to minus 0.2 was recorded in the upper central Aravalli region falling in the Nagaur district.
• Biodiversity Loss: Loss of diverse flora and fauna, including leopards, striped hyenas, golden jackals, nilgais, and palm civets. 
• Drying up of Rivers: Rivers originating in the Aravalli like Banas, Luni, Sahibi, and Sakhi have become dry. 

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Consequences of degradation in the Aravalli Ranges

• Ecological Impact: Digging or mining to significant depths punctures aquifers, disrupting water flow and resulting in the drying of lakes and the formation of new ones. 
  • Man-wild animal conflicts arise as natural forests along the Aravallis are lost. 
  • Altered natural drainage patterns threaten the hydrological system and water table in the entire NCR region. 
• Intergenerational Equity: The exploitation of natural resources in the Aravalli range will burden future generations, emphasising the need for legal frameworks to ensure intergenerational equity. 
• Effects of Mining Activity
  • Water Scarcity: Disrupts natural water flow and groundwater recharge, leading to downstream water scarcity that impacts agriculture and settlements.
  • Air Quality: Releases dust and pollutants like silica, degrading air quality and causing respiratory issues in nearby communities.
  • Soil Erosion and Desertification: Removes vegetation, exposing soil to erosion and accelerating desertification as topsoil is washed away.

Suggestions

• Comprehensive Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) based drone survey of Aravalli Region: 
  • The LiDAR  survey targets an object or a surface with a laser and measures the time for the reflected right to return to the receiver.
  • It will facilitate the identification and mitigation of illegal mining activities and enable authorities to take prompt enforcement actions to curb environmental degradation.
• Ban on all forms of Mining: Ban on all forms of Mining within the Aravali Range would safeguard the remaining hills from further depletion and preserve its ecological balance and biodiversity.
• Clear laws and guidelines: There is a need for clear guidelines regarding inappropriate ownership and the process of privatisation of land. There is no clear definition of Forest in particular to the region per se.  
• Reforestation Initiatives: Reforestation efforts can restore the Aravalli to their original vegetation state, similar to the successful restoration undertaken at the Aravalli Biodiversity Park. 
• The Aravali Green Wall Project: Inspired by Africa’s ‘Great Green Wall,’ India plans to create a 1,400 km long and 5 km wide green belt from Gujarat to the Delhi-Haryana border.
  • This initiative aims to combat land degradation and halt the eastward spread of the Thar Desert.

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The government is preparing to buy 1,000 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) as part of the IndiaAI Mission.

About IndiaAI Mission

• IndiaAI is a government-backed initiative aimed at boosting artificial intelligence (AI) research and development in India.
• Objective of IndiaAI Mission
  • The mission, with a budget of Rs 10,370 crore, aims to establish a massive infrastructure of over 10,000 GPUs to support AI development. 
    • This includes training AI models with over 100 billion parameters on datasets that cover major Indian languages, benefiting sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and governance.
  • The focus is to provide cloud-based AI services to academia, MSMEs, start-ups, researchers, and government agencies, which would otherwise be too expensive for them to develop AI systems
    • It includes other entities such as researchers, public sector agencies, and other approved entities.
      • These services will be hosted by data centres located within India to ensure that all data remains within the country.

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Key Components of the IndiaAI Mission

• Computing Infrastructure: The government plans to build a massive computing infrastructure capable of handling complex AI models and workloads. This infrastructure will be made available to researchers, startups, and public sector agencies.
• Data Localization: To ensure data privacy and security, the government has mandated that all AI services must be delivered from data centres located within India. 
  • This means that user data will not be transferred outside the country.
• Public-Private Partnership: The project will use a public-private partnership model with 50% viability gap funding. 
  • If costs decrease, private entities will be required to provide additional compute capacity within the allocated budget. Rs 4,564 crore of the total budget is allocated for building the necessary computing infrastructure.

Benefits of the IndiaAI Mission

• Boost to AI Research and Development: By providing access to advanced computing resources, the mission will enable researchers to develop cutting-edge AI models and applications.
• Support for Startups: Startups can leverage the mission’s resources to build and scale their AI-powered products and services.
• Strengthening Public Sector Agencies: Government agencies can use AI to improve their efficiency and effectiveness in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, and governance.
• Promoting Data Privacy and Security: The data localization requirement ensures that sensitive user data remains within India, protecting it from unauthorised access.

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Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released the World Investment Report 2024.

