Kolkata: Eight decades after it was commissioned for the officers of the Indian National Army, a "cap badge" of the Azad Hind Fauj travelled from Australia to join the collection of Kolkata-based Netaji memorabilia collector Prithwish Dasgupta. Apart from Dasgupta's collection, the cap badge can be seen at three museums in India.
Categorised as a rare collectible, the metal cap badge, which features an engraved map of undivided India, is far more than a simple military accessory. "Due to limited resources, secret operations, and extremely harsh wartime conditions, its production was limited. As a result, getting one such badge is a rare occurrence and it is invaluable as a historical artefact," Dasgupta said.
At the top of the badge, the letters "INA" are clearly etched. The ideology of the Azad Hind Fauj is engraved below that: "Ittefaq, Etemad, Kurbani" — meaning unity, faith, and sacrifice. During the turbulent years of World War II, officers of the Azad Hind Fauj wore this badge on their military caps. It was not merely an insignia of rank or identity, but a symbol of honour and commitment.
"I looked for the badge for the past seven-eight years. In India, only three museums — Red Fort Museum in New Delhi, INA Memorial Complex in Manipur, and Netaji Bhavan Museum in Kolkata — have the badge in their possession. Apart from that, there is one each in the Imperial War Museum in the UK, the National Museum in Singapore, and the National War Museum in London," Dasgupta said.
A couple of months ago, Dasgupta came across a collector in Australia who shared photographs of his collection over email. Dasgupta has all the military awards issued by the INA, martyr medals of the Army, and 10 handwritten letters of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. "No individual collector in India has this badge in their possession. This badge is significant as it symbolised India's presence with the Axis powers in World War II," Dasgupta said.
According to Dasgupta, the INA's movement was restricted to Southeast Asia.
"The badge was handed over to the collector by his grandfather, who was part of the armed forces with the Axis powers. There is no historical record of the INA operating with Australians. It is surprising how he got hold of an INA cap badge," Dasgupta said.