Shiban Khaibri
This nation shall remain increasingly indebted and requited to Neta Ji Subash Chandra Bose for his splendid and glorious role in the Indian independence movement despite having been left out in cold in the lousier manner by Congress leaders, chiefly by Gandhi Ji to the extent of having been unceremoniously removed from the post of the President of Congress which position he had earned as a result of having been elected and not ‘selected’. Gandhi Ji shall stand duly adversely commented upon , if not exposed for having been the force behind removing him from the coveted post of the Party President when the history of the independence movement of India will be written by historians other than those having been enjoying the sole monopoly of inventing history rather than describing it as it existed.
Why, again, was Neta Ji in post independence era deliberately kept in an oblivious state to the extent of pretermission all these decades till 2014 , general views have been separately , in short, attempted by this writer earlier, through these very columns and since an air free of haze and sans deliberate ambiguities in so far as writing the “other version” are felt by many but very few writers and impartial historians , they have been writing now and writing elaborately . Attempts to treat Netaji so callously by the Party which ruled for decades in a row and thereafter till 2014 , the Congress – was advised by Gandhi Ji himself to disband the party as “it had outlived its use in its present form” and should “flower into Lok Sevak Sangh”. These golden but unheeded words of Gandhi Ji appeared in his cherished paper ‘Harijan’ on Feb2, 1948 written by him on January 27, 1948 three days before his assassination. His close associates called it as “His last will and Testament”.
Let the fate of Gandhi Ji’s advice be analysed in right perspective. To whom he gave this advice for expectedly strict compliance is not that important as it is to see how that advice was treated with contempt then, and even continues up till now though “better late than never” , his advice could be acted upon even now to receive his benediction from the Swarag Lok to those Congressians who do it in the right earnest. His last words hold much importance which should have been like the gospel command of a patriarch who had the final say and unwritten but absolute powers in the Party, till the transfer of power from the British to the people of India in 1947. Some critics go to this extent that an undercurrent of indignation and frustration had engulfed the upper layer of the hierarchy of Congress Party who anticipated more of such open but “much required advice” from him . Some contemporary people had wondered to allow the octogenarian top Congress(ian), though not in Government, to live and move about without assured personal security especially after the failed assassination attempt on him on January 20, 1948 at the prayer meeting. Were the crucial dots joined between January 20 to January 30 to investigate the intelligence and security lapses in respect of the then most celebrated man ? Had he lost the relevance in the run up to amoral practicability of politics of power, governance and state craft that no one in the Government then, seriously cared for his safety? Nehru and Patel both stand not exonerated of their “lackadaisical approach” in the matter even now, as a thorough probe was never ordered . And, most of those present day Congress leaders should please not treat Gandhi as their patent right to be lavishly used for their scoring political points who boast in mocking and pooh – poohing other political parties the right to “claim” Gandhi Ji also as their leader in many ways.
With Modi Ji as Prime Minister , we could see the top popular leader of Indian masses , the unblemished hard core secular practical freedom fighter Subash Chander Bose coming into the limelight as also his Azad Hind Fauj . Not only this, his unfulfilled wish of December 30 , 1943 in respect of Andaman and Nicobar islands to be renamed as “Shaheed” and “Swaraj Deep” was duly respected by Modi Ji last year on December 30 and no Prime Minister so far, since independence, ever cared to pay any heed to the patriotic sentiments of Neta Ji in the matter as, perhaps, that could have diluted the focus on Nehru and his progeny in succession in power in this country. It is, however, unparalleled that under democracy , this country saw rule of dynasty as an irrevocable right and naming streets, playgrounds, stadiums, housing colonies, awards, trophies, airports etc only after the names of one dynasty and very rarely in the name of any other leader of equal reckoning.
Netaji Bose has been treated in an unbecoming manner by all benchmarks for the reason that not only his work , his fight and his contribution in the freedom movement was not recognised but all along he has been treated as the one who mattered the least. That is gradually unfolding and as education spread more and petty politics over stood its relevance, the tricks played in the name of democracy would be seen through more clearly. Even gullible people who took on face value “potatoes in and gold out” recently would eventually get more matured in distinguishing an election riff from a matured and possible welfare or developmental measure seriously promised while seeking votes.
The Prime Minister deserves eulogy in announcing in a public meeting, donning Azad Hind Fauj cap, amidst thunderous applause, renaming of three islands of Andoman and Nicobare archipelago as a token of tribute to Netaji. Ross island was renamed as Netaji Subhash Bose Dweep , Neil island as Shaheed Deep and Havelock Island as Swaraj Deep.
The spot where Netaji had unfurled the Tricolour in 1943 as the first Prime Minister of undivided India , Modi hoisted the flag there coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the historic moment. It was on this very day 75 years ago, when Netaji had suggested renaming these islands. During World War -2, the Japanese had captured these islands and Netaji visited the islands as the Azad Hind Fauj commanded by him was an ally of the Japanese forces . A commemorative stamp too was released as also a Rs. 75 coin. A deemed University named after Netaji too was announced by the Prime Minister.
Cellular Jail or the frightening ‘Kala Paani’ built in ten long years between 1896 and 1906 by the British, holds a place of special reverence for all patriotic Indians. Mostly freedom fighters including thinkers, writers and intellectuals whose demand was only independence from the foreign rule, were lodged in this jail and subjected to tortures, flogging , yoking like animals for oil extraction , starved , kept in chains in most unhygienic and dingy cells and even shot dead on flimsy grounds, was visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi .It was this very jail where great freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar, Indu Bhushan Roy, Baba Bhan Singh and hundreds of others were lodged for years and the PM paid tributes to the freedom fighters who were imprisoned in that jail. In Marina Park , national flag was hoisted by Modi on a 150 feet high mast .
Not all in the country know that Andaman and Nicobar islands had been liberated under the leadership of Netaji and if it would have not been so, some other countries would have grabbed them to make strategic military base and posed a threat to our national security. This vital part of the freedom movement has deliberately received no wide exposure, nor taught in our schools to our children to acquaint them with the role played by Netaji in the freedom movement , instead it has been circulated all these 72 years that it was “because of Nehru and Gandhi alone” that we are free today.
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