The saga of Netaji continues - his biography is read by millions Indian households as a part of children's awakening of patriotism. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose - His Majesty's Opponent- the Indian Freedom Fighter who fought the colonial rules tooth and nail,Gandhiji's Patriot of patriots. Netaji's life's abrupt end shrouded with dubious plane crash and Govt of India's setting up of three Enquiry Commissions still not able to resolve the mystery.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
to historians, the war of Indian Independence started with the Sepoy Mutiny of
1857. From then, our motherland was soaked with the blood of the martyrs and
the tears of their weeping families. There was unrest and terror unleashed at
every corner. Amidst these stood the erect figures of those who dared to raise
their voice or take up action against the foreign invaders.
Chandra Bose stood tallest among all who put up a fight until death against the
British. Bose was born in Cuttack,
Orissa, on January 23rd, 1897 of Janakinath Bose and Probhabati Debi. He
completed his formal education at RavenshawCollegiateSchool
where he was greatly inspired by his teacher, Benimadhab Das. Later he moved on
to Calcutta to complete his graduation from PresidencyCollege. Here he was included in a
controversy of assaulting a professor, Mr. Oaten who was inclined towards
apartheid and insulted Indian students.
was found guilty as the prime mover behind the assault and was rusticated in
1916. Sir Asutosh came to his rescue and he was admitted under him in the ScottishChurchCollege
in 1917 from where he graduated in philosophy in 1919. In the meantime he had
trained himself in university training corps( U.T.C.). In 1920 he went to England for the I.C.S. examination and was
admitted in Cambridge
and secured the 4th place. Bose did not complete the probation period as he was
disturbed by the barbaric British attitude as evident from the Jalianwala
Bag massacre. Heresigned from I.C.S
in 1921 and came back to Calcutta
leaving behind a lucrative opportunity of a lifetime. He teamed with C.R.Das
and became an ardent nationalist.
was immediately arrested and was imprisoned for 3 years in Mandalay
on false charges. In 1927 he was released on medical grounds. In the same year,
he was elected the president of Bengal Prodesh Congress Committee. He set up
the Independence League but was again jailed during the Salt Satyagraha. He was
released after the Gandhi- Irwin Pact but he protested against the pact and was
detained again and was banished to Europe.
Here he came across Emily Shenkel, whom he appointed his secretary and later
married. He returned to India
defying the ban in1936 and was jailed again. He was freed in 1937 and after the
general election he was elected the president of I.N.C in1938 in its Haripura
session. However, differences with the Gandhi led to his resignation in
April 1939. He formed the National political Party in the name of Forward Bloc.
was dragged into the 2nd World War, Forward Block launched a massive movement
on April 6th 1940. On July 1940, he was jailed again and he started hunger
strike. He was released but was placed under house arrest. On 26th Jan 1941,
disguised as Maulavi Sahib the insurance agent, Bose fled from his home in a
car driven by Sisir Bose. He reached Peshwar and changed his guise as the deaf
and dumb Ziauddin and started for Kabul.
With the help of The Italian Embassy at Kabul,
he obtained an Italian diplomatic passport under the name Orlando Mazzota and
started for Germany thorough
He met Hitler but his hopes were not fulfilled. From Jan 1942, he began regular
broadcasts from Radio Berlin
against the British.
July 1943, he arrived In Singapore and two days later took over from Rashbehari
Bose the leadership of the Azad Hind Fouz or Indian National Army. He became
its supreme commander on August 25th and proclaimed the provisional government
of Azad Hind on Oct 21st. Andaman and Nicobar islands
were occupied by the INA. In March 1944, INA Marched into Indian soil, ie
Kohima in Nagaland and also in Imphal in Manipur.
1944, the INA shifted its base to Rangoon.
But in a few days , the atom bomb was dropped and Japan surrendered and INA had to retreat.
He was said to have died in an air crash over Taipei on August 18th 1945 but no firm
evidence could be provided. Bose was a warrior who had dedicated his life for
the sake of his motherland. He is still acclaimed as the brightest star Bengal ever produced.