Gautam Hazarika
@gautamhazarika.bsky.social
Author & WWII Singapore researcher | Uncovering stories of Indian POWs | The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of WWII (Penguin India & Pen & Sword, 2025)
Research isn’t just about searching documents; it is meeting and encountering people. What endured was the trust families placed in me when they opened their homes and histories.
January 19, 2026 at 10:28 AM
Research isn’t just about searching documents; it is meeting and encountering people. What endured was the trust families placed in me when they opened their homes and histories.
Grateful to Damien Lewis for recognising these forgotten WWII stories. His words honour loyalty betrayal & sacrifice. Thank you. @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social @penandswordbooks.bsky.social
You can order the book in India : amzn.in/d/08bwEl5
You can order the book in Singapore : amzn.asia/d/5a1bnyw
You can order the book in India : amzn.in/d/08bwEl5
You can order the book in Singapore : amzn.asia/d/5a1bnyw
January 12, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Grateful to Damien Lewis for recognising these forgotten WWII stories. His words honour loyalty betrayal & sacrifice. Thank you. @penguinbooksusa.bsky.social @penandswordbooks.bsky.social
You can order the book in India : amzn.in/d/08bwEl5
You can order the book in Singapore : amzn.asia/d/5a1bnyw
You can order the book in India : amzn.in/d/08bwEl5
You can order the book in Singapore : amzn.asia/d/5a1bnyw
Today’s Straits Times on my book +APPEAL TO FIND FAMILY MEMBERS of brave Singaporeans who aided Indian POWs in WWII–they enabled Lt Pillai’s escape & hid Lt Shikoh from the Japanese.
PLEASE HELP FIND THEM – so they know how brave their ancestor was & connect them to the Pillai/ Shikoh families.
PLEASE HELP FIND THEM – so they know how brave their ancestor was & connect them to the Pillai/ Shikoh families.
January 11, 2026 at 11:33 AM
Today’s Straits Times on my book +APPEAL TO FIND FAMILY MEMBERS of brave Singaporeans who aided Indian POWs in WWII–they enabled Lt Pillai’s escape & hid Lt Shikoh from the Japanese.
PLEASE HELP FIND THEM – so they know how brave their ancestor was & connect them to the Pillai/ Shikoh families.
PLEASE HELP FIND THEM – so they know how brave their ancestor was & connect them to the Pillai/ Shikoh families.
Here, on the steps of Singapore’s City Hall, history shifted for India.
Subhas Chandra Bose’s words didn’t just inspire they awakened a nation’s spirit. In July 1943, amid thunderous cheers and unshakable belief, thousands found purpose in his vision of freedom.
Subhas Chandra Bose’s words didn’t just inspire they awakened a nation’s spirit. In July 1943, amid thunderous cheers and unshakable belief, thousands found purpose in his vision of freedom.
January 9, 2026 at 10:24 AM
Here, on the steps of Singapore’s City Hall, history shifted for India.
Subhas Chandra Bose’s words didn’t just inspire they awakened a nation’s spirit. In July 1943, amid thunderous cheers and unshakable belief, thousands found purpose in his vision of freedom.
Subhas Chandra Bose’s words didn’t just inspire they awakened a nation’s spirit. In July 1943, amid thunderous cheers and unshakable belief, thousands found purpose in his vision of freedom.
THE TRIAL THAT FREED INDIA EARLY
80 Years Ago today – 3Jan1946 – the verdict was pronounced for the first INA trial at the Red Fort Delhi – India’s independence came after a long struggle, but this trial certainly hastened it - read about it here
scroll.in/article/1089...
Image awazthevoice.in
80 Years Ago today – 3Jan1946 – the verdict was pronounced for the first INA trial at the Red Fort Delhi – India’s independence came after a long struggle, but this trial certainly hastened it - read about it here
scroll.in/article/1089...
Image awazthevoice.in
January 3, 2026 at 3:09 AM
THE TRIAL THAT FREED INDIA EARLY
80 Years Ago today – 3Jan1946 – the verdict was pronounced for the first INA trial at the Red Fort Delhi – India’s independence came after a long struggle, but this trial certainly hastened it - read about it here
scroll.in/article/1089...
Image awazthevoice.in
80 Years Ago today – 3Jan1946 – the verdict was pronounced for the first INA trial at the Red Fort Delhi – India’s independence came after a long struggle, but this trial certainly hastened it - read about it here
scroll.in/article/1089...
