Tribute To Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose - On His Birthday

[rapchik]

Tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Haroon Habib





Pic: Subhas Chandra Bose (1897 - 1945) 

A Tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth day who   emphasized that political freedom alone would not be sufficient, as the ills of the British colonialism  would continue to haunt post-Independent Sub-continent .. 
 
Born in January 23, 1897, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a unique political figure   of the  undivided India who contributed immensely to the cause of Sub-continent’s  freedom from the British colonialism  .  
 
Popularly known as Netaji, Subhas completed his initial education  in  Cuttack,where  he was born, and  completed his graduation from the Calcutta  Presidency College in 1913.  He   left India for England to appear at the Indian Civil Service Examination. 
 
But Subhas was the last person to  work under the  colonial  Government. He  resigned ICS post and returned to India on the call of Desbandhu Chittaranjan Das  . Netaji  was a revolutionary  leader with a strong sense of humanity   . He did not have much faith in Gandhijis ‘non-violent’ campaign to free India from  an  oppressive and colonial power  . He had the strong understanding  that  the colonial British power must be challenged  by a strong patriotic Indian liberation army to hasten  independence  . Thus he  organised, with an unprecedented courage and ability, the  military arm to  the India’s freedom movement  . 
 
The colonial British  perceived Netaji  as a potential source of danger and had him arrested many a times since 1924. He  was  released from Mandalay jail in 1927,and upon  return to Calcutta,  Netaji was elected President of the Bengal Congress Committee on October 27, 1927. 
 
Subhas was one of the few politicians   who  worked towards Hindu-Muslim unity . An immensely  popular leader across undivided India, he   was sown in as Mayor of Calcutta Corporation on  his release from jail . 
 
In 1931 the split between Gandhiji and Subhas surfaced .  Subhas viewed freedom as an absolute necessity, unlike the freedom which Gandhiji was "negotiating" with the colonial British. Netaji   was arrested again, and imprisoned in several jails outside West Bengal . His health deteriorated, and the British authorities decided to  send him  to Switzerland for treatment. 
  
Realizing that his avenues abroad were greater under the present situation at home, Netaji  set sail for Europe on February 23, 1933. He  stayed in various parts of Europe till  March 1936 making contacts with Indian revolutionaries and European socialists supporting the struggle for Independence. 
 
Many historians saw contradictory stances of the India’s  most formidable enemy of the colonial British  . But what Subhas did was for India’s freedom from the colonial British . While in Europe, he   met Mussolini in Italy and made Vienna his headquarters.  He   opposed to the racial theory of Nazism but appreciated its organizational strength and discipline. On March 27, 1936 he sailed for Bombay  but was taken  to jail immediately after disembarking. 
 
Meanwhile time  had healed the tensions between Subhas and Gandhiji, and Gandhiji supported Subhas in his efforts to become the President of the next Congress session, 1938. 
 
He went to England again  in 1938 and rallied for the Indian freedom cause amongst Indian students and British labor leaders sympathetic toward India's cause. Upon his return  in February 1938, Subhas was elected President of the Indian National Congress. 
 
Netaji  emphasized that political freedom alone would not be sufficient, as the ills of the British reign would continue to haunt post-Independent India. But Gandhiji found Subhas's ideologies ‘far too leftist’  . 
 
Differences between Gandhiji and Subhas led to a crisis when Gandhiji opposed Subhas' idea that the Bengal Government (a coalition between the Krishak Praja Party & Muslim League) be ousted and the Congress take charge in coalition with the Krishak party. The idea was criticized by Gandhiji and Nehru, which resulted in the strengthening of the Muslim League in Bengal and ultimately partition of India. It is obvious today that had Subhas been able to carry out his plans, Bengal would be a different entity . But the dream did not come true .  

 
Despite opposition from the Congress brass, Subhas was a favorite amongst the majority as he was re-elected for a second term in March 1939. Gandhiji considered Subhas's victory as his ‘personal defeat’ and went on a fast . Netaji resigned as  a mark of respect to Gandhiji.  
 
Netaji In Germany  
 
It was the time of the Second World War.  Netaji was than interned at his house in Calcutta under strict British surveillance. But the miracle man   left his well-guarded home, to organise Indian liberation army outside India . 
 
He reached Germany, and  submitted a memorandum to the German government on 9th April 1941 which outlined a plan for co-operation between the Axis powers and India. Among other things, it called for the setting up of a "Free India Government" in Europe, preferably in Berlin; establishment of a Free India broadcasting station calling upon the Indian people to assert their independence and rise up in revolt against the British colonial authorities. 
 
