NETAJI SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE
FROM SAMPATH’S DESK:
NETAJI SUBASH
CHANDRA BOSE
(23 January
1897-18 August 1945)
Subash Chandra Bose was born on 23rd
January 1897 in Cuttack in the erstwhile Orissa Division of Bengal Province of
the British India.
Though born into a large, wealthy,
well-educated, and privileged Bengali family, the fire in him for the freedom
of India was rather inextinguishable, and his thirst unquenchable. The British
rulers jailed him in 1921-1922 because he took active interest in our national independence
struggle. Again, in 1925, he was sent to prison in Mandalay for nationalist
activities and released in 1927.
After being the President of the Indian
National Congress during 1938-1939, differences arose with the top Congress
leadership and he resigned from the post and party.
He advocated complete Swaraj and was in favour of the use of force,
if necessary, to gain it.
Netaji was not the one to get satisfied
with the conventional ways and pace of the freedom movement going on then. He
wanted to toe a different belligerent line, because, while the Congress leaders
were ready to settle for just Constitutional reforms instead of the full-fledged
independence, Bose didn't relent. In 1939, quitting the Congress, he founded a separate political
entity called the ‘All India Forward Bloc’ that waged a ‘fight-to-the-finish’
battle for full and immediate independence of India from the British rule, breaking
the alien slavery handcuff.
His love, affection, and attachment
towards his Motherland were so staunch and intense that he played a distinct
and different - yet an aggressive hard-line role - in India’s freedom battle.
His approach was different. Before and
during the Second World War, Netaji diligently and vigorously worked for
securing the support of Germany and Japan in a serious bid to single out the
British army and thwart their nefarious designs to befool the Indian people
with their make-belief promises which were never kept up.
In July 1943, with the Japanese
assistance, he inspired and reorganized his supporters to form the Indian
National Army (INA) with the help of Indian prisoners of war and plantation
workers from the British Malaya, Singapore and other parts of the Southeast
Asia to lead it against the British forces. He established ‘Azad Hind Government’ (a Provisional Government of Free India) in exile on 21 October 1943 in Singapore by convincing and mobilizing people who were full of ardent feelings
and ruffled emotions, seeking and yearning for fully Independent India and who
were never willing to settle for anything less than that. From then on, he was
affectionately called the NETAJI. Captain Lakshmi Sahgal served in the INA.
A significant part of the INA’s
existence was the women mobilization and participation in the freedom struggle,
as Netaji strongly believed that it was necessary to enfold them into it. After
his return to Asia in 1943, he called on women to serve as soldiers in the
Indian National Army. A women’s regiment called Rani of Jhansi Regiment was
formed in 1943 with as many as 1000 women in it.
As the Second World War flared up, Netaji protested against the
British government for not consulting Indians before dragging and involving
them into the war. When he and his supporters organized protests in Calcutta in
that regard and also against the removal of the monument memorializing the infamous
‘Black Hole of Calcutta’, they were arrested.
Though subsequently released, he was kept under surveillance. He
then made his escape from the country in 1941 to Germany via Afghanistan and
the Soviet Union. He had previously travelled to Europe and met Indian students
and European political leaders.
The INA supported the Japanese army in its invasion of Northeast
India and for taking control of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. However, they
were subsequently forced to retreat by the British troops following the Battles of Kohima and Imphal.
Netaji motivated the troops with his fiery speeches. His famous
quote was, “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom.”
In 1943, he left Germany for Japan disillusioned as he was with the indifferent and subdued support of that government for Azad Hind. His arrival in Japan revived the Indian National Army.
It is told Winston Churchill wanted to
assassinate Netaji. Thus there is a doubt still lingering whether any
vested interests at that time 'aided in handing over him to the British who
finished him off at an unknown place' and never revealed the truth to the world.
However, some traces of his having lived
in Russia during which time he was allegedly subjected to severe tortures etc.
are also gaining ground with some historians opining so based on a few clues and loose ends they came across.
Since none of his contemporaries are now
alive and as they had also not left any concrete evidence, it looks futile to make a plunge into the unknown withou some secret files declassified.
As Netaji’s final days leading to his death were mired in
controversies, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government of India, and the
government of West Bengal declassified many of the erstwhile secret files/documents
of the British rule relating to him to ferret out the truth.
Another theory
that Netaji might be still alive is hard to believe given the fact he
was born on January 23 1897 and it is highly improbable for a person to be
alive at an age of 100 plus. Thus, this theory rules itself out.
His last-known travel destination was
the then Japan-occupied Taihokou/Formosa, now Taiwan. Though a crash and bomb-blast were reported, till date, it remains a mystery and a million-dollar question
whether Netaji survived the mishap and reached his destination, alive or dead!
R.SAMPATH
22/1/2022
Great article chitappa with lot of background work done by you get data from different places. I was never much interested in history but this post motivates me to read the pre independence happenings especially from 1900 till we got independence
ReplyDeleteA good written article. Nethaji Subbash Chandra Bose was a revolutionary leader during the struggle of Indian Independence. I salutes to his extraordinary valor. He is a true freedom fighter. Some people even think that it is still a mystery about the death of Nethaji.
ReplyDeleteYour Article on NETAJI SUBASH CHANDRA BOSE quickly reminds me of the Poem, The Patriot by Robert Browning. It's a poem which stands out in my memory. Many times, it applies to several instances of many Patriots. Today I think of Subash Chandra Bose. I feel every line speaks our heart out.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest irony is that such a great personality, a person who was the President of the Indian National Congress, who was welcomed with respect, honor and passion was put to death (though exactly what happened we know not). I am just posting the first and last para of the poem
First para
It was roses, roses, all the way,
With myrtle mixed in my path like mad:
The house-roofs seemed to heave and sway,
The church-spires flamed, such flags they had,
A year ago on this very day.
Last para
Thus I entered, and thus I go!
In triumphs, people have dropped down dead.
“Paid by the world, what dost thou owe
“Me?”—God might question; now instead,
‘Tis God shall repay: I am safer so.
Probably in his last moments Netaji thought that God is the best judge who would judge him wisely and justly. God, has seen all and knows all. Human beings are self-centered and can never see the whole truth.
The Nation will always salute this “Prince among the Patriots”, "Respected Leader", 'Desh Nayak' and bow down to “his patriotism which is second to none”, and keep chanting his slogan “Jai Hind”.
Thanks Sampath Ji for your article which has taken me to dig into the history of this super great hero.
Kamala Subramanian
4.4.23