S. Ghose, A/T Evershine School, Dimapur A hero is a great man who does brave and noble deeds, and is venerated for his achievements. Subhash Chandra Bose is the unique example of greatest hero of modern India who had in him all the qualities of greatness, magnanimity, unflinching determination and courage of conviction. His strange magnetism drew love and respect from all who came in touch with him. Even Gandhiji, the Father of Nation, described him as “Patriot of Patriots”. At the altar of his country the zealous patriot sacrificed his all-his youth, career, name, fame, comforts and even his life for one sole cause in which he believed passionately–the freedom of his country. Subhash Chandra Bose, popularly known as Netaji, was born on January 23rd, 1897 at Cuttack in Orissa in a well-to-do family of patriots. A brilliant student and greatly influenced by Swami Vivekananda’s teachings stood second in the school final examination from a missionary school in Cuttack. From his college days he had a bitter feelings against the British Rule. In 1916 he was expelled from the Presidency College, Calcutta on a charge of beating Mr. Oaten, an English Professor of the college who had used abusive words against India and Indians. However, with the help of Sir. Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then the Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University, he was admitted to the Scottish Church College. From there he passed the B.A. Examination with Honours in Philosophy securing second position in first class. After graduation, recognising his son’s intellect, his father was determined that Subhash should become a member of high ranking Indian Civil Service. So he sent him to England for carrying out his further education in Cambridge University. In 1920 he passed the Indian Civil Service with brilliant result. He joined the British Government Service as Presidency Magistrate, a coveted post which no Indian occupied earlier. But during his probation period he resigned from the service as he felt : ‘I do not think that one could be Loyal to the British Raj and yet serve India honestly, heart and soul’. After coming back to India, the wave of patriotism touched him. He was greatly moved about freeing our country from the bondage of British rule. In 1921, he went directly to Gandhiji who sent him to Calcutta to work under Chittaranjan Das, his political guru. During the period of 1921-25, he was mainly involved with the revolutionaries around Calcutta and was arrested on numerous occasion. In 1924, he was sent to Mandalay Jail in Burma on made up charge that he was associated with the terrorists of Bengal. Later, he was again imprisoned along with Deshbandhu and the two lived together in jail, where Bose served his leader humbly, even cooked his food. From this time, Bose considered Deshbandhu as his guru. His capacity for organisation and executive ability were amply demonstrated as he worked as the Chief Executive Officer of Calcutta corporation when C.R. Das became Mayor of Calcutta. In 1928, during the Congress meeting, Subhash wanted complete freedom for India at the earliest, where as the Congress Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. On 23rd March, 1932 when Shaheed Bhagat Singh was hanged, Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to save his life made Subhash very angry and in a sense this made him realise that aggression was the best form of defence. In November 1934, he published a book of Indian Nationalism called “The Indian Struggle”. During the period of 1932–36, he met reputed personalities like Mussolini in Italy, Felder in Germany, De Valera in Ireland and Roma Rolland in France. By that time, Subhash Chandra Bose had became very famous. He was elected the President of the Indian National Congress twice even in the face of stiff opposition from Gandhiji and Nehruji. As he was more aggressive and had uncompromising revolutionary feelings, he believed that Indians would not get freedom in a simple way, they will have to fight it out. So, he resigned from Congress and formed a progressive group called Forward Block. The entire life of Subhash Chandra Bose is a burning example of heroic deeds, but it is in its last phase that his dramatic career reached its climax. When the Second World War broke out and Subhash was under house arrest for his political activities how did he suddenly left India on the 17th Jan. 1941 throwing dust in the eyes of the British Police who kept round the clock vigil at his house is an act of profound mystery. He believed in the political moral that ‘our enemy’s enemy is a friend to us’. In 1942 he went to Germany and had a talk with Hitler to free India from the British power. From Berlin he came to Japan in a submarine after a perilous 3months voyage earlier in 1943. With the Japanese help he organized the Azad Hind Fauz that is the Indian National Army in Singapore. The whole of India rejoiced as he raised the popular slogan, “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”. People donated gold and money freely and happily. He inspired the Indian National Army saying “Delhi is not far, march on to Delhi”. Men and women in great numbers joined Indian National Army. Under the supreme command of Netaji, on 18th March 1944, the INA fought the British forces violently, crossed the Burma border and reached Manipur where free India’s banner was raised with the shouts of ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Netaji Zindabad’. But the collapse of Japan in Second World War had affected his mission very badly and his army was defeated too. Subhash was reported to be killed in an air crash over Taiwan on his way to Tokyo. Unfortunately, he did not live to see its freedom, but his burning ambition, dedication and devotion directed towards the freedom of India from the clutches of British colonialism have etched his name in the annals of history. His salute & ‘Jai Hind’, an inspiring of patriotism, courage and sacrifice for the Motherland has immortalised him. Even though Gandhiji and Nehru are given the credit for India’s Independence, the contribution of Subhash Chandra Bose towards Independence in no case be considered less than that of those, however, it is an irony of fate that his name remains lesser known to people. It is our sacred duty to remember 23rd January and to pay our humblest tributes to Netaji. Although most of our freedom fights were fought on the lines of the Gandhian Non-Violence philosophy, yet it does not mean that Loads of blood were not shed on the roads. The Indian educations system, must make efforts to remind people of the forgotten hero.
