Kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
Posted on: August 15, 2014
This article is written by Sudhir, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in sites like lyricstrans.com and ibollywoodsongs.com etc then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
The record of the events and the times while the struggle against the alien rule was in progress, as it is known and as it has been showcased in the sixty eight years since, is limiting in its focus and its willingness to fairly acknowledge the role and the contributions of many a stalwarts whose names and information has dissipated over time. Ah, but that is what history is all about. The story as recorded by the hunter, by the victor, by the kings and the royalty who would commission favored scholars to compile accounts for posterity, favorable to the ruling dynasty. Over passages of years and decades, such compilations would gain the status of historical record.
The history of the struggle for freedom of our nation is no different. It has been too long that the realities of the events leading to the overthrow of the British rule, have been overlooked and been marginal notes in history. There are historical records, available and suppressed, that need to be reviewed and made available through popular media. But that is something that will probably take a miracle to happen.
The story of the Indian National Army and the legend of Subhash Chandra Bose has thus far been consigned as a foot note in the history of the Indian freedom movement. This chapter of monumental courage and an unparalleled leadership needs to be rewritten and give its due place in history. The honor and the veneration needs to be, what it needs to be. From an outcast from his own party, to the general of an army created actually from scratch and weed, the saga of Subhash Bose needs to be rewritten on the national platform. The only one president of the Congress party, before 1947, who had the foresight, the astuteness, and the willingness to define and plan what India would be like once it got its freedom. I have read some of his writings when he was in the party and was elected the president. He is writing about governance and administration structures required by this huge nation; at the village and district levels. He is writing about the development work that needs to be planned and undertaken for the poverty stricken masses of this country. He is writing about the programs to harness the energy of the youth. A far sighted thinker as he was, he was rewarded with resistance from his own peers. Given the objective that the party professed publicly, they should have held him aloft as the recognized and able leader. Instead he was forced to resign and consigned to house arrest by the British police.
What follows is a legend in courage and valor, almost unparalleled. Escaping disguised as a Pathan from under the noses of the British police, Subhash Bose made a travel half way around the globe, towards a mission that he had been contemplating and planning for months. Under disguise, he comes to Lahore, and then on to Kabul. He acquires a forged passport and travels to Moscow to meet Stalin. There is history behind this meeting. After the communist takeover in Russia, over the years, there had been representations made to the Russian government to come out in support of India’s freedom movement. Stalin’s response at that time was that he is ready to support, only if some senior and recognized leader of the Indian people would approach him. Subhash did just that. But by the time he reached Stalin, the second world war had broken out in Europe. Russia was not yet involved as Hitler’s army was initially moving west. Stalin, sensing the forthcoming events, dithered from estranging the British at that time by giving support to India. He suggested Subhash to go and meet with Hitler in Germany.
Subhash traveled to Germany. He had a long wait, almost a year, before he was able to get audience with Hitler in May 1942. At this time, the news of Japanese victories in Southeast Asia were the big headlines and in his meeting with Hitler, Subhash could sense the changing priorities for Germany. Hitler agreed to his request to be given safe passage to Far East, to join forces with the Japanese. In May 1943, he reached Sumatra, which was held by the Japanese.
What followed was an eerie-ngly swift implementation of plans that Subhash had been working on during the previous years of his travels and his stay in Germany. He met with the Japanese prime minister, and quickly garnered their support. The Azad Hind government was set up in exile. In quick succession, he took over the charge of the Azad Hind Fauj, that was originally raised by Rash Behari Bose, from the people of Indian origin in Southeast Asia, and from the prisoners of war of Indian origin, that were captured by the Japanese army in their campaign against the British. And Subhash made a formal declaration of war against the British empire for the freedom of India.
His campaign was swift. Burma, Assam, Manipur, and Andaman Islands fell to the Indian National Army, which had come within firing range of Chittagong and Dhaka. The tide of the events turned with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the eventual withdrawal of Japan from the war. Without the Japanese support, INA was forced to retreat back to Malaya and Singapore.
There is a basis for the dispute about Subhash Bose’s demise in August 1945, in a plane crash in Taiwan (then known as Formosa). The matter has never been fully settled as there are significant documentation and evidences that have not been explained or accounted for. But I will leave that discussion for another time.
