The Colonel, recalled

We are fortunate that Colonel Dhillon left us his own memoir, From My Bones, as a lasting record that will remain a part of the INA legacy to subsequent generations. In it he narrates his personal experiences as part of the INA and his memories of the Red Fort trial. Historians have a great deal to be grateful that his recall of events, and even the conversations he had had, remained so vividly in his memory decades later.

As any reader of his memoir realises, here was a man of unshakable principles, a patriotic dedication to the cause of independence, great courage under fire and a fine historical sense. He combined these attributes with a compassionate humanity and a great sense of humour. All these unique qualities went to create a true fighter for Indian independence.

Colonel Dhillon’s eloquence, his presence on any platform, and his fiery, stunning renditions of Urdu poetry captivated audiences at many fora — especially during the meetings on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birthday at the Netaji Research Bureau in Kolkata, and at other gatherings of INA veterans at Meerut, Jhansi, Gwalior, Kurukshetra, Hisar and elsewhere.

I count it a great blessing and honour to have enjoyed Colonel Dhillon’s warm friendship for many years. He gave me a lot of assistance for my own research. I particularly remember visits to Dhillon’s den in Shivpuri and our journeys to remote parts of central India. I will always cherish his memory. Jai Hind!

The writer is an American historian