Mohan Singh
General Mohan Singh The death anniversary of Gen Mohan Singh, the brave soldier and founder of the INA, falls on December 26 and though members of his family, his wife, Jaswant Kaur, and residents of Jugiana village, near Ludhiana, remember him by observing his death-anniversary every year, the Centre and the state government seem to be oblivious of this and have completely forgotten the brave son of the soil.
Gen Mohan Singh was commissioned to the Army in 1932, he was elevated to the rank of a Major in 1941. He became interested in the struggle for freedom when his regiment was sent to Malaya during the Second World War. Having already occupied Thailand, the Japanese army attacked Malaya and captured it. The defeated British army comprised plenty of Indians and Gen Mohan Singh was one of them. Impressed by the bravery of Gen Mohan Singh, Japanese Army's Major Ivaechi Fujiwara introduced him to the other Indian patriots in his army. All these Asians planned to fight against the excesses being committed by non-Asians. All Indian soldiers living in Malaya launched the Indian National Army in 1941 and Gen Mohan Singh was elected its commanding officer. Having taken command of the INA, he contacted the Japanese Government through the Indian Independence League in order to get INA recruits trained. Japan, however, could not hide its intention of using the INA against the British. Mohan Singh informed the Japanese Government about the independent and sovereign status of INA, as a result of which he was arrested and kept in Sumatra. INA soldiers became furious on knowing about the arrest of their chief. To suppress any probable revolt by INA, Subhas Chander Bose was called to lead the army. Netaji immediately made announcement about Jalawatan Government after taking command of the army in 1943. Netaji had gone to Samatra to see Gen Mohan Singh and chalked out future course of action of the INA.
But the nuclear bomb attack on Japan by the USA changed the complexion of the Second World War and the British took possession of Malaya and Burma again. Gen. Mohan Singh was brought to India with other companions and was imprisoned in Red Fort, Delhi. He was released in May 1946 along with Gen. Shah Nawaz, Col. Gurbax Singh Dhillon and Colonel Sehgal after the trial at Red Fort.
After Independence, Gen. Mohan Singh joined politics by forming the Desh Sewak Sena. The name of the party was later changed to the Desh Sewak Party in 1948. In 1950, it was merged with the All-India Forward Bloc and Mohan Singh was appointed its Chairman. Later on, Forward Bloc merged with the Congress and Gen Mohan Singh also joined the Congress. Afterwards he was nominated a member of Rajya Sabha in 1960 and 1972. He became a member of the Punjab Assembly too in 1976. He did not gain anything during his political career rather he got INA personnel honoured as freedom fighters and got pensions sanctioned for them.
