The Unsung Hero

The 'Remembrance Day' of one of India's greatest freedom fighters is observed on August 18th.Can you guess who this great man is? I was quite surprised to see that there were not many messages on social media to mark the day and wanted to know more about him.While reading about him,I was impressed by his heroic escapades and ardour with which he fought for India's independence.

This great man in none other than 'Netaji Subash Chandra Bose',the most prominent leader of the Indian National Army.Netaji was born on 23rd January 1897 to Prabhavathi Devi and Janakinathi Bose,a barrister.To fulfil his father's dream,he studied for the Indian Civil Service in England and was ranked fourth in his batch.However,he resigned from the service as he refused to owe his allegiance to the Queen and decided to fight for India's independence.

Netaji joined the Indian National Congress and was elected as party president twice though he was forced to resign the second time due to differences with Gandhi and Nehru on various policies.Netaji wanted 'Swaraj' (Self Governance) whereas the others wanted it in phases through 'Dominion' (Autonomous Communities within the British Empire) status.

The participation of India in the Second World War was announced by the then Viceroy without consulting the Congress Leadership and Netaji strongly opposed this.He was thrown into jail and went on a hunger strike after which he was kept under House Arrest.

Netaji made a daring escape from his house dressed as a Pathan.He grew a beard so the British would not identify him. His destination was Germany and he finally reached travelling through Kabul,Moscow and Rome to meet Adolf Hiltler."The Enemy of my enemy is my friend" is a famous English proverb and this kind of manoeuvre is dealt with even in Chanakya's book on political treatise,Arthashastra. Perhaps this is how Netaji had planned to win India's Independence.However,he decided to leave for Japan after Hitler refused to issue a declaration supporting India's Independence.

Netaji took charge of the Indian National Army in Singapore.The army mainly comprised of British soldiers of Indian origin captured by the Japanese and Indian residents of South Asia.The INA also had a womans regiment under Captain.Lakshmi Swaminathan named "Rani Of Jhansi Regiment".The fall of Japan at the end of World War II led to the surrender of the Indian National Army but several mutinies followed which played a major role in Indian Independence.

When in England,Netaji exchanged ideas on the future of India with British Labour Party leaders and political thinkers like Lord Halifax, George Lansbury, Clement Attlee, Arthur Greenwood, Harold Laski, J.B.S. Haldane, Ivor Jennings, G.D.H. Cole, Gilbert Murray, and Sir Stafford Cripps.Though he was not in favour of British subjugation, he was deeply impressed by their methodical and systematic approach and their steadfastly disciplinarian outlook towards life.

It should be noted that India was granted independence under the regime of Labour Prime Minister Clement Atlee in 1947 after England won the war.When Mr. P. V. Chakraborty (Former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court) was acting as Governor of Bengal in 1956, Lord Clement Attlee, visited India and stayed in Raj Bhavan, Calcutta for two days.Mr Chakraborty  enquired why the British left India in a hurry .In response,Lord Atlee citied several reasons the most important of which were in I.N.A. activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, which weakened the very foundation of the British Empire in India and the RIN Mutiny which was made the British realize that the Indian armed forces could no longer be trusted to prop up the British.

 "We have not paid him due respect. It is time this is corrected" - Infosys founder N R Narayan Murthy at the National Netaji   Orientation held to mark his 114th Birth Anniversary.

Netaji's death remains a mystery till date with innumerous conspiracy theories doing the rounds.But,it it is time we remember and honour our courageoues leader who lived and died for his dream - Indian Independence.

“Three things can not hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth.”

― Gautama Buddha

Sources:

http://swarajyamag.com/politics/bose-not-gandhi-ended-british-rule-in-india-ambedkar/

http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/7630/did-hitler-really-support-subhash-chandra-boses-cause-and-did-he-do-anything-to

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Subhas_Chandra_Bose

http://www.14gaam.com/why-british-left-from-india.htm

http://theviewspaper.net/father-of-the-nation-2/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subhas_Chandra_Bose 

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/netaji-not-given-due-respect-narayana-murthy-445839

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/article-2920610/India-not-kind-memory-Netaji.html