After months of waiting and many moments of disappointment, Germany agreed to give Netaji  all-out help. 
 
The two immediate results came out following  Subhas’a interactions with the Germans .One,   the establishment of a ‘Free India Center’ and inauguration of a ‘Free India Radio’, both began their operations in November 1941.    
 
In November 1941, Azad Hind Radio  opened its program for the first time. Netaji gave the inaugural speech, which, in fact, was a disclosure of his identity that had been kept officially secret for so long. He said " I am Subhash Chandra Bose who is still alive and talking to you". During this broadcast he called Gandhiji as the father of the nation. 
 
Netaji with Japan 
 
In the midst of the Second World War, on 15 February 1942, Singapore fell to the Japanese army . Two days later, in an impressive ceremony held at Farrar Park in the heart of the Singapore, British Indian troops were handed over to the Japanese as prisoners-of-war . The  victorious Japanese handed over the commandership of the  POWs  to Captain Mohan Singh of the Indian contingents. Mohan Singh vowed to fight the British to free India.
 
Netaji  then called a conference in Tokyo . The delegates representing several East and Southeast Asian countries present at the conference decided to form the Indian Independence League (IIL) . Subhas   was recognized as head of the IIL . 
 
On 15 June 1942, a conference opened in Bangkok with over a hundred delegates  attending from all over Asia. It  decided  to set up a political nucleus to carry forward   India’s independence movement from  East Asia.  It was further decided that Singapore would be the headquarters of the IIL. The Indian National Army (INA) was officially inaugurated in September 1942.   
 
 

[rapchik]

The following speech was given by 'Netaji' as he was popularly known to the INA soldiers in Singapore. 
 

 
TO DELHI, TO DELHI! 

July 5, 1943 


SOLDIERS of India's Army of Liberation!

Today is the proudest day of my life. Today it has pleased Providence to give me the unique privilege and honour of announcing to the whole world that India's Army of Liberation has come into being. This army has now been drawn up in military formation on the battlefield of Singapore, which was once the bulwark of the British Empire.

This is not only the Army that will emancipate India from the British yoke; it is also the Army that will hereafter create the future national army of Free India. Every Indian must feel proud that this Army, his own Army, has been organized entirely under Indian leadership and that when the historic moment arrives, under Indian leadership it will go to battle.

There are people who thought at one time that the Empire on which the sun did not set was an everlasting empire. No such thought ever troubled me. History had taught me that every empire has its inevitable decline and collapse. Moreover I had seen with my own eyes, cities and fortresses that were once the bulwarks but which became the graveyards of by-gone empires. Standing today on the graveyard of the British empire, even a child is convinced that the almighty British empire is already a thing of the past.

When France declared war on Germany in 1939 and the campaign began, there was but one cry which rose from the lips of German soldiers--"To Paris, To Paris!" When the Brave soldiers of Nippon set out on their march in December 1941 there was but one cry which rose from their lips-"To Singapore. To Singapore!" Comrades! Soldiers! Let your battle-cry be-"To-Delhi to Delhi! “How many of us will individually survive this war of freedom, I do not know. But I do know this, that we shall ultimately win and our task will not end until our surviving heroes hold the victory parade on another graveyard of the British empire, the Lal Kila or Red Fortress of ancient Delhi.

Throughout my public career, I have always felt that though India is otherwise ripe for independence in every way, she has lacked one thing, namely an army of liberation. George Washington of America could fight and win freedom, because he had his army. Garibaldi could liberate Italy, because he had his armed volunteers behind him. It is your privilege and honour to be the first to come forward and organize India's national army.

By doing so, you have removed the last obstacle in our path to freedom. Be happy and proud that you are the pioneers, the vanguard, in such a noble cause. 

Let me remind you that you have a two-fold task to perform. With the force of arms and at the cost of your blood you will have to win liberty. Then, when India is free, you will have to organize the permanent army of Free India, whose task it will be to preserve our liberty for all time. We must build up our national defense on such an unshakable foundation that never again in our history shall we lose our freedom. 

As soldiers, you will always have to cherish and live up to the three-ideals of faithfulness, duty and sacrifice. Soldiers who always remain faithful to their nation, who are always prepared to sacrifice their lives, are invincible. If you, too, want to be invincible, engrave these three ideals in the innermost core of your hearts. 

A true soldier needs both military and spiritual training. You must, all of you, so train yourselves and your comrades that every soldier will have unbounded confidence in himself, will be conscious of being immensely superior to the enemy, will be fearless of death, and will have sufficient initiative to act on his own in any critical situation should the need arise. During the course of the present war, you have seen with your own eyes what wonders scientific training, coupled with courage, fearlessness and dynamism, can achieve. Learn all that you can from this example, and build up for Mother India an absolutely first-class modern army. 

