The Vir-e-Hind (Warrior of India) was a military decoration awarded by the Azad Hind Government. During World War II, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Provisional Government of Free India (Azad Hind Government) bestowed the Vir-e-Hind military honor. It was one of numerous awards given to Indian National Army (INA) soldiers in recognition of their valor and service.
When the Azad Hind Government was founded in Singapore in 1943 with assistance from Imperial Japan, the Vir-e-Hind award was made.[citation needed] The award was a component of the provisional government's efforts to create a symbolic framework of national identity and sovereignty for a future independent India, along with other military awards like the Sher-e-Hind and Shahid-e-Hind medals.[citation needed]
While several variants of INA medals exist, Vir-e-Hind medals typically featured designs associated with the Azad Hind movement, including:[1][2]
Emblems linked to INA insignia
Nationalist symbols representing an undivided India
Motifs reflecting the ethos of the independence struggle
Some medals and other Azad Hind insignia were manufactured in Germany and Japan during 1943–44.
Collectors and exhibitions
Vir-e-Hind medals are rare and highly valued among collectors of wartime memorabilia. Collector Prithwish Dasgupta, based in Baguiati, West Bengal, acquired a Vir-e-Hind medal from a war medal specialist in the United Kingdom. Dasgupta’s private collection of INA and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose memorabilia has been showcased in exhibitions, including at Mother’s Wax Museum in New Town, Kolkata.
His collection also includes:
Azad Hind stamps printed in Nazi Germany in 1943
Coins issued by the Provisional Government of Free India
Currency notes featuring Netaji
Letters, receipts, and documents related to INA activities in Burma (1942–44)
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