Mizoram Guv visits the only surviving INA member in Lunglei

Aizawl, Aug 22 (PTI) Mizoram Governor Lt. General (Retd)Nirbhay Sharma today visited the only surviving member ofSubash Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) among theMizos – Darthawma – living in south Mizoram’s Lunglei town. Sharma gave a memento to the 96-year-old freedomfighter and paid his respects. In a felicitation function held at the Cultural HeritageCentre at Lunglei, the Governor said India attainedIndependence due to the sacrifices made by people likeDarthawma. Born on May 15 in 1920 at Pukpui Village near Lunglei,Darthawma was enrolled in the Indian Army Medical Corps duringWorld War-II and was sent to Penang Island in Malaysia tofight against the Japanese Army. He found himself on the losing side and among thePrisoners of War in Singapore taken by the Japanese Army. When Bose visited their prison, he, among other soldiers,joined the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army – INA) tofight for India’s Independence. He fought against the British Army along with his INAcomrades and Japanese soldiers in Burma before theysurrendered to the British with the Japanese Army due tobombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He was tried for sedition and convicted for "wagingwar against the British". After spending two months in Chittagong’s jail andanother year in Lucknow Jail, he was released due tointervention of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in 1945.PTI HCV SUSTIR