Birth of Netaji

Subhas Chandra Bose, known for his militant opposition to British rule via forming armies for independence with Japan and Germany in the Second World War, was born today in 1897

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose – a rare portrait taken at Koningsbruck prison; Source: Scroll.in

Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the leading revolutionary fighters of the 1930s and 40s, was born on the 23rd of January, 1897. His defiant Indian nationalism, ready to take violent means, has made him one of the most celebrated figures in Indian national discourse.

His alliance with Japan and Nazi Germany to achieve Indian independence is somewhat debated, but most people agree it was a matter of convenience, not ideology.

He was born in Cuttack and went to the local high schools. Then in Calcutta, where British professors openly gave anti-Indian statements, he would have his first flair of nationalism - opposing his professors and assaulting them. Arriving in England by 1919, he passed the Imperial Civil Service exam, but not wanting to work for an alien government, he resigned and came to India.

Joining Congress and launching the Swaraj newspaper, he would develop ties with various leaders and movements.

He would even become the Mayor of Calcutta by 1930. From then on, he travelled throughout the mid-1930s, observing fascism and communism at work in various states around Europe.

Bose would declare a total fight for swaraj, even by violent means, to the Congress in 1937. However, he was not supported by Congress and had to resign from his presidential candidature. An All-India Forward Bloc was then organised as the second world war loomed, and Bose looked for an opportunity.

He escaped to Nazi Germany via Afghanistan and the USSR, dressing up as a Pathan and coming to Peshawar with German intelligence support. As he reached Germany, a Free India Legion was formed on his behalf by the Indian prisoners of war. However, the German invasion of the USSR left him no choice but to seek Japanese support, as Germany had started to lose by 1943.

It was there that the Indian National Army, made out of PoWs from Singapore, was truly formed. It had been formed before but was disorganised due to infighting. However, Bose’s Azad Hind calls served as a great unifier, and many troops rallied to his call. However, this did not change their fortunes, as the INA was defeated off Kohima, and the Japanese campaign came to an end.

Bose’s death is a mystery, however, the conventional theory is that he died aboard a plane on the 18th of August, 1945, after his plane crashed in Taiwan.