Life of Subhash Chandra Bose

7/29/2019 Life of Subhash Chandra Bose

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LEADERSHIP LESSONTHROUGH

LITERATURE

Presented ByMahesh UtagePriyanka SawantAjit MangrulkarSachin MethreeChandan Jagtap

Master Of Management Studies

First YearB Division


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While the Gandhi /Nehru faction of Congress has garnered much of the credit for I ndia's freedom

struggle, it is 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.

.

Life of Subhash Chandra BoseSubhas Chandra was born on January 23rd 1897 in Cuttack (in present day Orissa) as the

ninth child among fourteen, of Janakinath Bose, an advocate, and Prabhavatidevi, a pious and God-fearing lady. A brilliant student, he topped the matriculation examination of Calcutta province andpassed his B.A. in Philosophy from the Presidency College in Calcutta. He was strongly influenced bySwami Vivekananda's teachings and was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. His parents' wishes

kept him away from the Indian freedom struggle and led him into studies for the Indian Civil Servicein England. Although he finished those examinations also at the top of his class (4th), he could not

complete his aprecentship and returned to India, being deeply disturbed by the Jallianwalla Baghmassacre. He came under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and joined the Indian National Congress(a.k.a. Congress). Gandhiji directed him to work with Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, the Bengali

leader whom Bose acknowledged as his political guru.

Over a span of 20 years, Bose was imprisoned eleven times by the British, the first

one being in 1921. In 1924, after a brief period of incarceration, Bose was exiled to Mandalay

in Burma . Subhash Bose was imprisoned again in 1930 and deported to Europe . During his

stay in Europe from 1933 to 1936, Subhash Bose zealously espoused the cause of Indian

freedom while meeting a number of prominent European statesmen. In 1937, Bose married

Emilie Schenkl who was his secretary.

Subhash Bose was twice elected president of the Indian National Congress (1938 and

1939) but following his disagreements with Mahatma Gandhi he relinquished his post and

formed a progressive group known as the Forward Block. The Second World War broke outin 1939 and Bose launched a campaign of mass civil disobedience to protest against the
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Viceroy's decision to declare war

on India 's behalf. Bose was put

behind the bars but because of his

hunger strike he was later placed

under house arrest.

Taking advantage of the

laxity of the house guards and

aided by his cousin Sishir Bose,

Subhash managed to escape and

traversing through enemy

territories he reached Moscow .

Bose tried to garner the help Nazi

Germany but due to the indifferent

attitude of Hitler and other German

leaders he left for Japan and soon

assumed the leadership of IndianNational Army (INA) founded by

Rash Behari Bose.

Bolstered by material assistance from the Japanese forces, the INA attacked the

British forces in Manipur and Nagaland in northeastern India and hosted the National Flag in

the town in Moirang, in Manipur. But with the defeat of Japan , the invasion by the INA soon

petered out and Netaji was forced to retreat to Malaya . Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

allegedly died in a plane crash over Taiwan , while flying to Tokyo on August 18, 1945.

Philosophy of Subhash Chandra BoseThe principles and the philosophy of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose were instrumental

factors in his embracing of armed revolution in the later part of his political career. Initially

Bose was a follower of the Gandhian way of freedom movement but years of travel in

European countries during exile and the ripening of mental faculties with age made him

disenchanted with the ways of the Indian National Congress.

Subhash Chandra's hatred for the British ran deep and he vehemently called for the

immediate ouster of the colonial rulers from Indian soil. Disappointed with the leniency

shown by some Congress leaders towards the British, Bose became increasingly convincedthat the goal of achieving freedom would remain a pipedream as long as the British held sway

over the land and peaceful protests would never be able to throw the British out.

While outlining his vision for a free India, Subhash Chandra Bose proclaimed thatsocialist authoritarianism would be required to eradicate poverty and social inequalities from

a diverse country like India. He openly espoused for an authoritarian state on the lines of

Soviet Russia and Kemal Atatrk's Turkey. Bose was also an exponent of socialism and

opined that industrialization and Soviet-style five-year plans held the key to a vibrant Indian

nation.
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Indian National Army

The Indian National Army was the manifestation of Subhash Chandra Bose's

transformation from a Gandhian freedom fighter to an armed revolutionary challenging the

might of the British Empire . Originally the brainchild of expatriate nationalist leader Rash

Behari Bose, the INA saw Subhash Chandra assuming the leadership of the outfit as its

supreme commander in 1943. With characteristic vigor and zeal, Bose set about

strengthening the fledgling organization and proclaimed the Provisional Government of Free

India in Singapore on October 21, 1943.

