Rememebring Subhas Bose : Saurabh Deb
January 27, 2009
The Second rate Politician , first rate Nationalist, and top rated Leader 23 Jan,1897 – unknown
Today , 23 Jan, is the birthday of Subhash Bose. A man whose life and death remains shrouded in mystery – partly deliberate and rest incidental. But history is always lopsided, and the aim here is not to attempt to settle records. For Subhas himself- while alive – would never have allowed anyone else to advocate for him!
In the aftermath of 26/11/08 – where an injured national pride and a billion emotive citizens incessantly call for pro-active action self-affirming from its leader-remembering Subhas is all the more relevant!
For it is this very same ham-fisted approach of the people in charge – that made Subhas set out on his own mission -leaving behind the familiar and travelling across continents & oceans to give India its first independent army as his ways and means to meat the ends of finding an immediate freedom for India. It remains contentious as to whether to dispose British militarily was a wise proposition –whether an independence won through blood would be more valued in current India than one gifted by resolution of the British parliament. But it is also important to bear in mind that during the World War2 – war hysteria was on its epitome and it was only the noise of the firing barrels that could reach the ears of the British command paranoid by the German forces! There is also much to be asked of the wisdom of the congress leadership under Nehru and Gandhi that decided to support its own oppressor -the British troops – by feeding Indian soldiers to help defend British imperialist empire goals in Africa!!
But the prized take away from remembering Subhas’ life is probably much more than the achievements of INA . To some his most exemplary decision was to resign from the coveted post of Presidency of INC after arising of difference of opinion between him & Gandhi. Its futile to second guess who was righteous. But the commendable bit of the decision is to walk a different path rather than cling to a group while dissapproving of its ways. Many of the then prominent members will be adjudged guilty by time of lacking the conviction and going with decisions they did not approve of personally. At the end of WW II , the courts that tried German leadership –held many guilty of going with a leadership denying their own conscience. If India had to ever meet a similar fate – many of the revered names would hold guilty to the same measure while approving of a nation common in culture to be divided over religion!
Subhash in many ways –was the manifestation of the famed words of compatriot- Rabindarnath Tagore – ‘Jodi tor dak shune keo na ashe , tobe ekla cholo re’ – if no one comes forth responding to your call – then walk alone on the path you have chosen.
And his chosen path lead him to part from the Congress while at leadership, escape from house-arrest in disguise, travel through Pakistan and Afghanistan to Europe over train, car and mule — and meet the likes of Hilter, Mussolini and Tojo – to put forth his case. And even after all this when it seemed to him that the German will to assist is slow – he relentlessly undertook another journey halfway across the world through submarines in the midst of raging sea-war to Japan. And thereafter yet another historic march through the battlezone frontline to northeast India! It is as though all his life was a fight against time. His restlessness to bring immediate freedom to his motherland powered a dynamo of human will far surpassing the potential of ordinary humans. And I guess, this is what is the difference between a voted President and a person hailed by people as ‘Netaji’.
Historians still debate that if Bose would have been around in 1947, could Nehru have become the first Prime Minister topping the stalwarts like Patel and himself. Or would the politics of power have torn India into sub-nations? But in my mind – the highest contribution Subhas Chandra Bose made for India was to struggle and be a guiding light through the darkest hours of the night and perish just the before the sun rose on Independent India !
-Saurabh Deb
