Netaji was a 'dare-all leader' By Satya Prakash Malaviya in "The Pioneer" Subhash Chandra Bose is one of the few heroes of history who left the deepest impress on the minds of the people of India within a short span of his charismatic life. He was born on January 23, 1897 at Cuttack in Orissa.
Subhash Bose passed the Indian Civil Service examination obtaining fourth position but resigned in April, 1921. He was the first Indian to resign from the Indian Civil Service.
Being loyal is different from being honest…
The Under Secretary of State for India sent for him. Subhash told him, "I do not think one can be loyal to the British Raj and yet serve India honestly, heart and soul.
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He returned to India on July 16th, 1921, and met Mahatma Gandhi on the same day at Bombay. He wrote, "I remember clearly the scene of that afternoon...
"Facing the door sat the Mahatma...(he) received me with his typical hearty smile and soon put me at ease and the conversation started at once. I wanted to know about his plan which would finally lead to overthrowing foreign rule. And so I heaped question upon question and the Mahatma replied with patience."
Fight for democracy within Congress
However, Subhash left Gandhi, disappointed because he thought it was impossible to change the British.
Subhash was an indefatigable fighter for democracy within Congress. Mahatma Gandhi loved Subhash and Subhash had the highest respect for him. Gandhi called him "dare all leader". It is said that the sobriquet Netaji was given by Gandhi.
Bose to 'Netaji'
Subsequently at a mass rally held on July 9, 1943 at Singapore the title Netaji was affectionately conferred on Subhash by public acclamation. Both Gandhi and Subhash had one thing in common: their chief concern was to transform ideas into facts.
Gandhi believed in the doctrine of nonviolence to attain freedom, but Bose believed in revolutionary means for the goal of Swaraj.
'Compromising with wrong is a big crime'
Political testament of Subhash is remarkable. He wrote, "To my countrymen I say forget not that the grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong.
"Remember the eternal law you must give life, if you want to get it. And remember that the highest virtue is to battle against inequity, no matter what the cost may be. The individual must die so that the nation may live. Today I must die, so that India may live and may win freedom and glory."
He was completely dedicated to the cause of India's independence. He had one desire alone to find ways and means to fight for liberation of the motherland.
'This is Subhash over the Azad Hind Radio': After the Great Escape
On January 17, 1941, Subhash escaped from his Eight Road House in Calcutta and left India.
For about a year nothing was heard of him. There was also a news flash towards the close of 1941 that Subhash had died in air crash. On March 25, 1942 all doubts about Subhash were set at rest when he made a Broadcast from Radio Berlin. He spoke, "This is Subhash Chandra Bose, who is still alive speaking to you over the Azad Hind Radio...
"Ever since I left India last year, British propaganda agencies have from time to time given contradictory reports about my whereabouts... The latest report about my death is perhaps an instance of wishful thinking. I can imagine that the British Government would, at this critical hour in India's history, like to see me dead since they are now trying their level best to win India over to their side for the purpose of their imperialistic war".
Support to Gandhiji's 'Do or Die'
In August 1942 Gandhi gave a call for Britishers to "Quit India" and for Indians to "Do or Die." Subhash Bose gave his full support to this call through his Radio Broadcast from Germany on August 31, 1942 in which he said, "In the last days of our campaign there will be much suffering and sorrow, much persecution and slaughter... But that is the price of liberty and it has to be paid. It is but natural that in its last hours the British lion will bite hard, but it is after all the bite of a dying lion, and we shall survive it."
Gandhiji is Father of Our Nation
In a broadcast from Bangkok on October 2, 1943, on the occasion of 75th birth anniversary of Gandhi, Bose described him as the greatest leader of Indians and his services to the cause of India's freedom as unique and unparalleled and added that his name will be written in letters of gold in our national history for all time.
Subhash was the first to address Mahatma Gandhi as Father of Nation.
Voice echoes forever:
In a Broadcast from Azad Hind Radio on July 6, 1944 he said, "India's last war of Independence has begun... Troops of the Azad Hind Fauz are now fighting bravely on the soil of India... Father of our nation! In this holy war of India's liberation, we ask for your blessings and good wishes".