World Investment Report

• About: The World Investment Report focuses on trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) worldwide, at the regional and country levels and emerging measures to improve its contribution to development.
  • It also provides analysis on global value chains and the operations of multinational enterprises, with special attention to their development implications.
• Components: Every issue of the Report has:
  • Analysis of the trends in FDI during the previous year, with especial emphasis on the development implications
  • Ranking of the largest transnational corporations in the world.
  • In-depth analysis of a selected topic related to FDI.
  • Policy analysis and recommendations.

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Key highlights of the latest World Investment Report 2024

• Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Decline in 2023
  • Overall FDI Decrease: Global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 2% to $1.3 trillion in 2023 due to an economic slowdown and rising geopolitical tensions.
• Impact on Sustainable Development
  • Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-Linked Investment: Investment in sectors related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fell by over 10%.
  • Greenwashing Concerns: Misleading sustainability claims are increasingly affecting investor demand.

• Global Impact of New Sustainability Disclosure Standards: New disclosure standards from the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and the European Union (EU) will affect firms outside the primary financial markets. 
  • Companies in developing countries, especially those in supply chains for these markets, will face increased pressure to meet higher sustainability standards, with compliance potentially becoming essential for market access
• Financing Challenges and Project Finance
  • Project Finance Decline: Tight financing conditions led to a 26% decrease in international project finance deals, crucial for infrastructure investment.
• Regional FDI Trends
  • Developing Countries: FDI flows to developing countries fell by 7% to $867 billion, with an 8% decrease in developing Asia.
  • China: The second-largest FDI recipient, China, experienced a rare decline in inflows.
  • India and West & Central Asia: Both regions saw significant drops in FDI, while South-East Asia remained steady.
  • Vulnerable Economies: FDI flows to structurally weak and vulnerable economies increased.
• Investment Policies and Agreements
  • Policy Measures: New investment policy measures declined in 2023, though most were favourable to investors.
  • International Agreements: In 2023, countries and regions concluded 29 new international investment agreements (IIAs).
    • International investment agreement (IIA) is a type of treaty between countries that addresses issues relevant to cross-border investments, usually for the purpose of protection, promotion and liberalisation of such investments. 
  • The number of international investment agreements continued to decline.
• Investment Facilitation Progress
  • Online Single Windows: Since the launch of the global action menu for investment facilitation in 2016, online single windows in developing countries increased from 13 to 67, and in developed economies from 12 to 28.

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India Specific Points

• Decline in FDI Inflows: FDI inflows declined for most reporting economies. 
  • Among the top 20 host economies, the largest absolute drops were registered in France, Australia, China, the United States and India, in that order.
• India’s Foreign Law Practice Policy: India permits foreign lawyers and law firms to “practise foreign law  within the country” (i.e. to advise clients  on the international elements of mergers and acquisitions or appear as arbitrators). 
• Sustainable Finance Initiatives: In 2023, seven of the developing countries (Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates), together with ASEAN member States, rolled out national strategies or frameworks on sustainable finance. 

Call of Action provided by the UNCTAD

• Promoting Investment and Business Facilitation: Countries should create a transparent and streamlined environment using business facilitation and digital government tools.
• Boosting FDI for Infrastructure: Encourage institutional investors to increase FDI flows into infrastructure projects, particularly in developing countries, to support long-term economic growth.
• Sustainable Development Investment
  • Government Promotion: Governments should promote investment in sustainable development projects through outward investment measures and international agreements.
  • Fossil Fuel Divestment: Institutional investors need to set ambitious targets for divesting from fossil fuels and increasing investments in renewables.
• Addressing Greenwashing
  • Combat Greenwashing: Implement systematic efforts to address greenwashing through well-defined product standards, robust sustainability disclosures, external auditing, and third-party ratings.
• Reforming International Investment Agreements (IIA): International organisations and governments should accelerate efforts to reform the IIA regime to reduce the risks of investor-state disputes, particularly for developing countries.
• Aligning Investment with SDGs: Countries and institutions should encourage investment regimes aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Digital Government Tools
  • Bottom-Up Approach: Adopt a bottom-up approach to digital government tools, starting with basic services for businesses and gradually expanding to more institutions to capture economies of scale.
  • Technical Support: International organisations should provide technical support to developing countries to build and enhance digital platforms, leveraging development assistance as needed.

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This article sheds light on the Kondh Tribal Life, Culture, and Agriculture. 

