Introduction
Subhash Chandra Bose was one of India’s greatest freedom fighter. He revived
the Indian National Army, popularly known as ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ in 1943
which was initially formed in 1942 by Rash Behari Bose. Netaji Subhash
Chandra Bose had visited London during pre-independence period to discuss the
future of India, with the members of the Labor party. His sudden disappearance
from Taiwan, led to surfacing of various theories, unfortunately none of which
were investigated thoroughly by successive governments; leaving people in the
dark about one of the most beloved leaders India has ever produced.
Life history of Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack (Orissa) to
Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. Janakinath Bose was one of the successful
lawyer in Cuttack and received the title of “Rai Bahadur”. He, later became a
member of the Bengal Legislative Council.
Subhash Chandra Bose was a very intelligent and sincere student but never had
much interest in sports. He passed his B.A. in Philosophy from the Presidency College
in Calcutta. He was strongly influenced by
Swami
Vivekananda’s teachings and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. He
also adored Vivekananda as his spiritual
Guru.
Start of the opposition to British by
Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose decided to take revenge, after reading so many incidents
about the exploitation of the fellow Indians by the British. In 1916, Subhash
reportedly beat and thrashed one of his British teachers E F Otten. The
professor made a racist remark against the Indian students. As a result,
Subhash Chandra Bose was expelled from the Presidency College and banished from
Calcutta University. The incident brought Subhash in the list of rebel-Indians.
In December 1921, Bose was arrested and imprisoned for organizing a boycott of
the celebrations to mark the Prince of Wales’s visit to India.
Subhash Chandra Bose in Britain for
ICS and return to India
Subhash Chandra Bose at
young age
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Subhash Chandra Bose’s father wanted him to become a civil servant and
therefore, sent him to England to appear for the Indian Civil Service
Examination. Bose was placed fourth with highest marks in English. But his urge
for participating in the freedom movement was intense that in April 1921, Bose
resigned from the coveted Indian Civil Service and came back to India. Soon, he
left home to become an active member of India’s independence movement. He,
later joined the Indian National Congress, and also elected as the president of
the Youth wing party.
Subhash Chaandra Bose with Congress
Subhash Chandra Bose worked under the leadership of Chittaranjan Das, an active
member of Congress in Calcutta. It was Chittaranjan Das, who along with Motilal
Nehru, left Congress and founded the Swaraj Party in 1922. Subhash would regard
Chittaranjan Das as his political
guru.
While Chittaranjan Das was busy in developing the national strategy, Subhash
Chandra Bose played a major role in enlightening the students, youth and
labourers of Calcutta. He was eagerly waiting to see India, as an independent,
federal and republic nation.
Subhash Chandra Bose Vs. Congress
In freedom struggle congress was large organisation. Subhash Chandra Bose
became a strong leader in Congress and he made brave attempt to mould the
entire party differently. Congress party was always lenient and never in a
position to oppose. Saubhashbabu outrightly opposed this behaviour. This opposition
was against Gandhi‘s philosophy. Therefore Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders
were hurt and since then they opposed him.
Congress party had undertaken a mission of opposing his every thought,
insulting him and to stifle his highflying ambitions. In this manoeuvre of
congress many a time he felt suffocated. Once there was a picture of ‘Subhash
Chandra Bose against entire congress party’. It was first election of congress
that time. Usually closer aide of Mahatma Gandhi used to get elected; but this
time Subhash Chandra Bose got elected with higher votes. This insulted Gandhi
group, which lead to their less interest of thinking towards parties campaign
for independence.
In order to acknowledge outside support and get freedom he journeyed to far
away Germany, Japan when it was period of 2nd world war! He decided to
induce soldiers from outside to get freedom. Nehru at that time said “If
Subhash would bring soldiers from outside and enter India, then I would be the
first person to wield a sword and oppose him.” That was the extent to
which he detested Subhash babu.
Formation of Azad Hind Fauj by Subhash
Chandra Bose
Netaji with Azad Hind Fauj
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Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was against rendering any kind of help to the
British during the World War II. He warned them so. The second World War broke
out in September of 1939, and just as predicted by Bose, India was declared as
a warring state (on behalf of the British) by the Governor General,
without consulting Indian leaders. The Congress party was in power in seven
major states and all state governments resigned in protest.
