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{{Short description|Memorial site in Singapore}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox military memorial
| name = Indian National Army Monument
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| body = [[Indian National Army]]
| image =
| caption =
| commemorates = ''Unknown Warrior''
| use_dates = 
| established = {{start date|1945|07|08}}
| removed =
| coordinates = {{coord|1|17|22|N|103|51|13|E|display=inline,title|region:SG_type:landmark}}
| location = [[Esplanade Park]]
| nearest_town = [[Downtown Core]], [[Singapore]]
| designer =
| total_burials =
| unknowns =
| commemorated =
| by_country =
| by_war =
| inscription = ''Ittehad, Ittemad, Qurbani''
| embedded =
| source =
}}

[[File:Former Indian National Army Monument.JPG|thumb|right|300px|The former Indian National Army Monument site at [[Esplanade Park]] in [[Singapore]] is now marked by a [[Commemorative plaque|plaque]] erected by the [[National Heritage Board (Singapore)|National Heritage Board]].]]
'''The Former Indian National Army Monument''' ([[Simplified Chinese|Chinese]]: 印度国民军纪念碑) is a historical site and a demolished [[war memorial]] at the [[Esplanade Park]] located at [[Connaught Drive]] within the downtown of [[Singapore]].

==History==

===Foundation stone laying by Subhas Chandra Bose and construction===

The monument was constructed to commemorate the "Unknown Warrior" of the [[Indian National Army]] (INA). The words inscribed on the war memorial were its motto, which is ''Unity (Ittehad), Faith (Ittemad) and Sacrifice (Qurbani)''. It was built during the [[Japanese Occupation of Singapore]] as the [[Japan]]ese and the INA had one enemy in common, i.e., the [[United Kingdom|British]].

[[Subhas Chandra Bose]] ("Netaji") laid the [[foundation stone]] on 8 July 1945, and the words inscribed upon the War Memorial were the motto of the INA: Unity (Etihaad), Faith (Etmad) and Sacrifice (Kurbani).<ref name=destroy1>[https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/online_exhibit/indian_national_army/memorial.htm#:~:text=When%20the%20British%20returned%20to,Esplanade%20Park%2C%20Singapore%2C%201995 INA War Memorial in Singapore], National Archive of Singapore.</ref> The monument was then erected within a month by the Japanese in August 1945, a few months before Singapore was recaptured by the British. The construction of the monument was proposed by Bose, the co-founder of the INA and [[Head of State]] of the [[Provisional Government of Free India]]. The INA was backed by the [[Imperial Japanese Army|Japanese forces]] for its goal of gaining India's independence from Britain.

{{Blockquote
|text= The future generations of Indians who will be born, not as slaves but as free men, because of your colossal sacrifice, will bless your names and proudly proclaim to the world that you, their forbears, fought and suffered reverses in the battle of Manipur, Assam and Burma. But through temporary failure you paved the way to ultimate success and glory.
|author= Subhas Chandra Bose while paying homage to the martyrs of the INA while laying foundation stone of the Former INA Monument at Singapore on 8 July 1945.
|source=<ref name=destroy1/>
}}

===Demolition by British===

[[Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma|Lord Louis Mountbatten]], the head of Southeast Asia Command, ordered the Former Indian National Army Monument to be demolished when Singapore was recaptured by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] in 1945.<ref name="INA war Memorial in Singapore">{{cite web|title=Historical Journey of the Indian National Army|url=https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/online_exhibit/indian_national_army/index.htm|url-status=live|publisher=National Archive of Singapore}}</ref> It has been suggested by some historians that Mountbatten's decision to demolish the INA memorial was part of a larger effort to prevent the spread of the [[Socialism|socialist]] ideals of the INA in the political atmosphere of the [[Cold War]] and the [[decolonization of Asia]].<ref>Lebra, Joyce C., ''Jungle Alliance: Japan and the Indian National Army'', Singapore, Asia Pacific Library</ref><ref>Borra R. Subhash Chandra Bose. ''Journal of Historical Review'', 3, no. 4 (Winter 1982), pp. 407-439</ref> In 1995, the National Heritage Board of Singapore marked the place as a historical site. A Cenotaph has since been erected at the site where the memorial once stood.

===Restoration: Erection of plaque by National Heritage Board===

In 1995, the [[National Heritage Board (Singapore)|National Heritage Board]] marked the place as a historical site and subsequently with financial donations from the [[Indian Singaporeans|Indian community in Singapore]], a new monument commemorating the previous one was erected on that spot.<ref name=":17">Henderson, J. (2007). Remembering the Second World War in Singapore: Wartime Heritage as a Visitor Attraction. ''Journal of Heritage Tourism, 2''(1), 36-52.</ref>

==Gallery==

<gallery>

INA Memorial 1945.jpg|Bose visiting the now-demolished INA Memorial at Esplanade Park during June 1945.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to INA martyrs at the Indian National Army Memorial Marker in Singapore.jpg|The Prime Minister of India, [[Narendra Modi]] paying homage to INA martyrs on 24 November 2015 at the present-day plaque which marks the site of former INA Memorial.
</gallery>

==See also==
; [[Indian National Army]] related
* [[Cathay Building]]
* [[Farrer Park Field]]
* [[INA Martyrs' Memorial]]
* [[Indian National Army in Singapore]]
* [[INA treasure controversy]]

; Other war memorials in Singapore
* [[Civilian War Memorial]]
* [[Kranji War Memorial]]
* [[The Cenotaph, Singapore]]

; General
* [[History of Singapore]]
* [[Japanese Occupation of Singapore]]
* [[Greater India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Indian National Army}}
{{Major Tourist Attractions in Singapore}}

[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Singapore]]
[[Category:National monuments of Singapore]]
[[Category:Downtown Core (Singapore)]]
[[Category:World War II memorials]]
[[Category:Monuments and memorials in Singapore]]
[[Category:Indian National Army]]
[[Category:Indian military memorials and cemeteries]]

Former Indian National Army Monument - Revision history

Bot at 05:41, 9 June 2022