The deeds of INA are heroic and a saga of supreme sacrifice. On August 22, 1945 Tokyo Radio announced that Subhash Chandra Bose had died in an air-crash in Formosa on August 18, 1945 en route to Japan. He was then forty-eight years only. No Indian believed the shocking news.
Indian first and last:
Today we must remember the following tribute of Gandhi to Bose: "The greatest and the lasting act of Netaji was that he abolished all distinctions of caste and class. He was Indian first and last. What is more, he fired all under him with the same zeal so that they forgot in his presence all distinctions and acted as one man."
The nation refuses to believe that their true Idol of Patriotism, Subhash Bose, is dead.
Events in Nethaji's Life
» 1897: Born to Sri Janaki Nath Basu and Pravabati Devi in Cuttack, Orissa » 1913: Stood second in the School leaving examination and took admission in Presidency college, Calcutta. » 1915: Passed Intermediate examination in first division. » 1916: Charged for misbehaving with British Professor, rusticated from Prsidency college. » 1917: Got admitted in Scottish Church college in Philosphy Honours. » 1919: Got first class in Philosophy Honours and left for England for ICS examination. » 1920: Passed the then ICS examnation in London with highest marks in English. » 1921: He got the prestigious tripos degree of Cambridge University. » Resigned from his ICS job and came back to mother land in the same year. Formed South Calcutta Sevak Samity. Was arrested in the end of 1921 for anti British movement. » 1922: Released from jail on August 1. Joined Swarajya dal under the leadership of Deshbandhu Chittaranjan in Gaya congress. 1923: Elected President of All India Youth Congress; elected Secretary of Bengal State Congress and Editor of the paper 'Forward', founded by Deshabandhu.
1924: Swarajya Dal won Calcutta Municipality election. Deshabandhu elected Mayor of Calcutta and Subhas Chandra became CEO. Arrested again in October by the British Government. » 1924-27: Spent nearly three years in the Burma jail; released in May. » 1925: Deshabandhu passed away. » 1927: Elected General Secretary of All India Congress Committee. » 1928: Formed the Volunteer organization in the Calcutta summit of Indian Congress and elected as the General Officer in Command. » 1929: Addressed the Lahore summit of Indian Congress and proposed for a parallel Government in India. » 1930: Jailed in January again; elected Mayor of Calcutta Corporation from jail. » 1931: Elected President of INTUC in Calcutta meeting. » 1933: Left for Europe. » 1933-36: Met reputed personalities like Mussolini in Italy, Felder in Germany, D. Valera in Ireland and Roma Rolland in France. » 1936: Returned to India in April; arrested in Bombay. » 1936-37: Released in March and started for Europe; published 'Indian Struggle'. » 1938: Elected President of Indian Congress. d President of Indian Congress; made the historic speech in Haripura convention; formed National Planning Commission. Rabindra Nath Tagore falicited Subhas Cahndra in Santiniketan. » 1939: Reelected President of Indian Congress; resigned and formed the new organization Forward Block; Rabindra Nath laid the Foundation stone of Mahajati Sadan. » 1940: Arrested and started fasting in the jail; released from the jail. » 1941: Left home and absconded; reached Kabul and then left for Moscow; met Hitler in Berlin. » 1942: Left home and made the historic speech on air from Germany; formed Indian Legion and expanded its activities. » 1943: Started for Japan by submarine; reached Tokyo and delivered the speech on air in Tokyo; convened the meeting of South East Asian Indian Independence League. » Formed the Azad Hind Government on October 21; visited Andaman islands in December. » 1944: The Azad Hind Fauz approached the Arakan front; war breaks out near Imphal and Azad Hind took control of Kohima-Imphal; rejected the peace proposal of British Govrnment through a speech on air; reached Tokyo to discuss with Japanese Government; addressed a massive public meeting in Kualalampur. » 1945: Delivered the speech on air from Sonan Radio; started for Bangkok. » Laid foundation stone for Martyrs' statues at Sonan; Hirosima and Nagasaki destroyed by atom bomb by the Americans; Japan surrenders; Subhas left Saigon to implement his future plans.Netaji Subhas could not be traced after that. Some people believe that he died in a plane crash, others refuse to accept that even today.
