33 | Lakshmi Sahgal and Rani of the Jhansi Regiment

In this episode, we tell the story of the Rani of the Jhansi Regiment, the first all-female combat unit in modern Indian history, formed in Singapore during World War II and led by Dr Lakshmi Sahgal, known as Captain Lakshmi.

Most of its members were teenage Tamil girls from plantation communities in Malaya and Burma, many with little formal education, who left estate life to train as soldiers in the Indian National Army. We trace how they were recruited, trained, deployed to the Burma front, and forced into retreat as the war turned against Japan and the INA.

Although the regiment never fought a major battle, its legacy reshaped ideas about women’s roles in anti-colonial struggle and military service. Drawing on historical research and oral histories, this episode explores how nationalism, class, gender, and war collided in Southeast Asia, and how ordinary young women briefly became part of a global conflict and a revolutionary movement.

Hosted by Agas Ramirez.Full script and bonus episodes available on Patreon.

All links available here.

Audio Clips

• WildFilmsIndia - Laxmi Sehgal of the INA on The Forgotten Army Expedition

• Doordarshan National - Speech of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
• Interkast - शुभ सुख चैन की/Subh Sukh Chain Ki - With Auspicious Happiness | Anthem of Free India

YouTube Free Audio Clips

• Theme Music - Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads
• Journey Home - Chris Haugen