About Kondh tribe

• Khonds are an Adivasi community in India, traditionally hunter-gatherers.
• Cultural Division: Divided into hill-dwelling and plain-dwelling groups but identify by clans.
• Language: Speak Kui and write using the Odia script.
• Khonds have Scheduled Tribe (ST) status in eight states Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal
  • These tribal groups do buffalo sacrifice ritual,  called “Kedu” to worship their Earth Goddess”.
• Tribal Migration and Settlement
  • Migration History: The Kondh tribe migrated from the Araku Valley to settle near the Sileru river on the Andhra Pradesh-Orissa border. 
    • Many of these settlements grew after the 1970s due to work opportunities in hydroelectric projects.
  • Current Situation: The area is affected by Left-Wing Extremism, and the cultivation of illegal crops like ganja is prevalent.

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• Agriculture Practices
  • They Practise slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting, and gathering,  and maintain a strong link to the forests.
    • Turmeric Cultivation: Kondhs specialise in organic turmeric farming for income.
      • Self-Reliance: These groups sell turmeric for income to meet medical and other needs.
  • Sustainable Farming Practices
    • Self-Sufficiency: Kondh families grow paddy for their own consumption and also cultivate millets and vegetables without fertilisers or pesticides.
    • Seed Sharing: Seeds are shared among Kondh families and preserved using traditional methods.
  • Step Farming
    • Water Management: Step farming with stone embankments to control rainwater flow and prevent erosion.
    • Water Supply: Fields are irrigated by streams and waterfalls; maize is grown in dry seasons.
• Role of Women
  • Cooperation: Kondh women work together to guard multiple land holdings and help neighbors during emergencies.
    • Women oversee water distribution and irrigation channels.

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Climate change could shrink the Malabar Tree Toad’s (MTT) distribution in protected areas by up to 68.7% between 2061 and 2080, based on high emissions scenarios.

Low Emissions Scenario:

•  If emissions are low, the species’ distribution could increase by up to 111.3% in protected areas.

About Malabar Tree Toad

• Scientific name: Pedostibes tuberculosus
  • It is also known as the Warty Asian Tree Toad.
• Habitat: MTT is native to India’s Western Ghats
  • Unlike most toads, it lives in trees.
• Unique Feature: It is the only species in the genus Pedostibes, making it a unique type of Asian tree toad.
• Discovery: First found in 1876, not seen again for over 100 years, and rediscovered in 1980.
• Breeding
  • It breeds in water pools created by monsoon rains.
  • Impact of Climate: Changes in precipitation and moisture levels affect MTT breeding and habitat availability.
• Conservation Status 
  • IUCN status: Endangered (EN)

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Importance to Ecosystem

• Predator Role: The Malabar tree toad controls insect and spider populations by feeding on them, helping maintain ecological balance.
• Indicator Species: Its presence indicates a healthy forest ecosystem.
• Nutrient Recycling: Contributes to the recycling of nutrients within the ecosystem.
• Soil Aeration: Helps in aerating the soil, promoting overall soil hea

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The Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), a new data-driven “vulnerability” index that would help small island states and developing nations gain access to low-interest financing was officially launched by The UN General Assembly.

• The Index will act as a complement to GDP and other development metrics.
• Voluntary: The use of the index is voluntary, but the UN has called out on its organs and multilateral development banks to consider using the new tool to complement existing policies.

About Multidimensional Vulnerability Index

• Multidimensional Vulnerability Index focuses on vulnerabilities that could put someone at risk of falling into poverty by considering dimensions and indicators crucial to measure the extent of vulnerabilities.
• Dimensions and Indicators: The vulnerability is assessed in three critical dimensions ie. Education, Health and Disaster, and Living Standards measured by 12 indicators. 
  • Factors: It include import dependency, exposure to extreme weather events and pandemics, impacts of regional violence, refugees, demographic pressure, water and arable land resources and mortality of children under five

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• Origin: A call for the development of a globally accepted vulnerability assessment was first made in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which was repeated by SIDS in 1994, in the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of SIDS.
• Aim: MVI will capture exogenous vulnerabilities and lack of resilience to exogenous shocks of all developing countries
  • It will incorporate indicators linked to a state’s structural vulnerabilities and lack of economic, environmental and social resilience.
• How The MVI will be used:
  • To facilitate action to address vulnerability and build in-country resilience through the development of evidence-based policies and partnerships
  • To facilitate evidence-based, targeted and effective support and smarter resource allocations 
  • To complement performance-based allocation models, allowing the use of a vulnerability component 
  • To support and guide the design of innovative financing mechanisms
  • To serve as a tool for monitoring, evaluation and measuring vulnerability and targeted policies in that regard
  • To support and guide the formulation of country vulnerability resilience profiles

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Uttarakhand has become the first Indian state to launch a Gross environment product Index (GEPI).

