As the Phoney War was in full swing, Hansrani moved to Coventry where he and others set-up the IWA. In 1942, at the age of 23, he was elected their president. Hansrani organised marches as a part of the Quit India Movement in the English Midlands and was the Editor of the IWA's premier news bulletin, "Azad Hind". The bulletin was written in Urdu and used to educate Indians about atrocities back home, for example, the Bengal Famine. Hansrani, was influenced by the young revolutionaries of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, especially Bhagat Singh. For many years, he was one of the IWA's commanders and organised Indian workers in the UK against British colonial rule. This attracted the attention of Special Branch and he was soon under police surveillance for his "satyagraha" (non-violent protests).