Centenary of First Independent Government of India Ignored

The Union Government (as well as the Opposition in Parliament) totally forgot the historic significance of December 1 this year: the centenary of the first Independent Government of India—Hukumat-e-Azad Hind—set up in Kabul.

On December 1, 1915 this government was formed with Raja Mahendra Pratap as its President. Many years later the responsibility of this government was passed on to Rashbehari Bose and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in Japan. Netaji was the second President of the government-in-exile. That is why it was called Arze Hukumat-e-Azad Hind.

The Prime Minister of Hukumat-e-Atad Hind, headed by Raja Mahendra Pratap, was the leader of the Ghadr movement, Maulana Barkatullah Bhopali, while its Foreign Minister was Dr Champakraman Pillai, a doctorate in Economics and Political Science and an enginner by profession. Raja Mahendra Pratap was a friend of Lala Hardayal of the Ghadr movement fame, reputed revolutionary Udham Singh and M.N. Roy. Netaji Subhas held him in deep respect. Later he became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi. The Home Minister of the government was the renowned teacher in Darool-ulum Deoband, Maulana Obaidullah Sindhi.