To those of you who are officers, I should like to say that your responsibility is a heavy one. Though the responsibility of an officer in every army in this world is indeed great, it is far greater in your case. Because of our political enslavement, we have no tradition like that of Mukden, Port Arthur or Sedan to inspire us. We have to unlearn some of the things that the British taught us and we have to learn much that they did not teach. Nevertheless. I am confident that you will rise to the occasion and fulfill the task that your countrymen have thrown on your brave soldiers. Remember always that officers can make or unmake an army. Remember, too, that the British have suffered defeats on so many fronts largely because of worthless officers. And remember also that out of your ranks will be born the future General Staff of the Army of Free India.

To all of you I should like to say that in the course of this war you will have to acquire the experience and achieve the success which alone can build up a national tradition for our Army. An army that has no tradition of courage, fearlessness and invincibility cannot hold its own in a struggle with a powerful enemy. 

Comrades ! You have voluntarily accepted a mission that is the noblest that the human mind can conceive of. For the fulfillment of such a mission no sacrifice is too great, not even the sacrifice of one's life. You are today the custodians of India's national honour and the embodiment of India's hopes and aspirations. So conduct yourself that your countrymen may bless you and posterity may be proud of you. 

I have said that today is the proudest day of my life. For an enslaved people, there can be no greater pride, no higher honour, than to be the first soldier in the army of liberation. But this honour carries with it a corresponding responsibility and I am deeply conscious of it. I assure you that I shall be with you in darkness and in sunshine, in sorrow and in joy, in suffering and in victory. For the present, I can offer you nothing except hunger, thirst, privation, forced marches and death. But if you follow me in life and in death, as I am confident you will, I shall lead you to victory and freedom. It does not matter who among us will live to see India free. It is enough that India shall be free and that we shall give our all to make her free. May God now bless our Army and grant us victory in the coming fight !

Inqualab Zindabad ! Azad Hind Zindabad !

[mtkr]

bl@st bl@st gp

you rock

[Josh]

GP

bl@st bl@st

[rapchik]

TRIBUTES TO NETAJI SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE ON 117^TH SUBHASH JAYANTI (23/01/2014)!

 

 

The history of India’s freedom shines through the immortal courage wisdom and truth of the heroic personalities like Mangal pandey, Vivekananda, Keshab Chandra Sen, Bakim Chandra Chatterjee, Subhash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Mahatma Gandhi and there were many great heroes born at the time of the freedom movement. Each of them followed their own method of attaining one goal - Independence for India. One such hero was Subhash Chandra Bose, affectionately known as 'Netaji' who was born on 23^rd January 1897. A great Patriot and Saint, that is the real identity of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who sacrificed his professional and personal life for the nation.

Some people write history with a pen, some by their might, and some simply by virtue of being associated with someone. But if ever there was a man, who wrote history by his blood, courage and sheer determination, it was Subhash Chandra Bose. A brilliant  student, he was influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings. He joined the Indian Indian Civil Services in England but deeply disturbed by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre he returned to India. His motivational leadership inspired thousands of Indians to die for the motherland, and his Indian National Army shook the foundations of the mighty British. He was one of the few politicians who worked towards Hindu-Muslim unity . He coined the nationalist phrase "Jai Hind" which later achieved popularity as a patriotic salutation in independent India.

 

 

Since childhood I have read number of stories about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His life always fascinated me. In India, he is widely respected and hailed as a patriot and national hero, who advocated armed struggle as the only way to free India and stood against the British colonial forces. He has the distinction of both working with Mahatma Gandhi as well as embracing revolutionary nationalism through armed struggle.The only man in India who has guts to oppose Gandhi. But he respected Gandhi and he only labeled Mahatma Gandhi as the 'father of the nation'.

 

 

Bose advocated complete freedom for India, whereas the Congress Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. He was elected president of the Indian National congress twice in 1937 and in 1939, the second time defeating Gandhiji’s nominee. He brought a resolution to give the British six months to hand over India to the Indians, falling which there would be a revolt. There was much opposition to his rigid stand, and he resigned from the post of Congress President and formed a progressive group known as the Forward Block. During World war II, India was declared as a warring state. Bose started a mass movement against this and the British Promptly imprisoned him. It was in 1941, that Bose suddenly disappeared. In November 1941, his broadcast from German radio sent shock waves amongst the British and electrified the Indian Masses.

