The Immortal Revolutionary

One Individual may die for an idea, but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives. Men, money, and materials cannot by themselves bring victory or freedom. We must have the motive power that will inspire us to do brave deeds and heroic exploits. ~ Subhash Chandra Bose 

Subhash Chandra Bose, born on 23rd January 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa, was the son of a famous Advocate, Sri Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. Ever since his school days, Subhas had witnessed the national freedom movement closely because his elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose was closely associated with the movement in Bengal. After having an urge to find answers to many questions in life, perhaps drawn to the life and work of Swami Vivekananda, Subhas, along with two friends, went across the length and breadth of India. Bose, in his own words, expressed that he was unable to find a single guide or "Guru" to answer his questions. The Vedanta ideology that inspired Bose to ask questions about the purpose of life couldn't satisfy his thirst for knowledge even in the holiest of cities in India. Remorse, Subhas returned home to his sister-in-law Bibhavati, who treated him like a son. Janakinath had decided that Subhas would get the best education, first in Calcutta and then in Europe. It is while staying at the house on Elgin Road, which stands till today, that Subhas was introduced to politics by his elder brother. 

Family picture in Cuttack (Subhas in extreme right)

Unsatisfied with his spiritual journey, Subhas was inclined toward serving the greater good differently. Chittaranjan Das, whom Subhas regarded as his Political Guru, introduced him to the freedom movement, the national struggle and the Indian National Congress led by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.  His words and ideology awakened a patriot in Bose.  He was against all wrongdoing by the Britishers, which landed him in trouble from his teenage years. He was expelled from Presidency College after assaulting Professor Oaten for his anti- Indian racist remarks. A brilliant student, he came second in Matriculation, studied B.A. at the University of Calcutta and ranked fourth in the ICS Examination. He later went to Cambridge University in 1919 to fulfil his father's wishes. But he refused to work for the British Government and rejected the offer, much to the disappointment of his father and the pride of his brother. He quit his work and returned to India, deciding to work first-hand in the freedom movement back home.

Subhas in Cambrige

He started a newspaper for patriots, "Swaraj", and started taking an active part in the anti-British activities of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee under Chittaranjan Das in 1921. Later, he became editor of the newspaper "Forward" and was elected mayor of Calcutta in 1924. His first arrest was in 1925, after which, in 1927, following his release, he joined the Congress Party as the General Secretary. He worked with Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhi, but after an apparent difference of opinion, he moved out to form the All India Forward Block in 1939, quitting as president of the Congress.

Within these years, he was arrested again for demonstrating in the civil disobedience movement in Calcutta in 1930 and was re-elected Mayor of Calcutta. When put behind bars, the British were now determined to keep him in jail, but Subhas had other plans. He took an oath of "Fast till death", which threatened the British Governor, who simply couldn't risk an outrage against him, having the blood of Bose in his hands.

In 1941, he was put under house arrest following a hunger strike in jail. His nephew Sishir and niece Indira helped him disguise himself as a Muslim Insurance Agent and escape from home right under the nose of the British Police at around 2 am from Elgin Road on the night of 19th January. He stayed at his brother's house outside Calcutta for a day before leaving from Gomoh Station for Afghanistan via the Kalka Mail. Gomoh today has been renamed the Subhash Chandra Bose Gomoh Station. His room, things and the car in which he escaped are still kept in a museum dedicated to him, in his then house in Calcutta, later famous as Netaji Bhavan. For a good few days till the 25th of January, his escape was a well-kept secret, not even known to his own mother, who lived in the next room. Rumours spread that Bose was not keeping well, had a silent vow and even thought of renouncing society to become a sage. In post-dated telegrams that were sent to aides after his escape, he mentioned: "soon to be arrested by the British," which was a satisfactory sign of him losing hope, to the British spies.

Subhas with secretary Emilie in Vienna.

Little did they know that by then he had reached Afghanistan, with help and hideout aid from Abwehr, Akbar Shah, Mohammad Shah and Bhagat Ram Talwar, who were fellow nationalists. He travelled via Kabul to Moscow, Rome and his ultimate destination, Germany. He had plans to take help from Hitler to liberate India by war instead of peace. He formed the Free India Centre in Berlin and created the Indian Legion with 4500 soldiers who were prisoners of war fighting for the British against Germany and its alliance forces in World War II. Hitler promised his help, but even after almost a year when no aid was provided to Bose for a free India, he took leave from Hitler, knowing that the latter's strategies had changed and decided to ask Japan for help against the British. He was against Hitler's ways and ideologies, although he kept mum over Hitler's domestic policies. Close associations with the Führer also stained his image a bit as people later criticised this move, and the New York Post, as well as some British journalists, went on to call him "The Next Führer, in India". 

