Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and his contribution towards India’s freedom struggle, the Azad Hind Fauj and his waging a war against the British to free India and ultimately resulting in hastening of the process of getting freedom, is all not known by the countrymen to the extent it should have been. It is a fact to be admitted that school and college going students, in particular, have remained bereft of knowing more about most of our national heroes even of iconic nature, revolutionaries and other social reformers who built in their own right, a strong base for invigorating awakening and patriotic fervour among the Indian masses to rise to the occasion in liberating the country from foreign rule and exploitation of our resources. There are not only various reasons for that but even mysteries surrounding such an avoidable scenario. However, time being of a great characteristic of bringing in changes , swaps and new directions hence behaving as a curer and healer, therefore, more urge to know more about such revolutionary and legendary personalities of this great country is now increasingly found in common people as also those engaged in academic research works. Having said that, Subhas Chandra Bose, popularly called as Netaji had a revolutionary and a dedicated commitment to free India from the foreign yoke . He indeed played a pivotal role in the freedom movement motivating men, women and youth to realise the dream of a free India as he possessed unique leadership skills in mobilising people for the noble cause . It is gratifying that now he is being remembered more than all these years and his contribution recognised and honoured, perhaps, though still not with the quantum he deserved. However, a beginning has very rightly started in this direction for the last few years and now with the unveiling of his 28 feet tall grand digital statue at India Gate in Delhi to mark his 125th birth anniversary, Netaji shall become more a focus of attention by the countrymen and to know more about his services to the nation. Mistakes, if any, committed in the past in respect of not giving the ”deserving due ” to most of our national heroes, have got to be rectified sooner than later . On these lines, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has lamented about such ”mistakes” of the past in ”ignoring the contribution of several freedom fighters”. However, a resilient nation realises the mistakes or ignoring of things in the past , corrects and reverses them to serve the present and leaves an impeccable legacy for the future generations. In that spirit and underlining how the country was marching ahead almost in all areas of development, the Prime Minister was quite optimistic while hoping that no power in the world could prevent India from achieving its goal of building ”a new India” before the hundredth year of Independence in 2047. It is to be noted that Netaji’s hologram has been displayed at the same spot under the India Gate Canopy which till 1968 or 21 years after independence, housed the statue of King George V, the sign or the symbol of colonising India for over 200 years and fettering its people. Erecting of statues and symbols of our great national heroes is not only for purposes of remembering them and even honouring them at special events with much hype but for drawing inspirations and motivation to never lose courage in meeting with the most difficult challenges and problems especially having a direct or indirect bearing on our country and the countrymen. In this respect , “can do, will do” spirit imbibed by Netaji in the countrymen is worth emulating to realise our dreams in transforming India into a more powerful and more strong country as the process of transformation is not static but consistent and ever going. Netaji had a revolutionary commitment to free India from the foreign yoke and he had the abilities and the capabilities to mobilise Indians to actively participate in the freedom struggle. His clarion call to the countrymen, “Give me blood and I will give you freedom” had superbly energised millions of Indians irrespective of caste, colour, region, religion or language and even gender to rise up to the occasion and free the motherland from a powerful alien country. Azad Hind Fauj, the army raised by him in freeing India, had given innumerable sacrifices in the independence struggle and those soldiers who have remained ”unwept and unsung” equally cannot be ignored by a beholden nation. Proper research and hard work need to be done to know more about such selfless and committed brave soldiers so that the nation knows more about them and keeps remembering them as they did not see a free India in their lifetime but fought for it to realise one for us. Salutes to our national heroes
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