Subhash Chandra Bose now started a mass movement against utilizing Indian
resources and men for the great war. To him, it made no sense to further
bleed poor Indians for the sake of colonial and imperial nations.
There was a tremendous response to his call and the British promptly imprisoned
him . He took to a hunger-strike, and after his health deteriorated on the 11th
day of fasting, he was freed and was placed under house arrest. The British
could do nothing except locking him in the prison.
It was in 1941, that Subhash Chandra Bose suddenly disappeared. The authorities
did not come to know for many days that he was not in his Barrack (the house in
which he was being guarded). He traveled by foot, car and train and resurfaced
in Kabul (now in Afghanistan), only to disappear once again. In November
1941, his broadcast from German radio sent shock waves among the British and
electrified the Indian masses who realized that their leader was working on a
master plan to free their motherland. It also gave fresh confidence to the
revolutionaries in India who were challenging the British in many ways.
The Axis powers (mainly Germany) assured Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose military
and other help to fight the British. Japan by this time had grown into another
strong world power, occupying key colonies of Dutch, French, and British
colonies in Asia. Netaji Bose had struck alliance with Germany and Japan. He
rightly felt that his presence in the East would help his countrymen in freedom
struggle and second phase of his saga began. It is told that he was last seen
on land near Kiel canal in Germany, in the beginning of 1943. A most hazardous
journey was undertaken by him under water, covering thousands of miles,
crossing enemy territories. He was in the Atlantic, the Middle East, Madagascar
and the Indian ocean. Battles were being fought over land, in the air and there
were mines in the sea. At one stage he traveled 400 miles in a rubber dingy to
reach a Japanese submarine, which took him to Tokyo. He was warmly received in
Japan and was declared the head of the Indian army, which consisted of
about 40,000 soldiers from Singapore and other eastern regions. These soldiers
were united by another great revolutionary Rash Behari Bose. Rash Behari handed
over them to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. Netaji Bose called it the Indian
National Army (INA) and a government by the name “Azad Hind Government”
was declared on the 21st of October 1943. INA freed the Andaman and Nicobar
islands from the British and were renamed as Swaraj and Shaheed islands. The
Government started functioning.
Subhash Chandra Bose wanted to free India from the Eastern front. He had taken
care that Japanese interference was not present from any angle. Army
leadership, administration and communications were managed by Indians only.
Subhash Brigade, Azad Brigade and Gandhi Brigade were formed. INA marched
through Burma and occupied Coxtown on the Indian Border. A touching scene
ensued when the solders entered their ‘free’ motherland. Some lay down and
kissed, some placed pieces of mother earth on their heads, others wept.
They were now inside India and were determined to drive out the British! Delhi
Chalo (Let’s march to Delhi) was the war cry.
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed the history of mankind. Japan had
to surrender.
Effect of Netaji Subhash Chandra
Bose’s earlier visits to England
During his sojourn to England, he met with the leaders of British Labor Party
and political thinkers including Clement Attlee, Arthur Greenwood, Harold
Laski, G.D.H. Cole, and Sir Stafford Cripps. Bose also discuss with them about
the future of India. It must also be noted that it was during the regime of the
Labor Party (1945-1951), with Attlee as the Prime Minister, that India gained
independence.
Disappearance of Subhash Chandra Bose
Although it was believed that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose died in a plane
crash, his body was never recovered. There have been many theories put forward
regarding his disappearance. The government of India set up a number of
committees to investigate the case and come out with truth.
In May 1956, the Shah Nawaz Committee visited Japan to look into the situation
of Bose’s assumed death. Citing their lack of political relations with Taiwan,
the Centre, did not seek for the assistance from their government. The reports
of Justice Mukherjee Commission, tabled in Parliament on 17 May, 2006 said,
“Bose did not die in the plane crash and the ashes at Renkoji temple are not
his”. However, the findings were rejected by the government of India.