Special article on Netaji’s birth anniversary on 23 January
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – Charismatic Great Personality: An Evaluation
THE ASIAN INDEPENDENT UK-
Dr. Ramji Lal, Social Scientist, Former Principal, Dyal Singh College, Karnal (Haryana, India
Email—[email protected]
Subhash Chandra Bose (Popularly known as Netaji – 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945) is a pioneer among those sons of Mother India who, taking risks not only in India but also abroad, made an incomparable contribution in the fight for India’s independence against British imperialism and sacrificed his entire life for national liberation. Netaji was such an excellent nationalist, great patriot, military hero and warrior, successful manager and organiser, socialist revolutionary, realist, existentialist politician, eloquent speaker, writer, and charismatic great personality whose every pore had incomparable feelings of patriotism, self-sacrifice, sacrifice, self-confidence, independence, and love for the nation. He was a great revolutionary, propagandist, fighter, and political personality.
He was born on this day, 23 January 1897. After receiving higher education from Kolkata University, due to his extraordinary intelligence, talent, strong self-confidence, hard work, concentrated dedication and high level of devotion towards his ideals, he passed the Indian Civil Service examination in 1920. In 1921, at the age of only 24, he resigned from the ICS job and jumped into the struggle for national liberation. He made national independence his main goal. He kept struggling in the country and abroad to achieve his objective. Due to his charismatic personality, political views, fierce struggle, great intellect, powerful oratory, and indomitable courage, Netaji had reached the pinnacle and became the emperor of the hearts of the people. This credit goes firstly to Mahatma Gandhi and secondly to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Influence on His Thinking:
Ramakrishna Paramhansa, Swami Vivekananda, and Aurobindo Ghosh had a great influence on his political, economic, social, and spiritual ideology since childhood. Swami Vivekananda guided him towards personal salvation and the welfare of humanity. He was also influenced by Lenin’s thoughts and the Bolshevik revolution. That is why he did not compromise with Gandhism and right-wing ideology. Kamal Pasha, De Valera, Mussolini, Hitler, etc. also influenced his nationalist thinking.
On 13 April 1919, According to Civil Surgeon of Amritsar, Dr. Smith, about 1800 men, women, and Children were killed in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. As a result, the spark of the revolutionary movement started flaring up all over India. A new turn came in the national movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
Resignation from the post of President:
When the non-cooperation movement (4 September 1920–4 February 1922) was at its peak, Mahatma Gandhi suddenly ended the movement as a result of the violent incident of Chora Chori. Countless Congressmen, patriots, including Subhash Chandra Bose, and young revolutionaries like Bhagat Singh almost lost faith in the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Bose stressed the Jail Bharo movement, providing equal rights to women and Hindu-Muslim unity to discourage and overthrow the British imperialist government. Due to Netaji’s powerful speeches and thoughts, his popularity gradually increased, and he became a leading leader of the top level in the Congress. Netaji was elected the President of the Congress in the Haripur session (1938) and Tripuri session (1939). In the Tripuri session, due to differences in the Congress, he resigned from the post of President, and in 1939, to continue his struggle, he established the Forward Block.
Reflections on Nation -Building
His reflections on Nation –Building were completely opposite to the ideology of the current elite ruling class. In his presidential speech at the Haripur conference of the Congress in 1938, he said, “I have no doubt that the problems related to the elimination of our poverty, illiteracy and disease, and scientific production and distribution can be solved only by following the socialist path. Independent India is not a country of capitalists, landlords, and castes. Independent India will be a social and political democracy.” In short, in 1944, Bose himself said, “Our philosophy should be a synthesis between national socialism and communism.”.
Second World War and Subhash Chandra Bose
The Second World War started on 1 September 1939. During this war, the policy of Subhash Chandra Bose and many revolutionaries was that ‘the enemy’s enemy is a friend’. Till that time, Soviet Russia (present Russia) was not involved in the war. The world was divided into two hostile military blocs. In this war, on one side there were ‘Allied Nations’ led by England, and On the other side there were Axis Nations led by Nazi Hitler (Germany) and Fascist Mussolini (Italy). Subhash Chandra Bose wanted to free India by ending British imperialism in India by taking help from two nations with opposite ideologies: Communist Russia and Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. To achieve this goal, in January 1941, he succeeded in going to Kabul, Moscow (Soviet Union) via Peshawar. On 28 March 1941, he left Moscow for Germany by aeroplane and met Hitler. He reached Tokyo on 13 June 1943.
Subhash Chandra Bose: Commander in Chief of Azad Hind Fauj and establishment of Interim Government
On 12 February 1942, with the help of Japan, the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army—INA) was established by Manmohan Singh. In June 1943, Subhash Chandra Bose became its Commander in Chief. There were 398 officers and 2,317 soldiers from Haryana in the Azad Hind Fauj. According to another source, there were 2,847 soldiers from Haryana, out of which 346 brave soldiers sacrificed their lives and made an unprecedented contribution to the independence of the country. There were 119 soldiers and 14 officers from Karnal district, out of which 5 soldiers and officers were martyred.
