Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose — my favourite National Leader
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose — my favourite National Leader
Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23 Jan, 1897 at Cuttack. In Matricula¬tion examination he stood second in the whole of the province. He secured the fourth position .in the Indian Civil Service Examination. He took the I.C.S. Examination to prove that Indians were in no way less capable than the Britishers. He had no desire to serve the British Imperialism and so resigned. What was foremost in his mind was the freedom for the country. It was he who gave the slogan of 'Delhi Chalo’.
In the beginning Netaji, as he was called, was attracted to Non-Co-operation Movement .and became a whole time worker of freedom movement. He became Chief Executive officer when Deshbandhu was the Mayor of Calcutta. He was so popular that the English regarded him a danger for their rule and framed up false charges against him. So the English deported him to Mandalay. He was released only when he was taken seriously ill. Netaji was extremist in his political thinking and so could not get along with Gandhi and Nehru on equal terms. In 1938 he was elected president of the Indian National Congress. In 1939 he was re-elected president of the INC inspite of the opposition by Mahatma Gandhi. He defeated the candidate of Mahatma Gandhi resulting in the hostile attitude of Gandhi and other senior leaders.
The break with Congress conferred a new status on him and he organized a separate political party, Forward Block. World War II broke out in 1939 and Netaji saw an opportunity for freedom of India. However, he was arrested on July 2,1940. He wrote a letter to the Governor of Bengal in which he wrote "The individual must die so that the nation may live. Today I must die that India may win freedom and glory." While he was under house-arrest in Calcutta, he escaped to Germany in the guise of a pathan and met with Hitler. He founded Free India Centers in Rome and Paris but soon left for far East when he heard of the success of Japanese against the British. The out-break of the war in the East in 1941 encouraged him to align himself with the enemies of the Britishers. Ras Bihari Bose & Captain Mohan Singh formed Indian National Army and handed over the charge to Netaji.
As a matter of fact, Netaji spread Indian Freedom Movement to South East Asia. He was hailed as Netaji, the supreme leader. Netaji declared his decision to form a Provisional Government of free India. It is there that he gave INA the rousing slogan of 'Delhi Chalo'. The provisional Government declared war against Britain and America. In a very short spell nine powers such as Japan, Germany China etc. accorded their recognition to the Provisional Government of Free India headed by Subhash Chandra Bose. Japan handed over Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Neta ji. He renamed them as 'Shaheed' and 'Swaraj' Islands respectively. National Tri-colour of freedom was unfurled by him for the first time. The soldiers of INA fought bravely and reached up to Imphal in Manipur. But when the tide turned against Japanese, the INA had to retreat and was virtually defeated. The Indian Independence Movement in South East Asia met with unfortunate but brave end.
Thus, Netaji has secured an immortal place of honour in the history of India. There are many myths about his death. Only time will reveal the truth about this great son of India. Who can forget the slogan he gave to Indians, "Give me blood; I shall give you freedom” Netaji made the Britishers realize that it was no more possible to take Indians for granted. So courageous he was that he made the INA truly representative by including the other half of India— the women. A women's wing in the INA was a symbolic fight for the emancipation of Indian women. His popularity was a sore not only in the eyes of the Britishers but also to the vested interests in the congress party. He believed that freedom obtained without blood-shed and sacrifices will never make the nation great. Unfortunately Netaji has not won respect and admiration from the state machinery of post independent India. Today his concept of true freedom has proved prophetically true.