The history of
India’s freedom shines through the immortal courage wisdom and truth of the
heroic personalities like Mangal pandey, Vivekananda, keshab chandra sen, Bakim
chandra chatterje, Subhash chandra bose, Bhagat singh, Rajguru, sukhdev,
Mahatma Gandhi, and there were many great heroes born at the time of the freedom
movement. Each
of them followed their own method of attaining one goal - Independence for
India. One such hero was Subhash Chandra Bose, affectionately known as 'Netaji' who was born on 23rd January 1897. A great Patriot and saint, that
is the real identity of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who sacrificed his
professional and personal life for the nation.
Some people write history with a pen, some
by their might, and some simply by virtue of being associated with someone. But
if ever there was a man, who wrote history by his blood, courage and sheer
determination, it was Subhash Chandra Bose. A brilliant student,
influenced by Swami Vivekananda ‘s teachings.He joined the Indian civil
services in England but deeply disturbed by the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre he
returned to India.His motivational leadership inspired
thousands of Indians to die for the motherland, and his Indian National Army
shook the foundations of the mighty British. He was one of the few politicians who worked towards
Hindu-Muslim unity . He coined the nationalist phrase "Jai Hind" which later achieved popularity as a
patriotic salutation in independent India.
Since childhood I have read number of
stories about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His life always fascinated me. In India, he is widely respected and hailed as a patriot and national
hero, who advocated armed struggle as the only way to free India and stood against the British colonial forces. He has the distinction of both working with Mahatma Gandhi as
well as embracing revolutionary nationalism through armed struggle.The only man in India who has guts to oppose
Gandhi. But he repects Gandhi and he only labeled Mahatma
Gandhi as the 'father of the nation'.
Bose advocated
complete freedom for India, whereas the congress committee wanted it in phases,
through a Dominion status.He was elected president of the Indian National congress
twice in 1937 and in 1939, the second time defeating Gandhiji’s nominee.He
brought a resolution to give the British six months to hand over India to the
Indians, falling which there would be a revolt.There was much opposition to his
rigid stand, and he resigned from the post of preseident and formed a
progressive group known as the Forward Block.During World war II, India was
declared as a warring state.Bose started a mass movement against this and the
British Promptly imprisoned him.It was in 1941, that Bose suddenly disappeared.
In November 1941, his broadcast from German radio sent shock waves amongst the
British and electrified the Indian Masses.
The Axis powers assured Bose Military and
other help to fight the british.He Formed the Indian National Army (INA) and a
government by the name “Azad Hind Government” was declared on the october 21,
1943.INA freed the Andaman and Nicobar islands from the British and were
renamed as Swaraj and shaheed islands. Delhi Chalo(Let’s March to Delhi) was
the cry of the INA. India is calling, Blood
is calling to blood. Get up, we have no time to lose. Take up your arms !
we shall carve our way through the enemy's ranks, or if God wills, we shall die
a martyr's death. And in our last sleep we shall kiss the road that will bring
our Army to Delhi. The road to Delhi is the road to Freedom. Chalo Delhi (March to Delhi)." Unfortunately, Bose, while travelling from singapore to Tokyo
reportedly died in a plane crash.He was just 48.
Subhash Chandra Bose was endowed with great
physical, mental and spiritual powers. But he never revealed his spiritual
powers to anyone. He had a burning desire to make India a great and prosperous
country. No other leader had
such a strong aspiration for the freedom and progress of the country as Subhash
Chandra Bose. He was
the one who believed in action; not merely in speech like many other leaders.
There are many great leaders in our country even today, but what is the use if
they do not put into practice what they preach? They say a million things but
do not put into practice even one!
Bose
was the real person who practised what he preached. He often used to say that:
1. "The greatest curse for a
man is to remain a slave.
2. The grossest crime is to
compromise with injustice and wrong.
3. The highest virtue is to battle
against inequity, no matter what the cost may be."
4. A true soldier needs both military
and spiritual training. As soldiers,
you will always have to cherish and live up to the three ideals of
faithfulness, duty and sacrifice. Soldiers who always remain faithful to their
nation, who are always prepared to sacrifice their lives, are invincible. If
you, too, want to be invincible, engrave these three ideals in the innermost
core of your hearts.
In the book The Last Years of British India,
Michael Edwardes, the distinguished British historian of the Raj, wrote of
Bose: “Only
one outstanding personality of India took a different and violent path, and in
a sense India owes more to him than to any other man.
Last but not least It is very
important to remember that India's freedom movement was in fact a movement of
the masses and there were a number of great leaders with fierce patriotism and
great visionary ideas who sacrificed their entire lives for the nation's cause.
Let us pray and pay a heartfull tribute to all freedom fighters on the occasion
of Netaji's birthday as his birthday is also observed as the National day of
Patriotism every year. Many of us today cannot recognize Netaji's contributions
to Indian Independence because we belong to a generation apart. But whatever
little we come to know from authentic literature on him is simply awesome. Some
half literates distort it even today, but his zeal, patriotism and power to
dream is indeed exemplary. I have been his admirer since my childhood; still
today his name makes me feel proud to be an Indian.
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