Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Biography : Life & Role in Freedom

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist who led (Second Phase) the Indian National Army (INA) in the independence movement. He was a prominent leader of the INC. Subhas Chandra Bose served as the President of the party for two tenures and the 5th Mayor of Calcutta (now Kolkata). Netaji was the first Indian who traveled in a submarine from Kiel to Tokyo via Singapore. He was one of the greatest freedom fighters of India who escaped under the nose of the Britishers.

Today In this article, we are going to discuss the life of an Inconvenient Nationalist who went to Germany, met Hitler, and went to Russia and Japan. After meeting the Japanese Prime Minister General Tojo, he went to Singapore to form India’s first liberation army. Even while staying outside India, he launched the biggest war on the British Government to occupy India. Netaji led India’s struggle for independence and guided the nation towards liberation from the cul-de-sac of British colonial rule. It is nearly impossible to decode his life in a form of biography but we will try to discuss the major points related to his life.

Let us discuss.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Biography : Life & Role in Freedom

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose – Overview

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January, 1897, in Cuttack, British India. He came from a well-known established Bengali family with a strong tradition of civil service. His father Mr. Janakinath Bose was a successful lawyer. His mother Prabhavati Devi was a social and educational enthusiast. He was baccalaureate from the Presidency College and he started to take his stand against the British from this time. Reportedly incensed by accounts of Oaten’s racist comments to Indians and his high-handed behavior toward his Indian students, Subhas beat him with his slippers and threw him down the iconic main staircase of Presidency College. He was influenced by the purity, patience and perseverance ideologies of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna. He worshiped Sakti and Kali. At the age of sixteen, he read all the Vedas and Upanishads. Then his parents sent him to the University of Cambridge in England for the Indian Civil Services. In 1920 he passed the civil service examination but he did not want to do “Chakri” under the British Government. In April 1921 when the nationalist turmoils in India were at their peak, he resigned from ICS and came back to India. Subhas Chandra Bose showed the early signs of leadership and a strong sense of patriotism entire his school and college life. Bose was a brilliant student who was knowledgeable in Indian history and literature from an early age.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose – Overview
Name	Subhas Chandra Bose
Birth Date	23rd January, 1897
Birth Place	Cuttack, Bengal Presidency, British India (present-day Odisha, India)
Political Party	Indian National Congress All India Forward Bloc
Spouse	Emilie Schenkl (m. 1937)
Children	Anita Bose Pfaff
Parents	Janakinath Bose (Father) Prabhabati Bose (Mother)
Education	Baptist Mission’s Protestant European School, Cuttack, 1902–09 Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack, 1909–12 Presidency College, Calcutta, 1912–15 February 1916 Scottish Church College, Calcutta, 20 July 1917–1919 Fitzwilliam Hall, Non-Collegiate Students Board, Cambridge, 1919–21
Alma Mater	University of Calcutta (B.A., Philosophy, 1919) University of Cambridge (B.A. Mental and Moral Sciences Tripos, 1921.)
Legacy	Lead in India’s struggle for independence from outside of India. Played a major role to establish the Indian National Army. Famous slogan “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom” Inspired countless Indians to join the freedom movement.

Subhas Chandra Bose and Indian National Congress

Subhas Chandra Bose joined Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement at the early age of his political career. The movement was aimed to peacefully resist British rule. Gandhi made the INC a strong organization by following non-violent methods. During this time, Gandhi suggested Bose to work closely with Chittaranjan Das. CR Das became his political mentor of Subhas in the early days. Bose then became a leader for young people and led volunteers for the Bengal Congress. He also started a newspaper called ‘Swaraj’. After being released from prison in 1927, Bose became the general secretary of the Congress party. He collaborated with Jawaharlal Nehru to fight for India’s independence.

Bose became the president of the Indian National Congress in 1938. He created a national planning committee to develop policies for industrial growth. His ideas clashed with Mahatma Gandhi’s preference for small-scale cottage industries. Despite winning reelection in the year of 1939, Bose felt he had to resign because Gandhi did not support his views.