Image awazthevoice.in
Some acts of courage happen quietly, hidden in plain sight.
Warrant Officer Kirpal Singh Bedi chose service over safety, serving his country with quiet resolve. His bravery lives in archives, waiting to return to the people it belongs to.
Warrant Officer Kirpal Singh Bedi chose service over safety, serving his country with quiet resolve. His bravery lives in archives, waiting to return to the people it belongs to.
January 2, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Some acts of courage happen quietly, hidden in plain sight.
Warrant Officer Kirpal Singh Bedi chose service over safety, serving his country with quiet resolve. His bravery lives in archives, waiting to return to the people it belongs to.
Warrant Officer Kirpal Singh Bedi chose service over safety, serving his country with quiet resolve. His bravery lives in archives, waiting to return to the people it belongs to.
Happy New Year! On a busy new year's day in 1942, Capt. Mohan Singh first used the term Indian National Army.
Read more about it in my substack here open.substack.com/pub/thesinga...
Read more about it in my substack here open.substack.com/pub/thesinga...
THE FIRST USE OF THE TERM INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY
A masterclass in diplomacy or a typical Politician? Tell me what you think.
open.substack.com
January 1, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Happy New Year! On a busy new year's day in 1942, Capt. Mohan Singh first used the term Indian National Army.
Read more about it in my substack here open.substack.com/pub/thesinga...
Read more about it in my substack here open.substack.com/pub/thesinga...
83 years ago, one decision reminded us what real leadership looks like. General Mohan Singh chose conscience over convenience, knowing the personal cost could be severe. His stand showed that freedom cannot come by trading one ruler for another.
#WWIIBooks #GeneralMohanSinghHistory #WarStories
#WWIIBooks #GeneralMohanSinghHistory #WarStories
December 29, 2025 at 12:33 PM
83 years ago, one decision reminded us what real leadership looks like. General Mohan Singh chose conscience over convenience, knowing the personal cost could be severe. His stand showed that freedom cannot come by trading one ruler for another.
#WWIIBooks #GeneralMohanSinghHistory #WarStories
#WWIIBooks #GeneralMohanSinghHistory #WarStories
Robert Lyman—military historian, former British Army officer, and author of A War of Empires and Bill Slim brings rare authority to his praise. His description of The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II as “a calm, detailed and revealing account of the lost Indian POWs of 1942”
December 24, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Robert Lyman—military historian, former British Army officer, and author of A War of Empires and Bill Slim brings rare authority to his praise. His description of The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II as “a calm, detailed and revealing account of the lost Indian POWs of 1942”
Tour of Singapore war sites with family of soldiers who were there.
We began at the historic Padang where Japan surrendered & Netaji spoke, went to the INA Memorial Marker, the site of the Rani Jhani Regiment, Gen Mohan Singh’s wartime home ending with lunch in Little India.
#Indiansoldiers #WWII
We began at the historic Padang where Japan surrendered & Netaji spoke, went to the INA Memorial Marker, the site of the Rani Jhani Regiment, Gen Mohan Singh’s wartime home ending with lunch in Little India.
#Indiansoldiers #WWII
December 19, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Tour of Singapore war sites with family of soldiers who were there.
We began at the historic Padang where Japan surrendered & Netaji spoke, went to the INA Memorial Marker, the site of the Rani Jhani Regiment, Gen Mohan Singh’s wartime home ending with lunch in Little India.
#Indiansoldiers #WWII
We began at the historic Padang where Japan surrendered & Netaji spoke, went to the INA Memorial Marker, the site of the Rani Jhani Regiment, Gen Mohan Singh’s wartime home ending with lunch in Little India.
