The Indian Diaspora in South East Asia and the Indian National Army: Overseas Nationalism in Historical perspective: International Webinar

Diaspora studies constitute an important component of Social Science particularly the domain of International Relations and History. The historic role of Diasporic communities has been the subject of interest for scholars, historians, researchers and academicians. The Indian National Army of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has also been the object of intense attraction, attention and emphasis. However, while the spectacular achievements and significant impact of the I.N.A. as an indirect catalyst of India’s freedom struggle, have deservedly been the subject of investigation and analysis, a vital area of
research has remained relatively unexplored, that is the role of the Indian Diaspora as a potent catalytic force behind the I.N.A. Literature on the subject has been sporadic with a peripheral rather than central focus.

No comprehensive work on the subject has been produced as yet in a macro-level perspective. The proposed seminar seeks to unfold how the Diasporic communities of South East Asia acted as the catalyst behind the catalyst that is I.N.A. It is worthwhile to ask what prompted them to join the I.N.A. in thousands when the majority of them were devoid of political consciousness and nationalism was a far cry. When Subhas Chandra Bose envisaged Total Mobilization for raising a gigantic force, he was confronted with the challenging task of indoctrination of the Diasporic communities with the feeling of nationalism for emancipation of India from British imperialism. It is pertinent to explore how the spirit of nationalism was ignited in these communities and what was their historic contribution to the
achievements of the I.N.A. The constitutive elements of the Diaspora included wealthy businessmen, unskilled and indentured laborers and plantation workers, doctors etc. Was it the charisma of Netaji alone which impelled them to join the I.N.A. or were there other compulsions and calculations? The proposed seminar intends to pay a historic tribute to Subhas Chandra Bose on the momentous
occasion of his 125 th Birth Anniversary by highlighting a hitherto neglected or scantly ploughed field of Netaji research.