He had met his wife Emilie in Germany upon his first visit to the nation almost seven years before, as she was employed as his secretary. This time around, he decided to reciprocate the love that had prompted them to keep in touch all these years, and they soon had a daughter, Anita. Austrian by origin, Emilie bravely supported her husband to keep their marriage a secret as he was no family man but a patriot ready to die for his country. His daughter was only two when he left them for Japan. In a letter he had penned to Emily in 1936 to confess his feelings to her, he added, "In a few weeks, I must fly to my distant home. I must leave you and go back to my first love, my country."

Emilie was well aware of his priorities years before they finally got married and had Anita. He spent Christmas with his family in Vienna before getting on to the treacherous submarine ride with his crew to Japan. For each of these journeys, Bose chose a Hindu, a Muslim and a Sikh as his company, and interestingly enough, he never let one man know his full plan. Reminding us of the Battle of Plassey, he often said, it is for the betrayal that the British took our motherland.

He reached Japan by submarine and was greeted by Rasbehari Bose, who had already formed the brainchild of his master plan, the Indian National Army, with Indian Prisoners of war from Japan. The female regiment, Rani of Jhansi Regiment, was the first female regiment of an army in Asia, added to the crown of the INA by Subhas. His call was answered by thousands of Indians living abroad by his famous speech, " Give me blood and I shall give you freedom," in Burma. He called people the very famous " Chalo Delhi!" People came forward with cash, kindness, and jewellery, and even gave their own sons up for the sake of the freedom of the country. It is even said that Rabindranath Tagore sent his support via a letter to Netaji. Soon, the Azad Hind Fauz was ready to be trained.

Interesting fact, the very famous "Jai Hind" was first initiated as a greeting when a Muslim official in the INA noticed the Rajputs greet each other with "Jai Ramji Ki." As it was a religious greeting, the secular army leader, by then, addressed Netaji, who wouldn't approve of it. Abid Hassan suggested "Jai Hindustan Ki" instead, but it wasn't taken up by the soldiers as it was a very lengthy greeting. One such time in a hurry, someone said "Jai Hind" and Bose liked it so much it became almost a recognising greeting for the INA and later the National forces too.

The Azad Hind Movement started with attacks on the North East, in Manipur. The Japanese army took over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, releasing prisoners of war who joined the army. The Indian Tricolour was first hoisted on the Indian Mainland at Moirang in Manipur by the Bahadur Group of the Indian National Army. The INA was posing a serious threat to the British Army until the Atom Bomb attack at the twin cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, forced the British Army to retreat. However, Japan offered to help Bose negotiate with the Army of Manchuria. Agreeing to it, He (according to some versions) went to Singapore and returned to Japan to go to Soviet Russia to seek their help.

Bose left on an aeroplane on 17th August 1945 in Taiwan. The last photo of him was taken before boarding the plane. The aircraft is said to have crashed. On 23rd August, Japan issued a statement that Netaji had died of third-degree burns and coma on 18th August, hours after the accident and that they had even cremated his body on 20th August to maintain secrecy. However, the Indians refused to believe this story and cried foul play. The INA was forced to surrender, and Bose's "Disappearance" and the punishment of the INA chiefs caused nationwide outrage.

Some believe that it played a key role in the civil disturbances caused by commoners all over the country, and eventually, the British were ordered to leave by their Queen. Whatever might have happened that day is, of course, a cloud of mystery, speculations and theories, but even in his last known journey, he left behind a huge impact on India. While some suggest no aeroplanes flew that day, others stated nobody identified his body. These speculations later led to the Netaji Research Bureau and the Mukherjee Commission.

On 15th August 1947, when the National Flag was hoisted at the Red Fort in Delhi, the man who struggled the most for this dream was not there. A proud Bengali, a great follower of Vivekananda's teachings and the Bhagwat Gita, Subhash Chandra Bose remains the hero we should never forget. His story keeps appealing to people via books and films, due to his bravery, intelligence, out-of-the-box thinking and sacrifices he made for his motherland.

Recently, there has been a lot of speculation on his disappearance; fingers were pointed, questions were raised time and again, some tried to prove he died, and some tried to say he lived his life in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, as a hermit till 16th September 1985. A lot of evidence, of things found in the belongings of this "Gumnami Baba", suggested he had close contact with members of the Bose family. I don't want to know what happened to him. The mystery makes the great man immortal in the eyes of his countrymen. I wish it would stay that way. India will always have only one Netaji. The one who chose to fight for freedom over having a good life himself.

To us, the young generation, who lack serious idols in life, he teaches us to stand for what we believe in, even if it means going against the world and fighting alone and never giving up. He is the one who teaches us to sacrifice everything for our goal and extend our hands to the less fortunate, and love our motherland like our mother. A true idol in every sense, his character teaches us self-confidence and to have faith in one's ideology. Subhash Chandra Bose is an institution of knowledge in himself.

Bibliography:

• The Indian Struggle
• His Majesty's Opponent by Sugata Bose
• Story of INA by S.A. Ayer
• Subhash & Sarat by Sishir Bose
• Mohaniskromon by Shishir Bose
• Gumnaami Baba by Som