Today, June 15, marks the 84th anniversary of a historic meeting we have allowed ourselves to forget, which led to the birth of the Indian National Army (INA). I learned about it on a visit to the Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge (TBCL) in Bangkok, discovering a remarkable, overlooked chapter of history that reveals Thailand’s vital role as a neutral, strategic beacon for Indian revolutionaries seeking refuge from British colonial rule. From its humble beginnings as a hub for cultural and intellectual exchange, the organisation evolved into a cornerstone of the Indian independence movement, providing the essential infrastructure for the formation of the INA.

From culture to cause

The roots of this alliance were sown in 1927 during a historic visit to Siam, now Thailand, by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, who met with King Prajadhipok (Rama VII). Their dialogue centred on the deep, enduring connections between India and Thailand — ancient ties rooted in religion, philosophy, and shared cultural narratives such as the Ramayana and the Thai Ramakien. Inspired by his vision, Prafulla Kumar Sen, a Bengali scholar who became known as Swami Satyananda Puri, arrived in Bangkok in 1932.

A brilliant intellectual who had taught at the University of Calcutta and Visva-Bharati University, the Swami immersed himself in the Thai language and culture, mastering it in six months and becoming an esteemed professor at Chulalongkorn University. In 1939, he established the Dharam Ashram, a sanctuary for spiritual and cultural exchange, which served as a focal point for the growing Indian diaspora in Bangkok.

In December 1940, this ashram was transformed into the TBCL. A defining moment in the organisation’s history occurred shortly after, when the Indian Tricolour was hoisted at the Lodge — a bold, defiant gesture that signalled the arrival of the Indian independence movement in Thailand and drew strong protests from the British Ambassador. As the Second World War descended upon Southeast Asia, the TBCL shifted from a cultural institution to an active political base. By late 1941, as Japanese forces advanced, the Lodge became a nexus for Indian nationalists and independence activists.

One of the most instrumental figures in this era was Sardar Giani Pritam Singh, a Sikh missionary and Ghadar Party veteran who had been preaching revolutionary ideals among the Indian diaspora in Bangkok. Operating from gurdwaras and working closely with the TBCL, Pritam Singh established vital covert links with Major Iwaichi Fujiwara, the chief of the Japanese intelligence unit, F-Kikan. In December 1941, the Indian National Council (INC) was founded at the Silpakorn Theatre in Bangkok by a group of nationalists associated with the TBCL, with Swami Satyananda Puri as its president and Debnath Das as its secretary. This organisation played a crucial role in coordinating the efforts of the Indian independence movement, bridging the gap between civilian aspirations and the military mobilisation led by the Indian Independence League (IIL).

Toward organised resistance

The cooperation between these groups culminated in the historic Bangkok Conference, which took place between June 15 and June 23, 1942, at the Silpakorn Theatre. This gathering represented a turning point in the struggle, bringing together more than a hundred representatives of Indian communities and freedom fighters from across Southeast Asia, including Burma, Malaya, and Singapore.

The conference served three primary functions. It brought together diverse nationalist factions under a coherent political and military framework, effectively establishing the IIL as the central body for Indians residing outside of India. It adopted a comprehensive 34-point resolution, which provided the official blueprint for the INA, stipulating that it would be composed of volunteers and former prisoners of war and supervised by the IIL rather than the Japanese military. The delegates urged Japan to formally recognise India as an independent nation and acknowledge the IIL as its sole legitimate representative, reflecting a strategic effort to ensure that the independence movement maintained its own agency despite its reliance on Japanese support.

The struggle began with a tragedy that shook the movement to its core. In March 1942, a plane carrying the Swami and the Sardar, who were en route to a high-level meeting in Tokyo to secure further commitments for the movement, crashed, resulting in their deaths. Their loss was a devastating blow, yet their sacrifice served to deepen the resolve of those who remained and who conferred in June with the Japanese to set up the INA. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s arrival in 1943 provided the centralised, charismatic, and revolutionary military leadership needed. He took command of the IIL and the INA, shifting the focus from decentralised regional council discussions toward a unified, disciplined military and political front designed to launch an armed struggle for Indian independence.

While the TBCL’s roots were in intellectual and cultural exchange, Netaji’s arrival accelerated the transition to a mass-mobilisation effort, drawing in thousands of civilian volunteers and former prisoners of war who were inspired by his call for “Total Mobilization”. Under Bose, the collaboration with the Japanese military was elevated to a high-stakes diplomatic partnership aimed at securing full recognition for the Provisional Government of Free India.

Despite the shift toward a more militarised and centralised command under Netaji, the TBCL continued to serve as a vital institutional bridge. It provided the necessary civilian and cultural cover for many activities that supported the broader independence movement. As the war progressed, the TBCL remained a steadfast centre for the Indian diaspora, even as the focus of the struggle moved to the front lines of the INA’s march toward the Indian border. The Lodge maintained its role as a sanctuary for those committed to the ideals of independence, preserving the vision that had been articulated during the early days of Swami Satyananda Puri’s tenure — that India’s freedom was inextricably linked to the broader cause of Asian liberation from colonial rule.

Keeping history alive

Following the conclusion of the war in 1945, the TBCL was banned by Allied forces and its leaders imprisoned. Even after the conclusion of the war and the dissolution of the INA, the legacy of this era persisted. Thanks to the tireless efforts of figures such as Pandit Raghunath Sharma, the Lodge was successfully re-established in 1946. The Lodge’s survival serves as a testament to the fact that the political and military efforts of the Bose era were supported by the deep-rooted cultural and social networks fostered in the years prior. These networks allowed the movement to survive the vacuum of leadership following the war and continue to inform the historic relationship between India and Thailand.

Today, the TBCL remains the only surviving institution from this era, functioning as a living archive, housing a precious collection of rare texts, historical photographs, and documents that provide an intimate window into the lives of the Indian families who contributed to the fight for freedom.

During my visit I was treated to a passionate tour of the premises by Pandeyji, a descendant of Indian rajpurohits who had migrated to Thailand three centuries ago. As he evoked the stories behind each grainy photograph and historic document, it became clear that the TBCL stands not just as a library or a museum, but as a monument to the enduring friendship between the people of Thailand and the Indian diaspora — a symbol of the shared courage and determination that defined one of the most critical, yet often forgotten, chapters of the global anti-colonial movement.

Shashi Tharoor is the fourth-term Member of Parliament, Congress party (Lok Sabha) for Thiruvananthapuram, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs and the Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author of 29 books, including, most recently, ‘The Sage Who Reimagined Hinduism: The Life, Lessons and Legacy of Sree Narayana Guru’