Patriots, Not Traitors

Britain was treading warily in awakened India.

For two taut months the country had watched the Raj's court-martial of three "Indian National Army" officers who had fought with the Japanese against Britain. More than 30 had been killed in protest riots (TIME, Dec. 3). A severe sentence might make these men martyrs, and touch off another nationalist explosion.

When the three officers were marched into the Delhi courtroom last week, their faces were grave. Colonel E. K. Squire, resplendent in ribbons and scarlet collar tabs, began to read the verdict: "All three of you are guilty ... of waging war [against the State]. . . . The sentence of the Court ... is transportation for life, cashiering and forfeiture of arrears of pay and allowances." One prisoner blinked, another swayed, the third looked fixedly ahead.

The Colonel droned on: "No finding or sentence by court-martial is complete until confirmed. . . . The Commander in Chief has decided ... to remit the sentences of transportation for life. . . ." (The three men smiled faintly.) The Colonel added dryly that the three were now free men.

The trio in the dock saluted jauntily, broke into broad smiles as they marched out. Soon telephones were jangling joyously all over Delhi. Crowds gathered in the streets. In a friend's jampacked house the three patriots (not traitors now) were garlanded with flowers. Said they in a formal statement: "This has been a victory for India."

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