Introduction
I have been singularly lucky to have visited the Andaman and Nicobar islands during my tenure in the Advanced HQ at Fort William , Calcutta. The Islands hosts a large Naval base at Port Blair and a Air Force base at the island of Nicobar about 200 km south of Port Blair.
The Andaman and Nicobar islands are a Archipelago of some hundreds of islands and are part of India. The Islands are inhabited by an Aboriginal tribal sect, except the island of Car Nicobar which has a tribe that has close affinity racially with the people from Malaya. The demographic composition of the islands underwent a change after the British occupied the islands in the 19th century and settlers from Bengal, Punjab and Madras flooded to these islands and settled here.
The islands are situated in the Bay of Bengal and are of great strategic importance. The islands are only 120 miles from Cape Nargis ( Burma) and more than 700 miles from Calcutta and Madras.Life was placid and calm in these islands which were adminstered by the British. The British had constructed a large jail and used the island jail for prisoners sentenced for life. Many famous prisoners like Veer Savarkar were incarcerated in this jail.
Japanese Attack and occupation
In 1942 the islands were defended by a force of some 300 Sikh Militia and 23 British officers. There was also a detachment of a Gurkha battalion. The British expected an attack from Japan and withdrew the Gurkha battalion to Arakan ( Burma), leaving the islands practically defenceless.
In the first week of May 1942, the Japanese war council decided to occupy the Islands and a large force consisting a aircraft carrier and some 30 other warships including 4 heavy cruisers appeared off the coast of Port Blair. Heavy bombardment commenced and the Sikh Militia surrendered. The Islands were occupied on 23 May 1942 A force of about 500 Japanese army personnel occupied the Islands under command of Major general Saburo Isoda who also acted as the liaison officer with the Indian National army.
Japanese occupation
Initially the Indians welcomed the japanese and a peace committee with Dr Diwan Singh as chairman was formed to help the Japanese. The leader of the INA , Rash Behari Bose encouraged them to collaborate with the Japanese. But facts show that the Japanese let loose a reign of terror and many Indians were marched in to the centre of Port Blair and had their arms twisted till they broke and then were beheaded. the local rep of the INA could do nothing.
Worse was to follow as a named Pushkar Bakshi began to recruit young Indian and tribal girls from Port Blair and Car Nicobar as " comfort women" for the Japanese. This was resented by the locals who protested, but tens of them were simply beheaded by the Imperial army soldiers. It was a terrible time.
Japanese atrocities and Subhash Bose
On 29 December 1943, control of the Islands was handed over to the INA of Subhash Bose and a colleague of Bose AD Loganathan was appointed governor. But he was only a nominal head as real power remained in the hands of the army. Loganathan had no say and many Indians were beheaded as " collaborators of English" and many were beheaded so that their wives and daughters could be taken as " comfort women".
The situation was particularly bad in Car Nicobar island where hundreds of tribal died building an airfield in the thick jungle. Their women the tribal girls were all taken as comfort wives.
Subhash Bose visited the Island ( Port Blair ) in Jan 1944, but he turned a blind eye to the atrocities. He left after a few hours though reports were given to him regarding Japanese executions and torture in the cellular Jail. This is a sad episode and shows that Bose had blinkers and was devoid of greatness. One wonders what was his aim.
Last Word
In 1945 the Islands were still under occupation of the Japanese as japan surrendered after the dropping of the Atomic Bombs. The British troops were welcomed back and all Japanese soldiers and officers were arrested. tens of them were hanged in the tribunal set up in Singapore to try Japanese war criminals.
The occupation and so called "freedom " of the Andaman and Nicobar islands is a sad moment in indian history and Bose cannot be exonerated for these criminal acts of the Imperial army. Surely if Bose had been captured he would have been tried as a war criminal. perhaps that would have been poetic justice. In a way it''s gods gift that the Japanese never occupied India and were defeated.