The Indian National Army was also known as the Azad Hind Fauj and it owed

allegiance to the Provisional Government which was recognized by nine Axis states. The

INA had a combat strength of 40,000 troops comprising mainly of Indian expatriates in South

Asia and Indian prisoners of war. The INA also boasted of an exclusive women's combat unit

named the Rani of Jhansi regiment.

As the Japanese troops launched a major offensive through Burma , the Azad Hind

Fauj soldiers fought alongside them in the frontlines and contributed in many victories.

Previously in December, 1943 the Azad Hind government had established its rule in the

Andaman and Nicobar Islands and renamed them as Shaheed (Martyr) and Swaraj (Self-rule).

On 18 April 1944, the INA troops captured the town of Moirang in Manipur and in a glorious

display of patriotism, raised an Indian tricolor.

However the INA's total dependence on the Japanese troops for arms and logistics

support proved to be its undoing and as the might of the Japanese began to wane, the INA too

was forced to retreat. With the subsequent surrender of Japan the INA resistance collapsedand a number of officers and troops were captures by the British. The government brought

these officers to the Red Fort in Delhi for court martial but eventually had to relent in the faceof nationwide protests and incidents of mutiny in the ranks of British Indian Army.

Subhash Chandra employed his great oratory skills to inspire the troops of Indian

National Army. On July 4, 1944, at a rally of Indians in Burma , Bose famously proclaimed,

"Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom." "Delhi Chalo," another phrase attributed to

him, became the clarion call of the INA combatants as they marched towards Indian territory.
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Taking over leadership of Azad Hind Fauj and later eventsThe Indian National Army (INA) was originally founded by Capt Mohan Singh in

Singapore in September 1942 with Japan's Indian POWs in the Far East. This was along the

concept ofand with support ofwhat was then known as the Indian Independence League,

headed by expatriate nationalist leader Rash Behari Bose.

The first INA was however disbanded in December 1942 after disagreements between

the Hikari Kikan and Mohan Singh, who came to believe that the Japanese High Command

was using the INA as a mere pawn and propaganda tool. Mohan Singh was taken into

custody and the troops returned to the prisoner-of-war camp.

However, the idea of a liberation army was revived with the arrival of Subhas

Chandra Bose in the Far East in 1943. In July, at a meeting in Singapore, Rash Behari Bose

handed over control of the organization to Subhas Chandra Bose. Bose was able to reorganize

the fledgling army and organize massive support among the expatriate Indian population in

south-east Asia, who lent their support by both enlisting in the Indian National Army, as well

as financially in response to Bose's calls for sacrifice for the national cause. At its height itconsisted of some 85,000[citation needed] regular troops, including a separate women's unit,

the Rani of Jhansi Regiment (named after Rani Lakshmi Bai) headed by Capt. Lakshmi

Swaminathan, which is seen as a first of its kind in Asia.

Even when faced with military reverses, Bose was able to maintain support for the

Azad Hind movement. Spoken as a part of a motivational speech for the Indian National

Army at a rally of Indians in Burma on July 4, 1944, Bose's most famous quote was "Give me

blood, and I shall give you freedom!" In this, he urged the people of India to join him in his

fight against the British Raj. Spoken in Hindi, Bose's words are highly evocative. The troops

of the INA were under the aegis of a provisional government, the Azad Hind Government,

which came to produce its own currency, postage stamps, court and civil code, and wasrecognised by nine Axis statesGermany, Japan, Italy, the Independent State of Croatia,

Wang Jingwei regime in Nanjing, China, a provisional government of Burma, Manchukuo

and Japanese-controlled Philippines.

Recent researches have shown that the USSR too had recognised the "Provisional

Government of Free India". Of those countries, five were authorities established under Axis

occupation. This government participated in the so-called Greater East Asia Conference as an

observer in November 1943.