#Indiansoldiers #WWII
Hosted at Indian Heritage Centre Singapore by Chairman of its Advisory Board, Mr. R Rajaram
Privileged to be taken on a tour by the Chairman along with notables who attended NUS’s launch in Singapore of my book The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II
Privileged to be taken on a tour by the Chairman along with notables who attended NUS’s launch in Singapore of my book The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II
December 18, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Hosted at Indian Heritage Centre Singapore by Chairman of its Advisory Board, Mr. R Rajaram
Privileged to be taken on a tour by the Chairman along with notables who attended NUS’s launch in Singapore of my book The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II
Privileged to be taken on a tour by the Chairman along with notables who attended NUS’s launch in Singapore of my book The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II
Behind every prisoner was a life shaped by impossible choices born of hunger, fear & hope. They were not war statistics, but fathers, sons, friends, and quiet dreamers. Their courage lived in endurance. History is written not only on battlefields, but in the silent suffering of those who survived
December 17, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Behind every prisoner was a life shaped by impossible choices born of hunger, fear & hope. They were not war statistics, but fathers, sons, friends, and quiet dreamers. Their courage lived in endurance. History is written not only on battlefields, but in the silent suffering of those who survived
When Indian POWs escaped Singapore in 1942, survival often came from ordinary people who risked everything—shopkeepers, doctors, policemen, workers—quiet heroes across Singapore, Malaya, Thailand and Burma. Their courage shaped countless lives.
December 12, 2025 at 8:24 AM
When Indian POWs escaped Singapore in 1942, survival often came from ordinary people who risked everything—shopkeepers, doctors, policemen, workers—quiet heroes across Singapore, Malaya, Thailand and Burma. Their courage shaped countless lives.
Aliyeh Rizvi shared her family’s WWII story at my book launch: her grandfather, Lt. Col. Mir Sarfaraz Hussain, survived captivity and trauma, while her family faced loss and uncertainty back home.
December 4, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Aliyeh Rizvi shared her family’s WWII story at my book launch: her grandfather, Lt. Col. Mir Sarfaraz Hussain, survived captivity and trauma, while her family faced loss and uncertainty back home.
Join us to hear their moving stories.
📅 6 PM, Thursday, December 11, 2025
📍 The Gallery at Arts House, Old Parliament Building, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
🇸🇬 Singapore Book Launch
🔗 Register on here www.eventbrite.sg/e/book-launc...
📅 6 PM, Thursday, December 11, 2025
📍 The Gallery at Arts House, Old Parliament Building, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
🇸🇬 Singapore Book Launch
🔗 Register on here www.eventbrite.sg/e/book-launc...
November 26, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Join us to hear their moving stories.
📅 6 PM, Thursday, December 11, 2025
📍 The Gallery at Arts House, Old Parliament Building, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
🇸🇬 Singapore Book Launch
🔗 Register on here www.eventbrite.sg/e/book-launc...
📅 6 PM, Thursday, December 11, 2025
📍 The Gallery at Arts House, Old Parliament Building, 1 Old Parliament Lane, Singapore 179429
🇸🇬 Singapore Book Launch
🔗 Register on here www.eventbrite.sg/e/book-launc...
The Story Is Reaching More People
It’s incredible to see how widely The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II is being talked about. Major newspapers like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and
It’s incredible to see how widely The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II is being talked about. Major newspapers like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and
November 26, 2025 at 5:29 AM
The Story Is Reaching More People
It’s incredible to see how widely The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II is being talked about. Major newspapers like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and
It’s incredible to see how widely The Forgotten Indian Prisoners of World War II is being talked about. Major newspapers like The Times of India, Hindustan Times, and
Asian Civilisation Museum Singapore 11am Monday Oct27 on The Forgotten Indian Army in WW2 Singapore - my talk on the stories of the Soldiers and their Waiting Wives back home.
www.facebook.com/events/13603...
www.facebook.com/events/13603...
October 23, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Asian Civilisation Museum Singapore 11am Monday Oct27 on The Forgotten Indian Army in WW2 Singapore - my talk on the stories of the Soldiers and their Waiting Wives back home.
www.facebook.com/events/13603...
www.facebook.com/events/13603...
BOOK LAUNCH EVENT ON OCT16 AT BIC IN BANGALORE
Meet family members of Indian soldiers who defended Singapore in WW2 as theyreminisce about the soldiers' war and that of their waiting wives and families at home.
🗓 Thursday, 16 October 2025 | 6:30 PM
📍 Venue: Bangalore International Centre
Meet family members of Indian soldiers who defended Singapore in WW2 as theyreminisce about the soldiers' war and that of their waiting wives and families at home.
🗓 Thursday, 16 October 2025 | 6:30 PM
📍 Venue: Bangalore International Centre
The Forgotten Bangalorean Soldiers - Bangalore International Centre
The Untold WWII Stories of Indian Troops and Families RSVP <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0ykOTwmmqRsb90ETtkA-3jxw_QRCvdPyuLxAZPM5VHSkVlQ/viewform?usp=pp_url" target="_blank" rel...
bangaloreinternationalcentre.org
October 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM
BOOK LAUNCH EVENT ON OCT16 AT BIC IN BANGALORE
Meet family members of Indian soldiers who defended Singapore in WW2 as theyreminisce about the soldiers' war and that of their waiting wives and families at home.
