In the 1940s, India was a land caught in a storm. The British Raj had tightened its grip for nearly two centuries, and the scars of colonial rule ran deep. The country was reeling from the devastating Bengal Famine, where millions starved while British officials turned a blind eye. Nationalist movements were gaining momentum, and sentiments of freedom we're bubbling up among the people, yet the iron fist of the Empire refused to loosen. Against this backdrop of unrest and longing, something unexpected hit the country — propaganda leaflets, fluttered down from the skies, dropped by Japanese planes, carrying a message of rebellion.
The Japanese, in the throes of World War II, saw an opportunity. If they could turn India against the British, they could weaken a key pillar of the Allied forces. So, they started a psychological war. Their leaflets carried bold slogans like, “Glorious Freedom. Revenge for our blood-bathed history” and “Beat the devil with sticks and save India.” The target was hearts and minds of Indians who had long suffered under colonial rule.
With bold images and fiery words written in Hindi and Bengali, they painted the British as monstrous overlords, sucking India dry, while positioning Japan as a liberator. Churchill, a favourite villain, was often drawn as a grotesque figure — sometimes feasting on a meal shaped like the Indian subcontinent, other times sitting atop a web like a predatory spider, trapping India in his imperial threads. One particularly chilling poster showed British officers carving a Union Jack onto the back of a shackled Indian, while another depicted Churchill personally cutting off the thumbs of Indian weavers, a haunting reference to the destruction of India’s textile industry by the British.
The Japanese aimed these leaflets at both civilians and soldiers, hoping to turn the tide of war. Indian troops, many of whom served under the British flag, were a key target. The leaflets played on their homesickness, their fears, and the exhaustion that came from fighting a war that wasn’t theirs. Some posters showed desperate families back home, longing for their sons and husbands who had been sent to battle. Others romanticized the idea of an independent India, free from British rule, standing tall alongside Japan in a united Asia.
The Japanese spared no effort in ensuring their message reached Indian soil. Planes flew over Assam and Imphal, releasing a flood of propaganda leaflets that rained down on villages and military camps alike. On the ground, sympathizers smuggled these papers to Indian soldiers, urging them to rise against the British. This was part of Japan’s larger strategy to weaken British control in India and promote its vision of a 'Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere.' Alongside these efforts, Japan actively supported the Indian National Army (INA), led by Subhas Chandra Bose, arming and training its soldiers to fight for independence. Meanwhile, the 'Free India' radio station, broadcasting from Saigon, carried fiery speeches and revolutionary calls, urging Indians to seize the moment while the British were distracted by the global war.
Around the same time, the Quit India Movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, took off in 1942, demanding an end to British rule. A few years later, in 1947, India finally gained independence. It’s hard to say for sure if these leaflets had any real impact on what happened next, but they’re definitely an interesting piece of history. They offer a glimpse into how global conflicts, shifting loyalties, and propaganda played a role in India’s fight for freedom. It's just another layer in a complex story that’s still being explored today.
Take a look at more propaganda leaflets below:
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