colormap() normally affects all images on the same figure. If you are using R2014a or earlier, you cannot change that and you have to take other steps to display the colors properly. If you are using R2014b or later you can have a different colormap for each axes.
colormap(gca, map);
affects the figure in R2014a and earlier but only the one axes in R2014b and later.
Please note that when you use
imagesc(IND)
colormap(map)
imshow(IND,map)
that the imagesc(IND) is computed and the colormap(map) is put into effect, but then the imagesc() is thrown away and replaced by imshow(IND,map) (unless "hold on" is in effect.)
imshow(IND,map) is one of the methods of displaying indexed images so that they are not affected by changes to colormap(). It is a good way to do the displaying unless you want to be able to change the display by calling colormap()
