Subhas Chandra Bose was a prominent and leading figure in India's freedom struggle. During World War II, with the support of Japan, he established the Indian National Army (INA) to fight against the British. His slogans, "Jai Hind" and "Give me blood, and I will give you freedom," became very popular. The people of India affectionately call him "Netaji" (Leader).
Some historians believe that when Netaji sought help from Japan and Germany, the British government ordered its intelligence agencies to eliminate him in 1941.
On July 5, 1943, as the Supreme Commander, Netaji addressed the troops in front of the Singapore Town Hall and raised the slogan "Delhi Chalo!" He led the INA, along with the Japanese army, in fierce battles against British and Commonwealth forces in Burma, Imphal, and Kohima.
On October 21, 1943, as the Supreme Commander of the INA, Bose established the Azad Hind Government, which was recognized by the governments of 11 countries, including Germany, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, China, Italy, Manchukuo, and Ireland. Japan handed over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to this provisional government. Subhas visited these islands and renamed them.
In 1944, the INA launched another attack on the British and liberated parts of India. The Battle of Kohima, fought from April 4 to June 22, 1944, was a fierce battle. The Japanese army had to retreat, which was a significant turning point.
On July 6, 1944, he sent a message to Mahatma Gandhi from the Rangoon radio station, seeking his blessings and good wishes for victory in this decisive battle.
The circumstances of Subhas Chandra Bose's death remain controversial. In Japan, his martyrdom day is observed every year on August 18, but his family in India still believes that Subhas Chandra Bose did not die in 1945. They believe he was later kept under house arrest in Russia. If this is not true, then the Indian government did not release the documents related to his death because, according to them, Netaji did not die.
On January 16, 2014 (Thursday), the Kolkata High Court ordered the formation of a special bench to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the release of intelligence documents related to the mystery surrounding Netaji's disappearance.
On the 75th anniversary of the Azad Hind Government, in 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the Indian national flag at the Red Fort, a first in Indian history. January 23, 2021, marked the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji, which the Government of India celebrated as 'Parakram Diwas' (Day of Valor).
Birth and Family Life
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897, in the city of Cuttack, Odisha, into a Hindu Bengali Kayastha family. His father's name was Janakinath Bose and his mother's name was Prabhabati. Janakinath Bose was a renowned lawyer in Cuttack. He initially worked as a government lawyer, but later started his own private practice. He served for a long time in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation and was also a member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly. Prabhabati Devi's father was Gangamohan Datta. The Datta family was a well-known and wealthy family in Kolkata. Prabhabati and Janakinath Bose had a total of 14 children – 6 daughters and 8 sons. Subhas was their ninth child and their fifth son. Among all his brothers, Subhas was most attached to Sharad Chandra. Sharad Babu was the second son of Prabhabati and Janakinath. Subhas used to call him 'Mejhda' (elder brother). Sharad Babu's wife's name was Vibhavati.
From Schooling to the Indian Civil Service: A Journey
After completing his primary education at the Protestant School in Cuttack, he joined Ravenshaw Collegiate School in 1909. The personality of the school's principal, Benimadhab Das, had a profound impact on Subhas. At just fifteen, Subhas had read all of Vivekananda's works. In 1915, despite being unwell, he passed the Intermediate examination in the second division. In 1916, while studying for his BA (Honours) in Philosophy at Presidency College, a dispute arose between the teachers and students. Subhas led the students, which resulted in his expulsion from Presidency College for one year and a ban on appearing for examinations. He appeared for the recruitment examination for the 49th Bengal Regiment, but was declared unfit for the army due to poor eyesight. He somehow managed to get admission to Scottish Church College, but his heart still yearned to join the army. To utilize his free time, he appeared for the Territorial Army examination and was recruited as a private soldier at Fort William. He was worried that he might not perform as well in the BA examination as he had in the Intermediate, so he worked hard and passed the BA (Honours) examination in 1919, securing second place in the Calcutta University.
His father wanted Subhas to join the Indian Civil Service, but given his age, he had only one chance to pass the examination. He asked his father for 24 hours to decide whether to take the examination or not. He pondered the decision throughout the night. Finally, he decided to take the examination and left for England on September 15, 1919. Unable to find a suitable school in London to prepare for the examination, Subhas somehow managed to get admission to King's College, Cambridge, to study for the Tripos (Honours) examination in Moral and Mental Science. This solved his problem of accommodation and food. Attending university was merely a pretext; his real goal was to pass the ICS examination. Therefore, in 1920, he passed the examination and secured the fourth position on the merit list.
Subsequently, Subhas wrote to his elder brother, Sarat Chandra Bose, seeking his advice. He wondered how he could serve the British government when the teachings of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati and Maharishi Aurobindo Ghosh dominated his thoughts and heart. On April 22, 1921, he resigned from the ICS by writing a letter to E.S. Montagu, the Secretary of State for India. He also wrote a letter to Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das. However, when his mother, Prabhawati, wrote to him saying that "no matter what father, family, or anyone else says, she is proud of her son's decision," Subhas returned to India in June 1921 with a Tripos (Honours) degree in Moral and Mental Science.
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