{"id":126522,"date":"2024-08-17T18:57:22","date_gmt":"2024-08-17T13:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=126522"},"modified":"2024-08-20T18:02:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-20T12:32:16","slug":"the-red-fort-trials","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/the-red-fort-trials","title":{"rendered":"The Red Fort Trials"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>Decades after the Red Fort trial,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> it is hoped that India\u2019s leaders find the<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wisdom to commit themselves again to what unites us citizens as a people.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Red Fort trials, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">held in<\/span><b> 1945-46, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">were a<\/span><b> significant event in India\u2019s struggle for independence.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-126523 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/171-66c0a3cbb49e5.webp\" alt=\"Red Fort Trials\" width=\"503\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/171-66c0a3cbb49e5.webp 886w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/171-66c0a3cbb49e5-300x178.webp 300w, https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/171-66c0a3cbb49e5-768x457.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>About Red Fort Trials<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Red Fort Trials,<\/span><b> also known as the Indian National Army trials or the INA trials.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Background:\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many soldiers from the British Indian Army joined the INA.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, after the war, the British captured several soldiers, INA officers and decided to put them on trial for treason, murder and other charges.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>The historic court martial commenced on November 5, 1945.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Trial at Red Fort:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The decision was made to hold a public trial, and it was decided to hold these at the Red Fort.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Time Period:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> These were a British Indian court-martial held between <\/span><b>November 1945 and May 1946 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of a number of officers of the Indian National Army (INA) on <\/span><b>various charges of treason, torture, murder, and aiding and abetting murder during World War II.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Causes of Trials: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">British desire to reassert authority, to divide indian by playing on communal lines etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Action by Britishers: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Course<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Charges Faced: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First in the dock were three top captured INA members,<\/span><b> Shahnawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Dhillon. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They were jointly charged with <\/span><b>waging war against the nation (Section 121 of Indian Penal Code or IPC)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and were <\/span><b>individually charged for murder and abetment to murder.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Support by Indians:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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 <\/span><b>fought for independence.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Demonstrations:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It led to sympathy for the INA across the country, and before long,<\/span><b> demonstrations began springing up in different parts in solidarity with the captured troops.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Violent Clashes and Sacrifices: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The protests faced brutal police repression in several cities, particularly in Madras and Calcutta.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In <\/span><b>Madras, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the police opened fire on protesters, killing five.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Calcutta<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> became the <\/span><b>epicentre of these protests<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Eventually, the<\/span><b> police opened fire and 97 protesters were killed.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Action by Congress:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The <\/span><b>Congress <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">also took notice of the widespread support for the INA soldiers and realised that this could be <\/span><b>a way to reignite the enthusiasm and hunger in the country for independence.<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Congress leader and the country\u2019s first Prime Minister,<\/span><b> Jawaharlal Nehru,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> also got on board the INA officers\u2019 legal defence team, along with party colleague<\/span><b> Bhulabhai Desai and barrister Tej Bahadur Sapru.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team put up an impeccable defence, arguing that the<\/span><b> actions of the INA troops were legal and within the terms of the Indian National Army Act, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and thus<\/span><b> exempt from the IPC and the Indian Army Act.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>Result:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The three INA members were<\/span><b> found guilty of waging a war.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They were, however, <\/span><b>not given the death sentence but dismissed from service and handed transportation for life<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which too was remitted. The three INA members were <\/span><b>then released and welcomed as heroes, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with the Congress showing full support in the celebration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Continuation of Trials and Revolts: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The release of the three, however, did not result in the rest of the captured INA troops going on trial.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the British Indian Army was recommended to cease the trials, as it could lead to mutinies, the force\u2019s then commander-in-chief, <\/span><b>Claude Auchinleck,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> decided to go ahead with the rest of them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This<\/span><b> led to the loyalties of the serving Indian Armymen shifting towards the country <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as the majority turned nationalist. The <\/span><b>resistance of Indian armed forces to British pressure kept growing,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well as their loyalties towards the nation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Phase of Mass Mutiny:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> In <\/span><b>January 1946<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a massive strike was imposed by officers and pilots of the <\/span><b>Royal Indian Air Force (RIAF).<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> By February, the ships of the<\/span><b> Royal Indian Navy (RIN) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">also joined the mutiny. <\/span><b>Civilians in Mumbai <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">joined the strikes as well.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was a clear sign of mass mutiny to the British government, which <\/span><b>resulted in the final dialogue of independence between the British government and India.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Impact: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The punishment given to them and<\/span><b> Jawaharlal Nehru on August 20, 1945<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> said that it would in effect be a<\/span><b> punishment on all India and all Indians, a deep wound would be created in millions of hearts.\u201d<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was the trials that<\/span><b> galvanised a country and strengthened its resolve to gain complete Independence.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>A Symbol of Freedom: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delhi\u2019s Red Fort had been <\/span><b>an enduring symbol of India\u2019s quest for freedom ever since the Revolt of 1857.\u00a0<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The freedom struggle, for which the INA was conceived,<\/span><b> finally came to fruition two years after the Red Fort trials. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As <\/span><b>Bose had predicted<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201cwhen the British government is thus attacked from inside India and from outside, it will collapse, and the Indian people will then regain their freedom\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+CSE+Books\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;\"><strong>About Indian National Army (INA)<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<a href=\"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/upsc-notes\/indian-national-army\/\"> INA<\/a> was formed by Indian nationalists during World War II <\/span><b>under the leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose.\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Comprising:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It was composed primarily of<\/span><b> Indian prisoners of war, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">who had been <\/span><b>captured by the Japanese in Southeast Asia and was aligned with the Axis powers <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to fight against British rule in India.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Aim:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> To <\/span><b>overthrow British rule<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in India through military means.<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It played a<\/span><b> significant role in the campaigns in Burma and the Indian Northeast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during the war.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Significance and Achievements of the Red Fort Trials<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The INA trials, held during India\u2019s independence struggle, were<\/span><b> a watershed moment<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the fight against British colonial rule. They<\/span><b> represented the Indian people\u2019s unbreakable spirit and determination<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in their quest for freedom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Widespread Protests:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The country experienced <\/span><b>widespread protests <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in multiple cities, including <\/span><b>Delhi, Calcutta, Madras, Lahore, Bombay, Patna, and Lucknow, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with people from all religious and social backgrounds uniting to demand justice for the INA officers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Slogans and Unity:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Both the<\/span><b> Indian National Congress and the Muslim League supported <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the INA officers (use of slogans like \u201cDeath to British Imperialism!\u201d and \u201cHindu-Muslim Unity Zindabad!\u201d).<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protesters used slogans like <\/span><b>\u201cLaal Quila se aayi aawaaz, Sahgal, Dhillon, Shahnawaaz!\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><b> \u201cHindu-Muslim Unity Zindabad!\u201d.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This episode emphasised the <\/span><b>nationalistic attitude and unity.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The INA trials will go down in history as a testament to the <\/span><b>unwavering commitment of individuals and the collective strength <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of a nation striving for independence.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><b>End to British Rule: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These trials\u2019 <\/span><b>emotional resonance and public support<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contributed to the broader momentum that eventually<\/span><b> led to the end of British colonial rule in India.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Legacy of Partition: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The trials were<\/span><b> a moment of national unity against British rule, but also a prelude to the Partition.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><b> INA Trials, alongside the three upsurges,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> represent <\/span><b>pivotal moments in India\u2019s struggle for independence.\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through legal defence efforts and relief initiatives,<\/span><b> individuals like Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Kailash Nath Katju, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Asaf Ali <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provided crucial support to those affected by the trials. 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