For the first time, an Indian Army observer participated in Australia’s Operation Render Safe, the latest edition of which was held in Papua New Guinea from June 15 to June 19.
Amid thriving bilateral ties between India and the Oceanic state, it was a throwback to a tragic and largely ignored chapter in Indian military history — involving thousands of prisoners of war (POWs) held captive in terrible conditions by the Japanese forces during World War II.
Led by the Australian Defence Forces (ADF), Operation Render Safe takes place annually or after an urgent request from a Pacific Island nation to address danger posed by remnants of explosives for World War II.
“The engagement is aimed at enhancing interoperability and cooperation in unexploded ordnance (UXO) and explosive remnants of war (ERW) reconnaissance and disposal operations. It aids professional military exchanges and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) expertise among participating nations,” the Indian Army said.
Operation Render Safe contributes to collective regional security through safe disposal of remnants of explosives, and provides education and training to enhance the security capabilities of Australia’s Pacific partners, according to the ADF website.
“The participation reflects India’s growing commitment to regional security, defence cooperation and capacity building across the Indo-Pacific region,” the Indian Army added.
Located in south-western Pacific Ocean, the island territory of Papua New Guinea — part of the Commonwealth — lies to the north of Australia, and covers about half the island of New Guinea and numerous smaller islands in the vicinity. To its west on the main island, it shares a land border with Indonesia. It was a strategically crucial location during World War II, despite its brutal environment and tough terrain.
Approximately 40,000 Indian soldiers part of the erstwhile British Indian Army were captured by the Japanese forces, mainly after the fall of Singapore in February 1942. Though many of them joined the Indian National Army (INA), over 10,000 of them were transported to various camps in New Guinea, and were at the centre of untold tales of courage, sacrifice, resilience and survival.
In a paper titled ‘Great in adversity: Indian prisoners of war in New Guinea’, Peter Stanley, principal historian at the Australian War Memorial, said official histories provide scant coverage as Indian POWs have been largely overlooked in war literature of India as well as the Allied forces.
“Despite the neglect, the ordeal of Indian POWs was as severe as those of the less in number British and Australian troops who were captured in the fall of Southeast Asia. Unlike their British and Australian comrades, they have not published memoirs, nor have they been the subject of historical works. They remain substantially neglected,” he added in the paper.
More Indians were transported by the Japanese to New Guinea than anywhere else. They were forced to work in labour camps in harsh conditions for constructing airfields and fortifications in dense jungles while enduring severe starvation, tropical diseases and execution. Many did not survive to the end.
Narinder Singh Parmar, an educator based in Australia, has written a book on the experiences of his father — Major Chint Singh, a native of Himachal Pradesh who served with the 12th Frontier Force Regiment during the war.
He said that over two years, many of the POWs died in the thick jungles and swamps due to diseases, malnutrition, torture by the Japanese or bombings by the Allied forces. They were even deprived of medical aid. Of 2,400 captives at the camp, only his father and 10 others were rescued by Australian forces in September 1945.
Tragically, the other ten died in a plane crash while heading home in November 1945. Chint Singh, should have been on board, but he was needed for testimony in the trials of Japanese soldiers charged with war crimes, making him the sole survivor among the 2,400 Indian POWs.
Terming the campaign in New Guinea to be all but forgotten except by those who served there, the US Army Center for Military History said diseases thrived on the island. “Though Malaria was the greatest threat, dengue fever, dysentery, scrub typhus and a host of other tropical diseases awaited unwary soldiers in the jungles. Scattered, tiny coastal settlements dotted the flat malarial north coastline, but inland, the lush tropical jungle swallowed men and equipment,” the Center said.
The status of Indian POWs became significant when they began to be rescued as Allied forces led by General Douglas MacArthur advanced along the northern coast of New Guinea. The first indications that Indians were to be found in New Guinea came in March 1944, when Indians were liberated on Los Negros by advancing American forces under McArthur.
The presence of Indian POWs — over 6,000 of whom were during and after the war — had come as a surprise to the Allies, Dr Stanley wrote.
On September 16, 1975, Papua New Guinea became an independent state and established diplomatic relations with India. Structured ties between the two countries are spread across diplomatic, economic, defence, maritime, science and education fields, and include delegation visits at the highest level and regular bilateral interactions. The country also forms a key element in India’s Act East Policy and Indian Navy warships have made several port calls over the years to Papua New Guinea.
The latest round of talks were held in June 2026. “During the consultations, the two sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including development partnerships, political engagements, economic cooperation and cultural ties. They also discussed cooperation in multilateral fora, the Indo-Pacific region and exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said.
