Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
In 1943, after travelling from Germany to Japan via submarine, Subhas Chandra Bose assumed leadership of the Indian independence movement in East Asia. With Japanese support, he reorganised and expanded the Indian National Army (INA), also known as the Azad Hind Fauj. This 40,000-strong force, made up of former Indian prisoners of war and expatriates, aimed to liberate India from British rule
On 21 October 1943, Bose declared the establishment of a provisional government of Free India. Under his command, the INA, alongside Japanese forces, launched an ambitious military campaign through Burma into India, reaching the towns of Imphal and Kohima by early 1944. Despite initial successes, the lack of air support and logistical challenges led to their defeat and eventual retreat. Nevertheless, the INA’s campaign marked a unique moment in India’s freedom struggle, as it represented an armed attempt to overthrow colonial rule. Bose’s leadership during this time symbolised courage, sacrifice and strategic ingenuity. His alliance with Japan and the INA’s battlefield contributions later inspired a reassessment of Indian military loyalty and influenced the British decision to accelerate their exit from India after the war.