Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose was a prominent Indian nationalist leader born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Odisha. He hailed from a wealthy family and was educated at prestigious institutions, including Presidency College in Calcutta. Bose's deep commitment to Indian independence was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, which propelled him into active politics after returning to India in 1921. Initially a member of the Indian National Congress, he later diverged from the party's leadership, particularly after World War II, advocating for a more militant approach to achieving independence. Bose is best known for forming the Indian National Army and establishing the Azad Hind government, which aimed to liberate India from British rule with the support of Axis powers during the war.
Despite his significant contributions, Bose's life ended mysteriously, with most historians believing he died in a plane crash in 1945. His vision for an independent India was eventually realized in 1947, and he remains a revered figure, known as Netaji, meaning "respected leader." His legacy continues to inspire many in India and across the world, highlighting his role in the struggle for freedom against colonial rule. Bose's personal life included a marriage to Austrian Emilie Schenkl, with whom he had a daughter, further intertwining his story with international dimensions.
Subhas Chandra Bose
Activist and freedom fighter
- Born: January 23, 1897
- Birthplace: Cuttack, Orissa, India
- Died: August 18, 1945
- Place of death: Taiwan
Also known as: Subhash Chandra Bose; Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose; Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Education: Ravenshaw Collegiate School; Presidency College; Scottish Church College
Significance: A political activist from a young age, Subhas Chandra Bose opposed British rule over India. He founded newspapers to share his political views and formed the Indian National Army to fight for Indian independence from British control.
Background
Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack in the Orissa (present-day Odisha) region of India. He was the ninth child of nine boys and six girls born to Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. His father was a lawyer and a member of the legislative council, and the family was wealthy.
Bose attended the Ravenshaw Collegiate School before studying philosophy at Presidency College in Calcutta (present-day Kolkata). Already a passionate Indian nationalist by this time, Bose was expelled from Presidency College after a 1916 incident in which he repeatedly struck a teacher who made a racist remark about Indian students. After this, he attended the Scottish Church College and graduated in 1919 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy.
Bose's zeal for fighting for the rights of Indians came from his affinity for the teachings of Swami Vivekananda. Vivekananda was an internationally known speaker who introduced the Western world to Hinduism and is credited with establishing the popularity of yoga. In India, he often spoke of the need for increased social justice and an end to the colonial rule of Great Britain. Great Britain had been part of Indian governance since European explorers arrived on the subcontinent in the 1600s, and India was a British colony from 1858 until 1947.
Acting on his father's wish that he become a civil servant, Bose went to England and took the Indian Civil Service exam. Bose was always an excellent student and scored high on the very competitive test. However, his devotion to Vivekananda's teachings and fierce attachment to the idea of freedom for India led him to resign his civil service commission in 1921, and return to India. Bose was soon an active part of politics in his home country.
Life's Work
Upon his return to India, Bose became part of the movement for an independent India. He became part of the Indian National Congress (known as the Congress Party). Formed in December of 1885, the party's goal was to achieve an independent India. Throughout its history and especially after World War I (1914–1918) when Mahatma Gandhi became the Congress Party's spiritual leader, the organization's official focus was on finding a peaceful path to Indian independence. Bose became the leader of the Congress Party's youth wing.
In December of 1921, Bose was arrested and jailed after authorities discovered he was the coordinator of a boycott of a visit to India by Britain's Prince of Wales. After his release, he worked with Chittaranjan Das, who left the Congress Party in 1922, and founded the Swaraj Party. Swaraj was a political party founded to pursue Indian independence through civil political means.
Bose became well known throughout the Congress Party and with others who wanted an independent India. He wrote for Das's newspaper, Forward, and started another paper entitled Swaraj to promote independence. When Das became mayor of Calcutta in 1924, Bose served as the chief executive officer of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, the city's administrative authority. He was widely recognized for the way he applied his communication and organizational skills to the independence movement. Indian governmental authorities also noted his actions, and he was jailed several more times as a result.
By 1928, a split was formed within the Congress Party. Some, including Bose, favored complete independence from Britain. Others, adhering more closely to Gandhi's viewpoint, were willing to accept Indian governance under British rule. The push for independence became more complicated with the outbreak of World War II (1939–1945) when the Congress Party agreed to support the British war effort. Eventually, this led to a break between Bose and the party, and he resigned from his post as Congress Party president in 1939.
Bose was arrested after he attempted to incite an Indian rebellion against cooperating with the British in the war. Bose responded by going on a hunger strike. This resulted in his release after his refusal to eat adversely affected his health. He was placed under house arrest and under careful watch by British authorities, but he managed to escape to Germany. There, after undertaking some dangerous and often life-threatening journeys to reach Japan, he pursued and got support of both the Germans and the Japanese in his bid to free India from British rule. Commanding an army of forty thousand Asian soldiers he called the Indian National Army, Bose conquered two island groups held by the British and established a new government, Azad Hind. In mid-March of 1944, the Indian National Army reached India and was poised to fight to take over that country as well. However, the end of World War II, with the surrender of first Germany and then Japan in 1945, stripped Bose of much of his support and forced him to abandon his military action in India.
After this forced retreat, Bose disappeared. Most historians agree that he perished in an airplane crash over Taiwan and died from sustained injuries on August 18, 1945. Remains thought to be those of Bose were cremated and laid to rest in a temple in Tokyo.
Impact
Bose's efforts toward independence made a profound impact on the Indian people. His dream ultimately became a reality in 1947, when India gained its independence from British rule. The leadership role he played in the independence movement earned him the title of Netaji, a Hindu honorarium that means "revered leader." Decades after his death, he is still recognized and celebrated for his role in India's fight for freedom.
Personal Life
During a visit to Germany in 1937, Bose met and married Austrian Emilie Schenkl. They had one daughter, Anita, born in 1942.
Bibliography
Borra, Ranjan, "Subhas Chandra Bose, the Indian National Army, and the War of India's Liberation." Institute for Historical Review, www.ihr.org/jhr/v03/v03p407‗Borra.html. Accessed 14 Oct. 2017.
Kaul, Chandrika. "From Empire to Independence: The British Raj in India 1858–1947." BBC, 3 Mar. 2011, www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/modern/independence1947‗01.shtml. Accessed 14 Oct. 2017.
"Life History of Subhash Chandra Bose: Father of the Indian Freedom." Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, www.hindujagruti.org/articles/47‗subhash-chandra-bose.html. Accessed 14 Oct. 2017.
"Mystery Ends: Subhas Chandra Bose Died in Plane Crash in 1945, Govt Says in RTI Reply." Economic Times, 31 May 2017, economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/mystery-ends-subhash-chandra-bose-died-in-plane-crash-in-1945-govt-says-in-a-rti-reply/articleshow/58923920.cms. Accessed 14 Oct. 2017.
"Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose." Cultural India, www.culturalindia.net/leaders/netaji-subhash-chandra.html. Accessed 14 Oct. 2017.
Sajul, MT. "Netaji Didn't Die in Air Crash, Says Secret French Report." Times of India, 16 July 2017, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/netaji-didnt-die-in-air-crash-says-secret-french-report/articleshow/59615563.cms. Accessed 14 Oct. 2017.