Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE [ 1897-1945 ]


Among the galaxy of men and women who fought for the freedom of our country from the British regime, the name of Subhash Chandra Bose stands out as one of the brightest stars in the firmament. Bose differed from most of the other freedom fighters in the sense that he endorsed Veera Savarkar’s following clarion call given to the nation while paying rich tributes to the martyrs of the country who had laid down their lives for the sake of the country:
“Oh Brave martyrs of India! We shall complete the unfinished task. The fire of revolution you spread in the country will remain aflame as long as the country does not become free. The revolution will bury slavery in the ground and Mother India shall sit on the throne of Independence. We will not make any compromise with the Britishers. We will win freedom at all cost. We are not afraid of death”

Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January 1897 to an affluent Bengali family in Cuttack. He joined a local missionary school for his primary education and later joined a college in Cuttack. In March 1913 he appeared for the Matriculation Examination of the Calcutta University and secured the second rank. During this time he wrote a letter to his mother Pratibha Bose in which he wrote: “To build his character is a student’s primary duty—University education helps in building character—and we can tell one’s character from what work he does. Work reveals character. I detest bookish knowledge with all my heart. I want Character-Wisdom-Work. Character is all inclusive; it includes devotion to God, love of country, love of fellowmen and the yearning to reach God”

Thereafter he came to Calcutta and joined the Presidency College. While at Calcutta he took part in many student activities and was also actively involved several social activities. For the first two years in the Presidency College, he came under the influence of the group belonging to the main hostel [Eden Hindu Hostel] which was looked upon as a meeting ground of the revolutionaries. The main objective of the group was to bring a synthesis between religion and nationalism. Subhash was much impressed by the group. After finishing his B.A. [Hons] in Philosophy in First Class and having secured the second rank for the University, Subhash went to Cambridge purely at his father’s behest to take up the I.C.S. Examination. There were barely 8 months for him to take the examination and that was his last chance as per the age restrictions. However, he faced the challenge boldly, took the examination and stood fourth. He, however, declined to pursue a career as an ICS officer, as he felt that by joining the ICS and serving the British masters, he would be denied the opportunity of serving his Motherland. Subhash used to ridicule the Indian Civil Service [ICS] as neither Indian nor civil nor was it known for any service. He therefore returned to India in 1921 at the age of just 24.

Subhash’s life in India after his return was a life full of troubles and travails. As soon as he returned to India, he called on Mahatma Gandhi and as advised by Gandhiji he contacted the eminent jurist and Nationalist, Deshabandhu Chittaranja Das at Calcutta. In those days, C.R. Das was one of the foremost leaders in Calcutta spearheading the freedom movement. Both Das and Subhash worked closely for the freedom of the country for which they were arrested in December 1921 and sent to jail. He was released sometime later but the next few years saw Subhash more involved in the politics of the country with the result he was arrested 11 times.

When he was serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation [during the Mayoralty of C.R.Das], he was arrested, sent to Mandalay Jail in Burma and detained for three years, on the ground of his alleged association with violent and anti-British activities. Owing to ill health he was released and he returned to Calcutta. Subsequently Subhash became the President of the Bengal Provincial Congress and he started pleading for Total Independence to the country in opposition to Motilal Nehru Committee’s advocacy of Dominion Status. He was also in the thick of the Salt Satyagraha Movement initiated by Mahatma Gandhi. During the Satyagraha, he was again arrested, jailed and later released.

Banished to Europe for three years for his involvement in the Nationalist Movement, Subhash returned to India despite a ban on his entry. He was arrested and detained and released in 1937. Soon he was elected President of the Indian National Congress at the Haripur Session of the Congress. Two years later in 1939 he was again re-elected President at the Tripuri Session when he defeated Dr.Pattabhi Sitaramiah, a veteran Congress leader from Andhra [sponsored by Gandhiji] , with a comfortable majority to the discomfiture of all powerful Rightist leaders of the Congress led by Mahatma Gandhi. On 2nd July 1940 Subhash was arrested under The Defence of India Act and kept in the Presidency Jail of Calcutta. There, he went on a fast unto death in December 1940 and had to be released. However, he was kept under house arrest. Under most daring circumstances, Subhash escaped from his house on the night of 16-17th January 1941 and reappeared after a couple of months in Berlin, Germany. It was here that he founded the Indian National Army [INA] by recruiting Indian prisoners of war.

In 1943 Subhash, now known as Netaji, moved to Japan and made his first radio broadcast on 21st June 1943, taking everyone by surprise. He re-organized the Indian National Army and named it as Azad Hind Fauj and took over as its Supreme Commander. With the help of the Japanese Prime Minister Tojo, Netaji formed the Provincial Government of India which was meant to provide the INA with credentials of legitimacy. On 23rd October 1943 the Azad Hind Fauj Radio in Singapore declared war on Britain and USA. However, after dropping of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the surrender of the Japanese to the Allied Forces, the declared war came to an abrupt end.

In the meanwhile, Netaji also announced the formation of a Women’s Brigade within the INA and named it as ‘Rani of Jhansi Regiment’ after the celebrated Queen of Jhansi, Rani Lakshmibai, who had led the Indian soldiers against the Britishers in 1857 in the First War of Independence. Coincidentally, another Lakshmi, Lt.Col.Lakshmi, was placed in charge of this regiment.


On 17th August 1945, Netaji was reported to be flying to Tokyo, when it is alleged that his plane crashed and Netaji is supposed to have died in that crash. This news item has been disputed and this has been the subject matter for reference to three Commissions of Enquiry so far. Netaji was posthumously conferred the award of ‘Bharata Ratna’ in 1992, 47 years after his death.

History will hail this redoubtable stalwart as an illustrious pioneer and as one of the foremost and bravest captains of India’s struggle for freedom from foreign rule. He will ever shine as a resplendent lodestar, inspiring generations to come and beckoning them to selfless service in the cause of the Motherland.

B.M.N.Murthy

ARTICLE NO.550--NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE
Created: Friday, January 22, 2010 7:54 PM