• Uttarakhand now does not only calculate what services we get from the environment but also what we put back into the environment. 

What is the Gross Environment Product (GEP)?

• About: It is an assessment system to measure the ecological status of a region and is one of the components of green GDP.  
• It is considered as the product and service value that the ecosystem provides for human welfare, economic and socially sustainable development including provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services. 

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• • Ecosystem services: It represents the benefits humans get: Forests, lakes and grasslands; timber and dyed; carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling; soil formation and productivity; and tourism.
• In some cases, GEP could be more than GDP: For instance, in 2000, Qinghai’s (China) GEP was greater than GDP and was three-fourths as large as GDP in 2015. 
• Four main constituents of the environment which are directly impacted by development activities: It Includes air and water quality, number of trees planted in a year and the measure of the area of organic soil
• Formula:  GEP Index = (Air-GEP index + Water-GEP index + Soil-GEP index + Forest-GEP index)

Advantages of Gross Environment Product (GEP)

• Quantitative indicator: GEP can be applied as a quantitative indicator for officials’ performance appraisal and off-office auditing.
• Impact Assessment: Help assess the impact of anthropological pressure on our ecosystem and natural resources.
• EcoCompensation & Revenue-sharing: GEP can be applied as a scientific basis for EcoCompensation and public financial transfers.
  • For Example: Finance Commission’s revenue-sharing formula between the Union and the states including forest cover as a determining factor in a state’s share.
• Measuring the Progress: GEP can be applied to measure the status of ecosystem services, which is an important indicator of sustainable development. It is also a critical indicator for measuring the progress of Eco Civilization.
• Universal Measure: GEP is a universal measure of ecological status. It can be applied to various countries and regions, and all types of ecosystems. 
• Establishing Harmony: Releasing  GEP along with GDP in the state and GEP assessment will establish better harmony between ecology and economy .
  • GEP offers a meaningful alternative by quantifying the contributions of natural ecosystems to the economy and overall welfare, including human well-being
• Raising Awareness: GEP index would also increase awareness of the environment. This will help in assessing the contribution to environmental protection.

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Why is there a need for GEP in Uttrakhand?

• Potential of the States: Through its biodiversity, Uttarakhand gives services to the tune of Rs. 95,112 crores per year to the nation and has more than 71% area under forests. 
  • For example, forests in the state generate Rs. 300 crores worth of employment, Rs. 3,395.2 crores worth of fuelwood, Rs. 1,243.2 crores worth of timber and save Rs. 1,306.5 crores by arresting floods.  
• Himalayas Contribution: The Himalayas contribute substantially to the sustainability of the Gangetic Plains where 500 million people live.
• Wildlife & Natural Resources: It is home to the Himalayas, wildlife reserves such as Corbett National Park and Rajaji Tiger Reserves, and the origin point of various rivers such as Ganga, Yamuna and Sharada.

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Decades after the Red Fort trial, it is hoped that India’s leaders find the wisdom to commit themselves again to what unites us citizens as a people.

• The Red Fort trials, held in 1945-46, were a significant event in India’s struggle for independence.

About Red Fort Trials

The Red Fort Trials, also known as the Indian National Army trials or the INA trials. 

• Background: 
  • The Indian National Army (INA), led by Subhas Chandra Bose, was formed during World War II with the support of Japan to fight against British rule in India.
  • Many soldiers from the British Indian Army joined the INA.
  • However, after the war, the British captured several soldiers, INA officers and decided to put them on trial for treason, murder and other charges.
    • The historic court martial commenced on November 5, 1945.
  • Trial at Red Fort: The decision was made to hold a public trial, and it was decided to hold these at the Red Fort.
• Time Period: These were a British Indian court-martial held between November 1945 and May 1946 of a number of officers of the Indian National Army (INA) on various charges of treason, torture, murder, and aiding and abetting murder during World War II. 
• Causes of Trials: British desire to reassert authority, to divide indian by playing on communal lines etc.
• Action by Britishers: The colonial government had been warned against holding the trials but it went ahead, believing that a majority of Indians would think of the INA personnel as traitors.

