M A I N   N E W S

Daughter learns of father’s struggle
Story of freedom fighter spotted after 58 years
Rahul Das
Tribune News Service

Ambala, May 6
It has taken nearly six decades for a daughter to learn about her father’s contribution to the freedom struggle as an Indian National Army officer.

Mrs Jasminder Kaur, daughter of INA officer Lieut Ajmer Singh, was born after her father went for fighting during the World War II. And for the past 58 years, she has yearned for information about her father’s role in the freedom struggle.

It was only last month, when her husband, Mr Bharpoor Singh, after much effort traced the file on Lieut Ajmer Singh in the National Archives, that his contribution came to light.

“I am very proud of his role in the freedom struggle as part of the Indian National Army. He laid down his life for the nation,” Mrs Jasminder Kaur said. “All these years, I was in the dark since there was no information about exactly what had happened. It is only now I know the efforts put in by him,” she added.

Mrs Jasminder Kaur lamented that despite her father’s contribution, they are yet to get any recognition. “The government does not seem to be interested in a freedom fighter and his family,” she said.

Mr Bharpoor Singh said that finding out details of Lieut Ajmer Singh was a Herculean task. “It is only due to our persistence that the story of my father-in-law Ajmer Singh has now come to light,” he said.

According to an interrogation report dated July 19, 1944, Lieut Ajmer Singh of 6/1 Punjab Regiment was taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore. He had joined the Indian National Army when it was started. Shortly afterwards, he was appointed GSO2, Ist Hind Field Force.

In November 1942, he was sent to Burma with the advance party, and was employed as QM to advance party HQ in Rangoon. At the end of 1943, he was selected as the Commander of JIF Butai which was formed to accompany the Japanese in their advance in the Manipur plains and was attached to 124 Regiment. With this regiment, during April 1944, Lieut Ajmer Singh with his Commander carried out propaganda and patrolling for the Japanese force.

“On May 10, he was wounded in action, and handed over command of the Butai. On June 1, when it was decided to withdraw, he was unable to keep up owing to his wound ...and fell into the hands of the British troops,” the report states.

Lieut Ajmer Singh after matriculating from the Arya High School, Ludhiana, in 1930 had joined Government College from where he graduated in 1934. In October 1935, he enlisted in the 16 PR. In September 1936, he was posted at the 4/16 with which Bn he served on the NWF in the operations against the Wazirs and Mahsuds.

In 1938, he was sent to the School of Education at Belgaum and in the following year selected as an instructor at the Chemical Warfare School. In October 1940, he was selected for an emergency commission and went through the OTS at Mhow, being commissioned on August 4, 1941.

The interrogation report concludes, “It is considered that Lieut Ajmer Singh is a renegade, who has commanded a formation of renegades in action against our troops, and that he constitutes a danger to security. It is therefore recommended that he should be categorised Black.”

Those persons who did not repent their action of joining the INA and boldly admitted the fact that they did so to fight the British to liberate their country were classified as Black. They were dismissed from service and their pay and allowances for the entire period of their being Japanese prisoners of war, including the period of their service in the INA, were confiscated. They were considered dangerous to the security of the country.

Lieut Ajmer Singh finds mention in two books. The first is authored by General Mohan Singh and the second by General Shahnawaz Khan. In both the books, Lieut Ajmer Singh finds mention as having jointly commanded Bahadur and Intelligence groups in the Kohima Sector.

General Mohan Singh writes, “The Bahadur and Intelligence Groups, the special services of the INA, were already working in the frontline along with the foremost troops of the Japanese army.” “About two hundred men were commanded by Majors Maghar Singh and Ajmer Singh,” the book adds.

The family members state that contrary to the official view, Lieut Ajmer Singh has died under mysterious circumstances in the Red Fort, Delhi.

According to the proceedings of a court of enquiry, a witness, Capt Ridout states “On November 44 at about 7 O’ clock in the evening, I was called to the INA cages at Salimgarh to investigate a shooting incident. On arrival, I discovered Lieut Ajmer Singh and Capt Maghar Singh in the same cage with gun-shot wounds in the heads.”

However, Gen Mohan Singh’s book mentions, “About fifteen hundred INA soldiers who were captured by the British during the Imphal campaign a year earlier were already in India. Nearly three dozen men belonging to the espionage parties had also been captured. A number of them were secretly tried by court-martial and were executed. Some were awarded various terms of rigorous imprisonment and sent to jail. Nearly two dozen were hanged.”