""Subhash ji told me that the tune of 'Qaumi Tarana' should be so powerful and inspiring that when INA soldiers render the same, it should stir the soul of not only the soldiers but millions of Indians also. On October 31, 1943, the INA came into power and my orchestra played the Qaumi Tarana. The Cathay Building reverberated thunderously. It was a humble step towards liberating India from the British rule", recalled Captain Ram Singh in a 2002 interview.
A soldier who won the King George VI Medal for bravery during the 1937-39 Khyber-Phaktunwala war, Captain Ram Singh Thakuri later became the band master of Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. His songs 'Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja' and 'Quami Tarana' went on to become one of the greatest sources of inspiration for INA soldiers.
Yet few Indians know his story. It's time this changed.
Capt Ram Singh was born in Bhagsu Khaniara village near Dharamsala in Himachal on August 15, 1914. His father Havaldar Delip Singh groomed him to join the Army, and after schooling, he joined the IInd Gorkha Rifles in 1927 at Dharamsala cantonment as a recruit boy in the band.
"I was inspired by my maternal grandfather Nathu Chand to learn music. Later on, I got training from renowned British musicians Hadson and Danish in brass band, string band and dance band in Army", he would later recall.
In 1941, Captain Ram Singh was promoted and sent to Malaya with his unit during World War II. In a battle with Japanese, he became a prisoner of war and later joined the INA to help free India from the British Raj.
Recognizing his musical talent, Bose himself hired him as INA's band master.
In 1944, Capt Ram Singh was decorated by Subhas Chandra Bose with a gold medal. "Netaji wanted that the gold medal should be presented to me by the Indian Government on some historic day. But this could not happen. Later on, General Lokanand presented this gold medal to me at Rangoon in the presence of all INA officers on January 23, 1944."
Netaji's citation which was read out at the function: "Today we are presenting the gold medal to Captain Ram Singh for his musical creation on behalf of the supreme command of the INA." At that time, 'Qaumi Tarana' of the INA was sung by 30 lakh Indians who had settled in East Asia.
Interestingly, Captain Ram Singh had an opportunity to play the song in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi much later
"We were imprisoned at Kabul line cantonment in Delhi. About 7 p.m. we were asked to get ready. Two or three cars stopped in front of our barrack. Bapuji stepped down from one car, he was accompanied by Sardar Patel. We were all in queue. Bapuji asked about the name and village of each INA soldier. General Bhonsle of the INA made a plea to Sardar Patel that the INA soldiers wanted to play the Qaumi Tarana. And so we did"", Captain Ram Singh shared in an interview.
In 1948, Captain Ram Singh Thakur along with his orchestra group was recruited in the PAC band of Uttar Pradesh. He retired in 1974. In 2002, he passed away at Lucknow at the ripe age of 87.
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