A charismatic leader of the people, Subhash Bose had the capacity to rouse patriotic emotions with his words and his writings. The now hallowed slogan in the glory of the nation – ‘Jai Hind’, was coined by him. His vision reflecting through his other utterances regarding marching to Delhi and to fly the national tricolor from the ramparts of Red Fort, is now legendary. The army that he organized was not a rag tag outfit of mercenaries, but it was a formal organization with complete structure and full discipline. And complete with its own marching songs.
The song that I present today, is the most famous of such musical creations from the annals of history of the Azad Hind Fauj. This song has been inducted into the Indian Army as one of their premier marching tunes.
This song is created by Captain Ram Singh Thakur, a poet-singer who was part of the Azad Hind Fauj. This is the original sound of Captain Ram Singh himself, from the original recordings that were commissioned by the Provisional Govt. of Azad Hind that Subhash Bose had setup when he was in Germany. Captain Ram Singh is probably one of the 3,000 odd Indian prisoners of war in Germany, captured during the war in North Africa when General Rommel’s troops had at one time trounced the British army. These troops formed the Free Indian Legion that was set up in Germany.
The lyrics and composition are credited to Captain Ram Singh Thakur, who is also the voice in this recording. The musical arrangement is provided by the League Radio Orchestra. The records of this song, and other musical creations from the Provisional Govt. of Azad Hind, were manufactured by Mitchiku Kogyo Co. of Kawasaki in Japan. From the accounts, these recordings have most likely been made in 1942/43 time frame.
With the remembrance and salutations to the brave men and women who came together under the leadership of Subhash Bose; the men and women who laid down their lives for a fight for their motherland.
Jai Hind.
Song-Kadam kadam badhaaye jaa (Patriotic NFS)(1942) Singer-Captain Ram Singh Thakur, Lyrics-Captain Ram Singh Thakur, MD-Captain Ram Singh Thakur
Lyrics
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindagi hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindagi hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
tu sher e hind hai aage badh
marne se phir bhi tu na darr
udaa ke dushmanon ka sar
josh e watan badhaaye jaa
tu sher e hind hai aage badh
marne se phir bhi tu na darr
udaa ke dushmanon ka sar
josh e watan badhaaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindgai hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindgai hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
teri himmat badhti rahe
khuda teri suntaa rahe
jo saamne tere ade
wo khaaq mein milaaye jaa
teri himmat badhti rahe
khuda teri suntaa rahe
jo saamne tere ade
wo khaaq mein milaaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindgai hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindgai hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
‘chalo dehli’ pukaar ke
qaumi nishaan sambhaal ke
laal qile pe gaad ke
lehraaye jaa lehraaye jaa
‘chalo dehli’ pukaar ke
qaumi nishaan sambhaal ke
laal qile pe gaad ke
lehraaye jaa lehraaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindgai hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
kadam kadam badhaaye jaa
khushi ke geet gaaye jaa
ye zindgai hai qaum ki
tu qaum pe lutaaye jaa
——————————————
Hindi script lyrics (Provided by Sudhir)
——————————————
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
तू शेर ए हिन्द है आगे बढ़
मरने से फिर भी तू ना डर
उड़ा के दुश्मनों का सर
जोश ए वतन बढ़ाए जा
तू शेर ए हिन्द है आगे बढ़
मरने से फिर भी तू ना डर
उड़ा के दुश्मनों का सर
जोश ए वतन बढ़ाए जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
तेरी हिम्मत बढ़ती रहे
खुदा तेरी सुनता रहे
जो सामने तेरे अड़े
वो खाक में मिलाये जा
तेरी हिम्मत बढ़ती रहे
खुदा तेरी सुनता रहे
जो सामने तेरे अड़े
वो खाक में मिलाये जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
‘चलो देहली’ पुकार कर
क़ौमी निशान संभाल कर
लाल किले पे गाड़ कर
लहराए जा लहराए जा
‘चलो देहली’ पुकार कर
क़ौमी निशान संभाल कर
लाल किले पे गाड़ कर
लहराए जा लहराए जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
कदम कदम बढ़ाए जा
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये ज़िंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
Atul’s Song A Day- A choice collection of Hindi Film & Non-Film Songs 
August 15, 2014 at 9:13 pm
JAI HIND !
JAI HIND !!
JAI HIND !!!
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August 17, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Very Nice Patriotic Song. Thanks for it’s complete Lyrics in Devnagari
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