The INA's first commitment was in the Japanese thrust towards Eastern Indian

frontiers of Manipur. INA's special forces, the Bahadur Group, were extensively involved in

operations behind enemy lines both during the diversionary attacks in Arakan, as well as the

Japanese thrust towards Imphal and Kohima, along with the Burmese National Army led byBa Maw and Aung San.

Japanese also took possession of Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 1942 and a year

later, the Provisional Government and the INA were established in the Andaman and NicobarIslands with Lt Col. A.D. Loganathan appointed its Governor General. The islands were

renamed Shaheed (Martyr) and Swaraj (Independence). However, the Japanese Navy

remained in essential control of the island's administration.


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Greater East Asia Conference in November 1943, Participants Left to right: Ba Maw, Zhang

Jinghui, Wang Jingwei, Hideki Tj, Wan Waithayakon, Jos P. Laurel, Subhas Chandra Bose

During Bose's only visit to the islands in early 1944, when he was carefully screened

from the local population by the Japanese authorities, who at that time were torturing the

leader of the Indian Independence League on the Islands, Dr. Diwan Singh,who later died of

his injuries, in the Cellular Jail. The islanders made several attempts to alert Bose to their

plight, but apparently without success. Enraged with the lack of administrative control, Lt.

Col Loganathan later relinquished his authority and returned to the Government's head

quarters in Rangoon.

On the Indian mainland, an Indian Tricolour, modeled after that of the Indian National

Congress, was raised for the first time in the town in Moirang, in Manipur, in north-eastern

India. The towns of Kohima and Imphal were placed under siege by divisions of the

Japanese, Burmese and the Gandhi and Nehru Brigades of INA during the attempted invasionof India, also known as Operation U-GO. However, Commonwealth forces held both

positions and then counter-attacked, in the process inflicting serious losses on the besieging

forces, which were then forced to retreat back into Burma.

When Japanese funding for the army diminished, Bose was forced to raise taxes on

the Indian populations of Malaysia and Singapore . When the Japanese were defeated at the

battles of Kohima and Imphal, the Provisional Government's aim of establishing a base in

mainland India was lost forever. The INA was forced to pull back, along with the retreating

Japanese army, and fought in key battles against the British Indian Army in its Burma

campaign, notable in Meiktilla, Mandalay, Pegu, Nyangyu and Mount Popa. However, with

the fall of Rangoon, Bose's government ceased to be an effective political entity. A large

proportion of the INA troops surrendered under Lt Col Loganathan when Rangoon fell. Theremaining troops retreated with Bose towards Malaya or made for Thailand. Japan's surrender
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at the end of the war also led to the eventual surrender of the Indian National Army, when the

troops of the British Indian Army were repatriated to India and some tried for treason.

Earlier, in a speech broadcast by the Azad Hind Radio from Singapore on July 6, 1944, Bose

addressed Mahatma Gandhi as the "Father of the Nation" and asked for his blessings and

good wishes for the war he was fighting. This was the first time that Mahatma Gandhi was

referred to by this appellation.His famous quote/slogan was " ; " (Give me blood

and I will give you freedom). His other famous quote were, " (Dilli Chalo)",meaning "On to Delhi!" This was the call he used to give the INA armies to motivate them.

"(Jai Hind)", or, "Glory to India!" was another slogan used by him and later adoptedby the Government of India and the Indian Armed Forces. Other slogan coined by him was

Ittehad, Etemad, Qurbani. INA also used the slogan Inquilab Zindabad, which was coined by

Maulana Hasrat Mohani

The Influence of BoseBose advocated complete freedom for India at the earliest, whereas the Congress

Committee wanted it in phases, through a Dominion status. Other younger leaders including

Jawaharlal Nehru supported Bose and finally at the historic Lahore Congress convention, the

Congress had to adopt Poorna Swaraj (complete freedom) as its motto. Bhagat Singh's

martyrdom and the inability of the Congress leaders to save his life infuriated Bose and he

started a movement opposing the Gandhi-Irvin Peace Pact. He was imprisoned and expelled

from India. But defying the ban, he came back to India and was imprisoned again!

Clouds of World War II were gathering fast and Bose warned the Indian people and

the British against dragging India into the war and the material losses she could incur. 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

India over to the Indians, failing which there would be a revolt. There was much opposition

to his rigid stand, and he resigned from the post of president and formed a progressive group

known as the Forward Block (1939).

