The book launch of Prasun Roy’s book A Samurai Dream Of Azad Hind: Rash Behari Bose was organized at the South City Mall outlet of Starmark.

Starmark organized the book launch in association with Vitasta Publishing and AHAVA Communications.

The Chief Guest at the launch was Mr. Koichi Nakagawa, Consul General of Japan in Kolkata.

Rash Behari Bose’s narrative began when a young child first started to dream about an India free from colonial oppression in the 1890s. It was a huge dream. In a crowded Chandni Chowk procession in Delhi in 1912, he was responsible for the bombs hurled at the Viceroy of India, Lord Hardinge. The attack not only damaged British pride but also permanently destroyed their dream of peacefully dominating India. Rash Behari later went on to become the symbol of the armed struggle to free India. He was a prominent member of the Ghadar Party and the Jugantar Party, and in 1915, he inspired uprisings akin to 1857 Rising in 26 cantonments. He established the Indian Independence League while in self-exile in Japan, and issued the call “Asia for Asians”. He later built the Azad Hind Fauj and then handed over the INA to Netaji.

The story of thousands of other men and women who took part in the armed struggle to free India is narrated in the book A Samurai Dream of Azad Hind. It also narrates the extensive support system they built not only in India but around the world, from California to Mongolia to Japan. Think about this in an era before the internet and smartphones. It makes sense why the British quickly gave up the Jewel in their Crown after their war was over.

The event was moderated by Oindrilla Dutt (Founder, Open Doors) who conversed with Mr. Anuj Dhar, Mr. Chandrachur Ghose, Ms. Ruma Chakraborty, and Ms. Shuktara Lal after the launch.

The author is planning his next book on Indian Independence fighter Baghajatin or better known as Jatindranath Mukherjee.

Priyanka Dutta