Netaji: Embodiment of India’s might, inspiration
Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Kudos to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for unveiling a hologram statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.The Modi government in 2021 announced to observe January 23 as ‘ParakramDiwas’ to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bose.Whenever we hear the name Subhash Chandra Bose, the first thing that comes in our mind is a popular saying by him, “Tum Mujhe Khoon do main tumhe Azadi dunga”.
As PM Modi said Netaji’s statue will really inspire democratic values and future generations. It is nice that the grand statue of Netaji is completely hand sculpted using traditional techniques and modern tools. He has rightly said that the freedom struggle had involved the sacrifice of lakhs of people, but after Independence there was an attempt to erase their contribution.
Subhash Chandra Bose, popularly known as “Netaji”, a great militant, freedom fighter and patriot was born at Cuttack, Orissa. He was selected for the Indian Civil Service but he did not want to stay in England and serve the British government. He resigned from his Civil Service job in 1921 and returned to India after hearing of the national turmoil in India.
His political and ideological views were largely influenced by the Bhagavad Gita and he worked tirelessly to gain independence for India from British rule. He believed in the ideals of democracy, however, he also believed that pure democracy would not work in a post-colonial India
He was a warrior, who had to wage the freedom struggle. Not only did he embrace the freedom movement wholeheartedly, but also became an inspiration for freedom. With the slogan “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”, he started preparing to awaken the country. Bose’s selfless contribution to India’s Independence Movement and organizing and leading the Indian National Army is indispensable.
His struggle of Independence was highlighted during the Civil Disobedience Movement for which he had even been arrested. He was called “the Iron Man” for his strong demeanour. According to him freedom cannot be attained solely by non-violent means; it also necessitates violence. He actively participated in the Salt Satyagraha of 1930 and vehemently opposed the suspension of Civil Disobedience Movement and signing of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact in 1931.
He built a force and presented that force before the enemies of the country as the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army). He gave the slogan of “DilliChalo” with a new spirit. Thousands of soldiers of his 60,000-strong army sacrificed their lives for the country.
Despite his failure at leading a military revolt against the British Occupation, Bose was extremely successful in another area. In 1941, a Free India Radio was set up with help from Germany, on which Bose regularly spoke about the Indian Freedom Movement. Due to his charisma and charm, he succeeded in generating a wave of support for the Indian Freedom Movement. Bose, a ferocious fighter and the embodiment of intellect, trailed throughout the globe, meeting prominent leaders from Germany, Italy, and Japan before forming the INA (Indian National Army) in 1941.
Subhash Chandra Bose is an unforgettable national hero. He had tremendous love for his country. Bose lived with this philosophy and also inspired others. Netaji encountered failures several times, but he converted those failures to triumph with his struggle. Today’s young generation should learn a great deal about Subhash Chandra Bose and his life.
(The author hails from Jodhpur Tekra in Ahmedabad)
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