He established the Interim Government on October 21, 1943, which was recognised by nine countries of the world, including Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Azad Hind Fauj succeeded in entering Indian soil. Bose gave the call of ‘Delhi Chalo’ to the Azad Hind Fauj, which even today creates patience and enthusiasm in the people of India
Blessings sought from Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi: Appeal to the public: You give me blood, and I will give you freedom
Bose appealed to the public and said, “I know that the British government will never accept the demand for India’s independence. I have become convinced that if we want freedom, we should be ready to cross a river of blood. If I had hoped that we would get another golden opportunity to get freedom in my life, I would probably not have left home. Whatever I have done, I have done for my country. I have done it to increase India’s prestige in the world and to reach closer to the goal of India’s independence. The last battle for India’s independence has begun. The soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj are fighting successfully on the land of India. O Father of the Nation! We want your blessings and good wishes in this holy war for India’s independence.”
Marching Song of The Azad Hind Fauj
The Marching Song of the Azad Hind Fauj (Quick March) was composed by Ram Singh Thakuri. Its tune is still used as the marching song of the Indian Army. The complete marching song is as follows:
Keep singing songs of joy
This life is for the nation
You should sacrifice yourself for the nation
You lion of India should move ahead
Never be afraid of death
By cutting off the heads of enemies
Keep increasing the enthusiasm of the nation
खुशी के गीत गाये जा
ये जिंदगी है क़ौम की
तू क़ौम पे लुटाये जा
तू शेर-ए-हिन्द आगे बढ़
मरने से तू कभी न डर
उड़ा के दुश्मनों का सर
जोश-ए-वतन बढ़ाये जा
Azad Hind Fauj’s Trials:
About 17000 soldiers of Azad Hind Fauj were put in jails at different places. Trials to hang the captured soldiers in jails began in November 1945. The most famous trial among these was held in most famous. It is also known as ‘Red Fort Trial’. The accused in this were Colonel Prem Sehgal (Hindu), Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon (Sikh), and Major General Shahnawaz Khan (Muslim).
It was a series of court martial held at the Red Fort in Delhi from November 1945 to May 1946. In 1945, the Congress Working Committee formed a Defence Committee to represent the soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj. The main function of this committee was to provide legal defence, coordinate information, and arrange relief efforts for the soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj. The lawyers who represented the Azad Hind Fauj in the Red Fort cases included Jawaharlal Nehru, Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, Asaf Ali, Kailash Nath Katju ,and Lieutenant Colonel Horilal Verma.
On a Brink of Volcano
Public meetings were organised from the capital of India, Delhi, to the huts of the villages to get the soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj released from jails. The anger of the public was at its peak. This slogan was reverberating throughout India: ‘Destroy the Red Fort, leave Azad Hind’. Mass Demonstrations of public anger were being held against the cases being filed against 17 thousand soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj. In these demonstrations, More than 326 people lost their lives in Delhi, Mumbai, Madurai, and Lahore due to police brutalities.
We also get a description of the effects of these demonstrations from the files of the Home Ministry kept in the National Archives of India, New Delhi. The Chief Commissioner of Delhi wrote to the Secretary of India on 14 November 1945, “I am concerned about the effect of the loyal elements in the services on the people, especially on the police and the army.” The Intelligence Bureau of the Home Department of the Government of India wrote in December 1945, “The sentiments of the people of India are with the people of the Azad Hind Fauj from cities to villages, and The government propaganda has no effect. Due to the influence of the Azad Hind Fauj, even the Indian soldiers and Indian officers in the Indian Army who were still with the British have started considering themselves as ‘traitors and traitors of the nation’.
R. F. Mudie, then Home Member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council, opined: “Bengal’s influence over the INA was substantial… It affected all races, castes, and communities. Men admired him (Bose) for organising India’s First ‘National Army’ and for so conducting himself… the Japanese were forced to treat Indians as allies. In the eyes of many, he stood on a level with Gandhi.”
Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel praised the sacrifices of the soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj in the 1946 elections Due to the influence of the Quit India Movement (1942), the control of the imperialist government over the people of India had almost been eradicated, and the government was sitting on the brink of a volcano, which could break any moment. The officials believed that either to quit India or one should be ready to be killed. Due to the influence of Azad Hind Fauj, there were revolts and mutinies in Indian Civil Service, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Air Force, land forces (Eastern Command Kolkata) and Police. As a result, when such a report was sent to the Cabinet of England by the Governor of India, they had only one option and they had to quit India. India got freedom from the British imperialism, control and exploitation of Indian Kings and Nawabs on 15 August 1947 as a divided nation. The present politicians who throw mud at each other must learn that despite the opposition, there should be the relationship that was between Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji. Subhash Chandra Bose addressed Mahatma Gandhi as ‘Father of the Nation’. We salute Netaji with the most popular slogan ,’Jai Hind.