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• Charges Faced: First in the dock were three top captured INA members, Shahnawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Dhillon. They were jointly charged with waging war against the nation (Section 121 of Indian Penal Code or IPC) and were individually charged for murder and abetment to murder.
• Support by Indians: But the ensuing media attention of the case, also called the Red Fort trials, resulted in many Indians getting acquainted with a force that had fought for independence. 
  • Demonstrations: It led to sympathy for the INA across the country, and before long, demonstrations began springing up in different parts in solidarity with the captured troops.
  • Violent Clashes and Sacrifices: The protests faced brutal police repression in several cities, particularly in Madras and Calcutta.
    • In Madras, the police opened fire on protesters, killing five.
    • Calcutta became the epicentre of these protests. Eventually, the police opened fire and 97 protesters were killed. 
• Action by Congress: The Congress also took notice of the widespread support for the INA soldiers and realised that this could be a way to reignite the enthusiasm and hunger in the country for independence.
  • Congress leader and the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, also got on board the INA officers’ legal defence team, along with party colleague Bhulabhai Desai and barrister Tej Bahadur Sapru.
  • The team put up an impeccable defence, arguing that the actions of the INA troops were legal and within the terms of the Indian National Army Act, and thus exempt from the IPC and the Indian Army Act.
• Result: The three INA members were found guilty of waging a war. They were, however, not given the death sentence but dismissed from service and handed transportation for life, which too was remitted. The three INA members were then released and welcomed as heroes, with the Congress showing full support in the celebration.
• Continuation of Trials and Revolts: The release of the three, however, did not result in the rest of the captured INA troops going on trial.
  • Although the British Indian Army was recommended to cease the trials, as it could lead to mutinies, the force’s then commander-in-chief, Claude Auchinleck, decided to go ahead with the rest of them.
  • This led to the loyalties of the serving Indian Armymen shifting towards the country as the majority turned nationalist. The resistance of Indian armed forces to British pressure kept growing, as well as their loyalties towards the nation.
• Phase of Mass Mutiny: In January 1946, a massive strike was imposed by officers and pilots of the Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF). By February, the ships of the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) also joined the mutiny. Civilians in Mumbai joined the strikes as well.
  • This was a clear sign of mass mutiny to the British government, which resulted in the final dialogue of independence between the British government and India.
• Impact: The punishment given to them and Jawaharlal Nehru on August 20, 1945 said that it would in effect be a punishment on all India and all Indians, a deep wound would be created in millions of hearts.”
  • It was the trials that galvanised a country and strengthened its resolve to gain complete Independence. 
• A Symbol of Freedom: Delhi’s Red Fort had been an enduring symbol of India’s quest for freedom ever since the Revolt of 1857. 
  • The freedom struggle, for which the INA was conceived, finally came to fruition two years after the Red Fort trials. As Bose had predicted, “when the British government is thus attacked from inside India and from outside, it will collapse, and the Indian people will then regain their freedom”.

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Significance and Achievements of the Red Fort Trials

The INA trials, held during India’s independence struggle, were a watershed moment in the fight against British colonial rule. They represented the Indian people’s unbreakable spirit and determination in their quest for freedom. 

• Widespread Protests: The country experienced widespread protests in multiple cities, including Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Lahore, Bombay, Patna, and Lucknow, with people from all religious and social backgrounds uniting to demand justice for the INA officers.
• Slogans and Unity: Both the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League supported the INA officers (use of slogans like “Death to British Imperialism!” and “Hindu-Muslim Unity Zindabad!”).
  • Protesters used slogans like “Laal Quila se aayi aawaaz, Sahgal, Dhillon, Shahnawaaz!” and “Hindu-Muslim Unity Zindabad!”.
  • This episode emphasised the nationalistic attitude and unity.
  • The INA trials will go down in history as a testament to the unwavering commitment of individuals and the collective strength of a nation striving for independence.
• End to British Rule: These trials’ emotional resonance and public support contributed to the broader momentum that eventually led to the end of British colonial rule in India. 
• Legacy of Partition: The trials were a moment of national unity against British rule, but also a prelude to the Partition.

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Conclusion

The INA Trials, alongside the three upsurges, represent pivotal moments in India’s struggle for independence.  Through legal defence efforts and relief initiatives, individuals like Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Asaf Ali provided crucial support to those affected by the trials. Overall, the INA Trials and accompanying upsurges serve as enduring symbols of resistance against colonial rule and the quest for freedom.

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