INDIAN NUTS: 07/01/07

Subhas Chandra Bose-NETAJI

Subhas Chandra Bose (1897-1945) was one of India's great nationalist leaders of the first half of the 20th century. He led the revolutionary Indian National Army during World War II.

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on Jan. 23, 1897, at Cuttack, Orissa, the ninth child of a lawyer of Kayasth caste. He attended a private school for European and Anglo-Indian boys run by the Baptist Mission and later a preparatory school. He was religious and spent much time in meditation.

At college in Calcutta, Bose became politically and socially aware. British insults to Indians in public places were offensive to him. He was personally implicated in an incident involving an English professor who had manhandled some students, and as a result Bose left the college.

YOUNG BOSE

Bose matriculated at Cambridge, and his high score on civil service exams meant an almost automatic appointment. He then took his first conscious step as a revolutionary and resigned the appointment on the premise that the "best way to end a government is to withdraw from it." At the time, Indian nationalists were suffering shock and indignation because of the Amritsar massacre and the repressive Rowlatt legislation of 1919. Returning to India, Bose wrote for the newspaper Swaraj and took charge of publicity for the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee. His mentor was C. R. Das, spokesman for the aggressive nationalism of Bengal. Bose worked for Das when the latter was elected mayor of Calcutta in 1924. In a roundup of terrorists in 1925, Bose was arrested and sent to prison in Mandalay, where he contracted tuberculosis.

Bose in National Politics

Released from prison 2 years later, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence. Again Bose was arrested and jailed for civil disobedience; this time he emerged mayor of Calcutta. During the mid-1930s Bose traveled in Europe for his health, visiting Indian students and European politicians, including Hitler in 1936. He observed party organization and saw communism and fascism in action.

By 1938 Bose had become a leader of national stature and agreed to accept nomination as Congress president. He stood for unqualified swaraj (independence), including the use of force against the British. This meant a confrontation with Mohandas Gandhi, who in fact opposed Bose's presidency, splitting the Congress party. Bose attempted to maintain unity, but Gandhi advised Bose to form his own cabinet.

BOSE&JINNAH

The rift also divided Bose and Nehru. Bose appeared at the 1939 Congress meeting on a stretcher. Though he was elected president again, this time differences with Gandhi led to Bose's resignation. "I am an extremist, " Bose once said, and his uncompromising stand finally cut him off from the mainstream of Indian nationalism.

Bose then organized the Forward Bloc with the aim of consolidating the political left, but its main strength was in his home state, Bengal. He envisioned a strong state, a synthesis of fascism and communism.

When war erupted in Europe, Bose was again imprisoned for civil disobedience and put under house arrest to await trial.

THE CAR WITH ESCAPED

He escaped and made his way to Berlin by way of Peshawar and Afghanistan. In Europe, Bose sought help from Hitler and Mussolini for the liberation of India. He made propaganda broadcasts to England and India. He got Nazi permission to organize the Indian Legion of prisoners of war from Africa, but the legion remained basically German in training and command.

AFTER HIS ESCAPE ,BOSE PASSPORT CANCELLED

BOSE&ROMMEL(GERMAN ARMY LEADER)

Bose felt the need for stronger steps, and he turned to the Japanese embassy in Berlin, which finally made arrangements for Bose to go to Asia. Bose's impressive appearance and charisma attracted women admirers, including his Viennese secretary, whom he secretly married and by whom he had a daughter. It was also in Germany that Bose acquired his popular name, "Netaji, " an equivalent of "führer."

Indian National Army

AZADHIND FLAG

Arriving in Tokyo in May 1943, Bose attracted the attention of the Japanese high command, including Hideki Tojo, Japan's premier. The intelligence section of Japanese headquarters had already cooperated in founding an Indian National Army (INA) in Southeast Asia. Bose was flown to Singapore and became commander of the INA and head of the Free India provisional government. The INA included both Indian prisoners of war from Singapore and Indian civilians in Southeast Asia. Its strength grew to 50, 000.

UNRELEASED STAMPS OF INA

The INA fought Allied forces in 1944 inside the borders of India at Imphal and in Burma. For Bose any means and any ally were acceptable in the struggle to liberate India. By the end of World War II none of Bose's Axis allies had helped decisively, and Bose then turned to the Soviet Union.

THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH OF NETHAJI ON AUG,17,1945

On Aug. 18, 1945, Bose was en route to the Soviet Union in a Japanese plane when it crashed in Taipeh, burning him fatally.

SO CALLED CRASHED PLANE

SOUTHGATE HOSPITAL BOSE DIED

NURSE WHO TREATED BOSE ON DEATHBED

Three officers of the INA were tried after the war in Delhi; the trial attracted so much popular sympathy (including statements by Nehru and Gandhi that the men were great patriots) that the British decision to withdraw from India followed. Bose indirectly and posthumously achieved his goal of Indian independence.

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.

Comments of Nethaji Subash Chandra bose

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.

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."

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."

However, Subhash left Gandhi, disappointed because he thought it 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.

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.

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.

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".

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."

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. (NB: The "Mahatma" had not yet "died" a coward's death at Partition talks! At that particular moment in time the "Mahatma" was like the Cardinal who had not yet shot dead his mother or raped his kitchen maid.)

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.

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.

LINKS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhash_Chandra_Bose

AZADHIND
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arzi_Hukumat-e-Azad_Hind

AXIS POWERS DURING WW2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

DEATH OF BOSE
http://www.answers.com/topic/death-of-subhash-chandra-bose

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/specials/Netaji/photogallerycrash.htm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4236189.stm

http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=41540

NETAJI DIDNT DIED INCRASH

http://in.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/17spec.htm

Anita Bose Pfaff, Netaji's only child, was born in Vienna, her mother's city, which her father visited in 1934 for medical treatment. During his stay Netaji asked an Indian friend to locate an English-speaking secretary to help him with a book he was planning to write.

The friend, who ran an English conversation course, introduced him to Emilie Schenkl in June 1934. Emilie was the daughter of a prominent veterinary surgeon. They soon fell in love and married in December 1937 in Bad Gastein. Anita, who was born in 1942, is married to Professor Martin Pfaff, formerly a Green Party member of the Bundestag, the German parliament. They have three children: Peter Arun, Thomas Krishna and Maya Carina.

INTERVIEW WITH BOSE DAUGHTER

http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/may/11inter1.htm