 

 

The Axis powers assured Bose Military and other help to fight the British. He Formed the Indian National Army (INA) and a government by the name “Azad Hind Government” was declared on the October 21, 1943. INA freed the Andaman and Nicobar islands from the British and were renamed as Swaraj and Shaheed islands. Delhi Chalo (Let’s March to Delhi) was the cry of the INA. India is calling, Blood is calling to blood. Get up, we have no time to lose. Take up your arms! We shall carve our way through the enemy's ranks, or if God wills, we shall die a martyr's death. And in our last sleep we shall kiss the road that will bring our Army to Delhi. The road to Delhi is the road to Freedom. Chalo Delhi (March to Delhi)." Unfortunately, Bose, while travelling from singapore to Tokyo reportedly died in a plane crash. He was just 48.

 

 

Subhash Chandra Bose was endowed with great physical, mental and spiritual powers. But he never revealed his spiritual powers to anyone. He had a burning desire to make India a great and prosperous country. No other leader had such a strong aspiration for the freedom and progress of the country as Subhash Chandra Bose. He was the one who believed in action; not merely in speech like many other leaders. There are many great leaders in our country even today, but what is the use if they do not put into practice what they preach? They say a million things but do not put into practice even one!

 

 

Bose was the real person who practised what he preached. He often used to say that:

1. "The greatest curse for a man is to remain a slave.

2. The grossest crime is to compromise with injustice and wrong.

3. The highest virtue is to battle against inequity, no matter what the cost may be."

4. A true soldier needs both military and spiritual training. As soldiers, you will always have to cherish and live up to the three ideals of faithfulness, duty and sacrifice. Soldiers who always remain faithful to their nation, who are always prepared to sacrifice their lives, are invincible. If you too, want to be invincible, engrave these three ideals in the innermost core of your hearts.

In the book The Last Years of British India, Michael Edwardes, the distinguished British historian of the Raj, wrote of Bose: “Only one outstanding personality of India took a different and violent path, and in a sense India owes more to him than to any other man.

 

 

Last but not least It is very important to remember that India's freedom movement was in fact a movement of the masses and there were a number of great leaders with fierce patriotism and great visionary ideas who sacrificed their entire lives for the nation's cause. Let us pray and pay a heart-full tribute to all freedom fighters on the occasion of Netaji's birthday as his birthday is also observed as the National day of Patriotism every year. Many of us today cannot recognize Netaji's contributions to Indian Independence because we belong to a generation apart. But whatever little we come to know from authentic literature on him is simply awesome. Some semi-literates distort it even today, but his zeal, patriotism and power to dream is indeed exemplary. I have been his admirer since my childhood; still today his name makes me feel proud to be an Indian.

Courtesy: Shaija V Bhaskaran

 

 

“One individual may die for an idea; but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives. That is how the wheel of evolution moves on and the ideas and dreams of one nation are bequeathed to the next’”
(Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose)

 

[pinky123]

gp

[rapchik]

gp

#$<  #$<

[i_sudigadu]

Jai Hind

[KadapaKingg]

Leader ante ilaa undaali .. bl@st

 

 

aa gundu gandhi gaadu unnadu oka pirra meeda kodite inko pirra choopinchaalantaa.. Oka pirra meeda kodite aa kottina cheyyi pakka cheyyi rendoo koseyyali appudu mana deggaraku ravalanna bayapadataaru.. anni desaallu poraadi independence techukunte manam okkallam adukkuni techukunnam eedi valla.. 

[rapchik]

Leader ante ilaa undaali .. bl@st

 

 

aa gundu gandhi gaadu unnadu oka pirra meeda kodite inko pirra choopinchaalantaa.. Oka pirra meeda kodite aa kottina cheyyi pakka cheyyi rendoo koseyyali appudu mana deggaraku ravalanna bayapadataaru.. anni desaallu poraadi independence techukunte manam okkallam adukkuni techukunnam eedi valla.. 

[ahimsavaadhi1]

Leader ante ilaa undaali .. bl@st

 

 

aa gundu gandhi gaadu unnadu oka pirra meeda kodite inko pirra choopinchaalantaa.. Oka pirra meeda kodite aa kottina cheyyi pakka cheyyi rendoo koseyyali appudu mana deggaraku ravalanna bayapadataaru.. anni desaallu poraadi independence techukunte manam okkallam adukkuni techukunnam eedi valla.. 

yuddham valla... manushula pranaalu pothaayi vayy... pranam viluvaa teliyakundaa.. matladuthunnav..... ...

 

gandhi saved many lives....

[bokuboy]

GP