Bidspirit auction | [FREE INDIA CENTRE]

[FREE INDIA CENTRE] - [FREE INDIA CENTRE]: A vintage unsigned original 9.5 x 7 press photograph, the gelatin silver print depicting A. C. N. Nambiar addressing the audience at a ceremony held at the Hotel Kaiserhof in Berlin by the Free India Centre to mark the founding of the Provisional Indian National Government on 15th November 1943. Nambiar is flanked by various uniformed officers, including soldiers of the Indian Legion, one of whom holds the new flag of the Indian National Government. With several press agency credit stamps to the verso and the original printed caption in German. VG A. C. N. Nambiar (1896-1986) Indian Nationalist who spent much of his life serving the Indian Independence movement in Europe. In January 1942 he joined the Free India Centre as second in command to Subhas Chandra Bose. The organisation had been set up by Bose to promote Indian independence and to assist the enemies of the British Empire, namely Nazi Germany, the Empire of Japan and the other Axis powers. The foundation of the Provisional Government of Free India was celebrated at Hotel Kaiserhof in Berlin under the auspices of the Free India Centre in November 1943. There were about 300 guests including the representatives of German Foreign Office, the Wehrmacht and the Japanese and Italian Embassies. Günther Krappe was present along with twelve officers of the Indian Legion. After the playing of the Indian National Anthem, Habibur Rehman, who was in charge of technical arrangements, made a speech of welcome to the guests. Afterwards speeches were made by Wilhelm Keppler, Excellency Anfuso, General Hiroshi Oshima and A C N Nambiar, and messages of greetings of Joachim von Ribbentrop and Joseph Goebbels were read out.