Who was the leader of the 'Indian National Army' before Subhas Chandra Bose took charge?

Correct option is B

Correct Answer: (B) Mohan Singh

Explanation:

• Before Subhas Chandra Bose took command in 1943, the Indian National Army (INA) was initially formed under the leadership of Captain Mohan Singh in 1942.
• He organized the first INA with Indian POWs (prisoners of war) captured by the Japanese in Malaya and Singapore during World War II.

Information Booster:

• Mohan Singh was an officer in the British Indian Army who defected to form the first INA with Japanese support.
• The first INA faced internal issues and disbanded in late 1942, after which Subhas Chandra Bose reorganized and revived it in 1943 as Azad Hind Fauj.
• Subhas Chandra Bose took over leadership after arriving in Southeast Asia via a German submarine and made INA a powerful nationalist force.
• The INA under Bose had notable officers like Shah Nawaz Khan, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, and Prem Kumar Sahgal.

Additional Information (Why other options are incorrect):

• (A) Ziaur Rahman – He was a Bangladeshi military officer and later President of Bangladesh, not linked to INA.
• (C) Shah Nawaz Khan – He was a senior officer in Bose’s INA, but not its first leader.
• (D) Pran Nath Thapar – He became the Chief of Army Staff of India in the 1960s; not associated with the INA.