🗓 Thursday, 16 October 2025 | 6:30 PM
📍 Venue: Bangalore International Centre
Meet family members of Indian soldiers who defended Singapore in WW2 as theyreminisce about the soldiers' war and that of their waiting wives and families at home.
🗓 Thursday, 16 October 2025 | 6:30 PM
📍 Venue: Bangalore International Centre
97-year old Lt Asha Sahay Chaudhary died peacefully at her home in Patna surrounded by her family on Aug 12, 2025. She was possibly the last known survivor of the all-female Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Indian National Army.
#IndianArmy #INA #IndianNationalArmy #WW2 #Indianindependence
#IndianArmy #INA #IndianNationalArmy #WW2 #Indianindependence
August 31, 2025 at 8:12 AM
97-year old Lt Asha Sahay Chaudhary died peacefully at her home in Patna surrounded by her family on Aug 12, 2025. She was possibly the last known survivor of the all-female Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Indian National Army.
#IndianArmy #INA #IndianNationalArmy #WW2 #Indianindependence
#IndianArmy #INA #IndianNationalArmy #WW2 #Indianindependence
British POWs officers of the Indian Army in Changi Singapore 20 May 1943, an astonishing survival as it was misfiled. They were all kept together & not sent on work parties to prevent them from interacting with the Indian POWs in the city who had served under them.
#IndianArmy #WW2 #SingaporeWW2
#IndianArmy #WW2 #SingaporeWW2
August 30, 2025 at 6:20 PM
British POWs officers of the Indian Army in Changi Singapore 20 May 1943, an astonishing survival as it was misfiled. They were all kept together & not sent on work parties to prevent them from interacting with the Indian POWs in the city who had served under them.
#IndianArmy #WW2 #SingaporeWW2
#IndianArmy #WW2 #SingaporeWW2
War is a terrible mistake. This might seem obvious, but Singapore; Jeya Ayadurai, MBE, explained why this still happens - Speaking to radio FM 89.3 on the 80th anniversary of end of WW2 VJ on August 15.
#WW2 #WW2Singapore #IndianArmy
omny.fm/shows/moneyf...
#WW2 #WW2Singapore #IndianArmy
omny.fm/shows/moneyf...
August 30, 2025 at 12:27 PM
War is a terrible mistake. This might seem obvious, but Singapore; Jeya Ayadurai, MBE, explained why this still happens - Speaking to radio FM 89.3 on the 80th anniversary of end of WW2 VJ on August 15.
#WW2 #WW2Singapore #IndianArmy
omny.fm/shows/moneyf...
#WW2 #WW2Singapore #IndianArmy
omny.fm/shows/moneyf...
Aug 18, 1945, Bose boards a Japanese plane at Taihoku. Minutes later, it crashes. Bose is fatally burned, his last words recorded for the Emperor of Japan. Yet a seating chart from that very flight still raises more questions than answers.
Source: Jun Shimada, NAI & Wikimedia Commons
Source: Jun Shimada, NAI & Wikimedia Commons
August 28, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Aug 18, 1945, Bose boards a Japanese plane at Taihoku. Minutes later, it crashes. Bose is fatally burned, his last words recorded for the Emperor of Japan. Yet a seating chart from that very flight still raises more questions than answers.
Source: Jun Shimada, NAI & Wikimedia Commons
Source: Jun Shimada, NAI & Wikimedia Commons
Rash Behari Bose (1886–1945) took India’s freedom struggle abroad. From the 1912 Hardinge assassination attempt to the 1915 Ghadar Mutiny, exile in Japan, and Pan-Asian networks, he laid the groundwork for what became the INA.
Source - /https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/104283
#gautamhazarika
Source - /https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/104283
#gautamhazarika
August 26, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Rash Behari Bose (1886–1945) took India’s freedom struggle abroad. From the 1912 Hardinge assassination attempt to the 1915 Ghadar Mutiny, exile in Japan, and Pan-Asian networks, he laid the groundwork for what became the INA.
Source - /https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/104283
#gautamhazarika
Source - /https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/104283
#gautamhazarika