This was the statement he made
at the great rally where he was elected with acclaim as the leader of the
freedom movement in East Asia. The speech infused new life to a movement
which had been weakened by internal dissentions.
. . . . . . Editor,
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Friends! Twelve
months ago a new programme of 'total mobilisation' or 'maximum sacrifice'
was placed before Indians in East Asia. Today I shall give you an account
of our achievements during the past year and shall place before you our
demands for the coming year. But, before I do so, I want you to realise
once again what a golden opportunity we have for winning freedom. The British
are engaged in a worldwide struggle and in the course of this struggle
they have suffered defeat after defeat on so many fronts. The enemy having
been thus considerably weakened, our fight for liberty has become very
much easier than it was five years ago. Such a rare and God-given opportunity
comes once in a century. That is why we have sworn to fully utilise this
opportunity for liberating our motherland from the British yoke.
I am so very hopeful and optimistic
about the outcome of our struggle, because I do not rely merely on the
efforts of three million Indians in East Asia. There is a gigantic movement
going on inside India and millions of our countrymen are prepared for maximum
suffering and sacrifice in order to achieve liberty.
Unfortunately, ever since the great
fight of 1857, our countrymen are disarmed, whereas the enemy is armed
to the teeth. Without arms and without a modern army, it is impossible
for a disarmed people to win freedom in this modern age. Through the grace
of Providence and through the help of generous Nippon, it has become possible
for Indians in East Asia to get arms to build up a modern army. Moreover,
Indians in East Asia are united to a man in the endeavour to win freedom
and all the religious and other differences that the British tried to engineer
inside India, simply do not exist in East Asia. Consequently, we have now
an ideal combination of circumstances favouring the success of our struggle-
and all that is wanted is that Indians should themselves come forward to
pay the price of liberty. According to the programme of 'total mobilisation',
I demanded of you men, money and materials. Regarding men, I am glad to
tell you that I have obtained sufficient recruits already. Recruits have
come to us from every corner of east Asia- from China, Japan, Indo-China,
Philippines, Java, Borneo, Celebes, Sumatra, Malaya, Thailand and Burma…
You must continue the mobilisation
of men, money and materials with greater vigour and energy, in particular,
the problem of supplies and transport has to be solved satisfactorily.
We require more men and women of
all categories for administration and reconstruction in liberated areas.
We must be prepared for a situation in which the enemy will ruthlessly
apply the scorched earth policy, before withdrawing from a particular area
and will also force the civilian population to evacuate as was attempted
in Burma.
The most important of all is the
problem of sending reinforcements in men and in supplies to the fighting
fronts. If we do not do so, we cannot hope to maintain our success at the
fronts. Nor can we hope to penetrate deeper into India.
Those of you who will continue to
work on the Home Front should never forget that East Asia- and particularly
Burma- from our base for the war of liberation. If this base is not strong,
our fighting forces can never be victorious. Remember that this is a 'total
war'- and not merely a war between two armies. That is why for a full one
year I have been laying so much stress on 'total mobilisation' in the East.
There is another reason why I want
you to look after the Home Front properly. During the coming months I and
my colleagues on the War Committee of the Cabinet desire to devote our
whole attention to the fighting front- and also to the task of working
up the revolution inside India. Consequently, we want to be fully assured
that the work at the base will go on smoothly and uninterruptedly even
in our absence.
Friends, one year ago, when I made
certain demands of you, I told you that if you give me 'total mobilization',
I would give you a 'second front'. I have redeemed that pledge. The first
phase of our campaign is over. Our victorious troops, fighting side by
side with Nipponese troops, have pushed back the enemy and are now fighting
bravely on the sacred soil of our dear motherland.
Gird up your loins for the task that
now lies ahead. I had asked you for men, money and materials. I have got
them in generous measure. Now I demand more of you. Men, money and materials
cannot by themselves bring victory or freedom. We must have the motive-power
that will inspire us to brave deeds and heroic exploits.
It will be a fatal mistake for you
to wish to live and see India free simply because victory is now within
reach. No one here should have the desire to live to enjoy freedom. A long
fight is still in front of us.
We should have but one desire today-
the desire to die so that India may live- the desire to face a martyr's
death, so that the path to freedom may be paved with the martyr's blood.
Friend's! my comrades in the War
of Liberation! Today I demand of you one thing, above all. I demand of
you blood. It is blood alone that can avenge the blood that the enemy has
spilt. It is blood alone that can pay the price of freedom. Give me blood
and I promise you freedom.
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