The second World War broke out in September of 1939, and just as predicted by

Bose, India was declared as a warring state (on behalf of the British) by the GovernorGeneral, without consulting Indian leaders. The Congress party was in power in seven major

states and all state governments resigned in protest.

Subhas Chandra Bose now started a mass movement against utilizing Indian resources

and men for the great war. To him, it made no sense to further bleed poor Indians for the

sake of colonial and imperial nations. There was a tremendous response to his call and the

British promptly imprisoned him . He took to a hunger-strike, and after his health deteriorated

on the 11th day of fasting, he was freed and was placed under house arrest. The British were

afraid of violent reactions in India, should something happen to Bose in prison.


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Leader of Masses and the MilitaryBose wanted to free India from the Eastern front. He had taken care that Japanese

interference was not present from any angle. Army leadership, administration and

communications were managed only by Indians. Subhash Brigade, Azad Brigade and GandhiBrigade were formed. INA marched through Burma and occupied Coxtown on the Indian

Border. A touching scene ensued when the solders entered their 'free' motherland. Some lay

down and kissed, some placed pieces of mother earth on their heads, others wept. They were

now inside of India and were determined to drive out the British! Delhi Chalo (Let's march to

Delhi) was the war cry.

The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki changed the history of mankind. Japan had

to surrender. Bose was in Singapore at that time and decided to go to Tokyo for his next

course of action. Unfortunately, the plane he boarded crashed near Taipei and he died in the

hospital of severe burns. He was just 48.

The Indian people were so much enamored of Bose's oratory and leadership qualities,

fealressness and mysterious adventures, that he had become a legend. They refused to believe

that he died in the plane crash. The famous Red Fort trial wherein Bose's generals and the

INA officers were tried, became landmark events. Initially, the British Government thought

of a court-martial, but there was a countrywide protest against any kind of punishment. For

common Indians, Axis and Allied powers hardly mattered, but they could not tolerate

punishment of fellow countrymen who were fighting for freedom. The British Government

was in no position to face open rebellion or mutiny and a general amnesty for INA soldiers

was declared.

While Bose's approach to Indian freedom continues to generate heated debate in the

Indian society today, there is no denying of his burning patriotism, his tireless efforts to free

India from inside and outside and his reckless adventures in trying to reach his goals. His

exploits later became a legend due to the many stories carried by the disbanded INA soldiers

who came from every nook and corner of our great country.

Had he lived, Subhas Chandra Bose could have given a new turn to Independent

India's political history. But he lives on eternally in the Indian mind, more famous after his

death.

The Mystery Begins...Bose suddenly disappeared in the beginning of 1941 and it was not until many days

that authorities realized Bose was not inside the house they were guarding! He traveled by

foot, car and train and resurfaced in Kabul (now in Afghanistan), only to disappear once

again. In November 1941, his broadcast from German radio sent shock waves among the

British and electrified the Indian masses who realized that their leader was working on a


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master plan to free their motherland. It also gave fresh confidence to the revolutionaries in

India who were challenging the British in many ways.

The Axis powers (mainly Germany) assured Bose military and other help to fight the

British. Japan by this time had grown into another strong world power, occupying key

colonies of Dutch, French, and British colonies in Asia. Bose had struck alliance with

Germany and Japan. He rightly felt that his presence in the East would help his countrymen

in freedom struggle and second phase of his saga began. It is told that he was last seen on

land near Keil canal in Germany, in the beginning of 1943. A most hazardous journey was

undertaken by him under water, covering thousands of miles, crossing enemy territories. He

was in the Atlantic, the Middle East, Madagascar and the Indian ocean.

Battles were being fought over land, in the air and there were mines in the sea. At one

stage he traveled 400 miles in a rubber dinghy to reach a Japanese submarine, which took

him to Tokyo. He was warmly received in Japan and was declared the head of the Indian

army, which consisted of about 40,000 soldiers from Singapore and other eastern regions.

Bose called it the Indian National Army (INA) and a government by the name "Azad Hind

Government" was declared on the 21st of October 1943. INA freed the Andaman and

Nicobar islands from the British, and were renamed as Swaraj and Shaheed islands. The

Government started functioning.

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Life of Subhash Chandra Bose