Subhas Chandra Bose and The Formation of Forward Bloc

The All India Forward Bloc was a political party. It was started by Bose in 1939 after resigning from congress he started the party. Bose was famous for his left-leaning ideas within the Congress. The main goal of the Forward Bloc was to unite the radical parts of the Congress. They aimed to achieve complete independence for India while focusing on equality and social justice.

The Role of Subhas Chandra Bose in Freedom Struggle

Subhas Chandra Bose had a unique approach to achieve India’s freedom struggle. Here are the key points about his role:

• Bose was influenced by leftist ideas and socialism. His ideas was related to get complete freedom from British rule and supporting the use of military force.
• He was a notable leader whose philosophy inspired many to join the freedom movement.
• Bose believed in armed struggle as necessary to end British rule in India.
• He found so inspiration in the Bhagavad Gita. Personally he belived the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, which emphasized universalism, nationalism, and social service.
• Hindu spirituality and its way of living played a significant role in his political and social beliefs.
• Bose’s famous slogan “Give me blood, and I will give you freedom” captured his determination.
• Seeking support from Germany and Japan, he formed the Azad Hind Government and the Indian National Army (INA) in Singapore in 1943.
• Through the INA, Bose showed how people from diverse backgrounds could unite for India’s freedom.
• The INA was and remains a symbol of unity. It demonstrated how individuals of different faiths and backgrounds can come together for a common cause.

Subhas Chandra Bose and Indian National Army (INA)

In World War II, a big step toward freedom was the creation of the Azad Hind Fauj or INA. Rash Behari Bose who was an Indian revolutionary living in Japan, started the Indian Independence League with support from Indians in Southeast Asia. This league later led to the formation of the INA, which became a key player in the fight for India’s independence.

• Bose criticized the government for enrolling Indians in World War II without consulting them, leading to his arrest during rallies in Calcutta.
• Despite being allowed to leave after a few days, he remained under observation.
• In 1941, Bose left India for Germany via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union, meeting with European political figures and Indian students along the way.
• In Germany, he met with Nazi leaders to launch an armed rebellion against the British, seeking support from Axis powers.
• Dissatisfied with German support, Bose left Germany in 1943.
• After arriving in Singapore, he revived the Indian National Army (INA) that was initially established with Japanese assistance in the year of 1942.
• Bose replaced Rash Behari Bose as a leader of the Indian Independence Movement in the East Asia.
• After that he officially established the INA on October 21, 1943.
• He set up the government-in-exile. It was known as the Provisional Government of Free India.
• The headquarter of INA was in Singapore.
• The INA under Bose’s leadership, took over the control of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and aided the Japanese invasion of northeast India.
• After the 1944 Battles of Kohima and Imphal, the INA surrendered to British forces.

Conclusion – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Bose’s leadership played a major role to unite the Indians of different backgrounds like Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians in the fight for India’s freedom. Today, we look to Netaji’s example and inspiration to forge a united India where all communities, regardless of religion, enjoy equal rights and opportunities under the Indian constitution, without favoritism towards any group. We need to remember that in Independent India every citizen is Bose because they are the descendants of Netaji.

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FAQs – Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

What is Subhash Chandra Bose famous for?

Netaji led India’s struggle for independence and guided the nation towards liberation from the cul-de-sac of British colonial rule. Netaji was the first Indian who traveled in a submarine from Kiel to Tokyo via Singapore.

Who called Netaji first time?

The title “Netaji” was first given to Subhas Chandra Bose by the soldiers of the Indian National Army (INA) during India’s struggle for independence from British rule.

Where was Netaji born?

Janakinath Bhawan, the ancestral house of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, is located at Oriya Bazar in Cuttack city of Orissa.

Did Netaji have a wife?

Emilie Schenkl (26 December 1910 – 13 March 1996) was an Austrian stenographer, secretary and trunk exchange operator. She was the wife or the companion of Subhas Chandra Bose, an Indian nationalist leader.

Who is Netaji’s daughter?

Anita Bose Pfaff is an Austrian-born economist, who has previously been a professor at the University of Augsburg as well as a politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany. She is the daughter of Indian nationalist Subhas Chandra Bose and his wife Emilie Schenkl.