The Trial that Shook Britain: How a Court Martial Hastened Acceptance of Indian Independence

Learn about the historic INA trial and its role in India's journey to independence. We are joined by Subhashini Ali, daughter of the accused, Prem Sahgal, for a personal perspective.

The Indian National Army (INA) trials of 1945–46 have generally been given short shrift by historians in their cataloguing of the Indian freedom movement. This book examines to what extent the trials had an impact on the final phase of India’s quest for independence. In so doing, it unveils that, while the Indian National Congress’s extended odyssey to win independence was essentially about a passive push-back, at a critical juncture of its campaign to extinguish British colonialism in India, it applauded and capitalised on the INA’s use of force. The central narrative is about Britain holding a court martial of three officers of the INA – Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Sahgal and Gurbaksh Dhillon – convicting them, before a dramatic turn in events.

The material unearthed by the book throws new light on a decisive juncture leading to the transfer of power in India. It will be indispensable for researchers interested in South Asia, especially the Indian freedom movement. It will be invaluable for students of history, colonialism, military studies, politics in pre-Partition India and law.

Ashis Ray, the author, will give a talk, followed by Subhashini Ali, daughter of one of the accused, Prem Sahgal.

Speaker

Ashis Ray has been a foreign correspondent since 1977, broadcasting on BBC, CNN and ITN and writing for Ananda Bazar Group, The Times of India, The Tribune, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Guardian, The Observer, The Times, Financial Times and Nikkei Asia, among other publications. He was CNN’s founding South Asia bureau chief before becoming the network’s editor-at-large. He has been elected president of Indian Journalists’ Association (Europe) for several terms. In 1982, the Commonwealth Institute selected him among 10 ‘eminent Indians’ in Britain. In 1995, he was conferred a National Press Award in India. He was made an academic visitor by St Antony’s College, Oxford for 2021–22. He intends to continue in academia. The Trial that Shook Britain is his fourth book.

Subhasini Ali is an Indian Marxist politician. She is a Polit Buro Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). She is also the former President of the All India Democratic Women's Association and former Member of Parliament from Kanpur, in Uttar Pradesh.

Photo credit: Martijn Vonk via unsplash