ABSTRACT
The forces of Indian nationalism were more radicalized but were also more divided than they had been in the past. British colonial policy shielded its own troops and urban industrial classes deemed to be critical for war production against higher inflation. It was in the context of a deepening economic crisis that the major political confrontations between nationalists and the British colonial state occurred. Political denial was matched by economic interventions on an unprecedented scale. It was to prevent the Indian nationalists from allying with the enemies of Britain that Churchill reluctantly agreed to send an emissary to hold talks with Indian political leaders. The Congress, Muslim League and other political groups lauded the heroism of the Indian National Army (INA) and its leader, who had said: 'The roads to Delhi are many and Delhi still remains our goal.' The final mass movement on an all-India scale took place on the issue of the INA trials.
