The monument was constructed to commemorate the "Unknown Warrior" of the Indian National Army (INA). The words inscribed on the war memorial were its motto, which is Unity (Ittefaq), Faith (Etmad) and Sacrifice (Kurbani). It was built during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore as the Japanese and the INA had one enemy in common, i.e., the British. Subhas Chandra Bose ("Netaji") laid the foundation stone on July 8, 1945, months before Singapore was recaptured by the British. After its foundation by Bose, the monument was erected in a month by the Japanese. The structure of the monument was influenced by Bose, the co-founder of the INA and Head of State of the Provisional Government of Free India. This army (the INA) was backed by the Japanese forces for its goal of liberating India from it