Fictionalised Account of the youngest member of the Azad Hind Fauj

 Laxmi Panda: The Story of Netaji’s Youngest Spy, Savie Karnal

I first heard about Netaji’s Youngest Spy in P. Sainath’s book “The Lost Heros” on the forgotten foot-soldiers of the Independence Movement. He described the zesty old lady and her struggle to have herself acknowledged as a freedom fighter, but one remained curious about what led a young girl to join the Resistance. Savie Karnel’s book addresses just that.

Laxmi was born in Burma to Odiya parents who moved there in search of a livelihood. When both parents died during the air raids, Laxmi had to take on the responsibility of keeping herself and her younger brother alive.

This is fascinating account of how a precocious young lady convinces the Azad Hind Fauj to let her join the women’s battalion. Her extraordinary power of observation, her integrity and her ability to connect the dots is responsible for her being chosen to get trained as a spy. While based on a true story, the author has presented it in a fictionalised form, which lends itself perfect to the topic. It was fascinating reading about the women in the Azad Hind Fauj, and I particularly loved the way Laxmi’s character was developed.

I am quite sure the book will appeal to a younger reader as much as it did for me. It will certainly be a great book tp present to the young women in your life.