How Subhash Chander Bose was illtreated in his own country

We are all occupied in searching secrets in secret files of Subhash Chander Bose that are being released. So far these have not still solved the riddles that surround his life and death. No conclusive evidence has emerged from the files about the certainty of plane crash or death in Russia. This will continue to be mystery especially when his associate Nizamudin who lives in Azamgarh says he left him near a river in Singapore after the crash. And his testimony that Bose lived thereafter has not been considered.

The papers reveal that Government of India after Bose’s disappearance seemed luke warm to get at the truth and even his ashes in a temple of Japan were left there itself to cover up any further din on the subject. It needs no papers as history has enough evidence of growing distance and hostility between Subhash and Nehru. Subhash Bose was elected twice as the President of the party and this was not to the liking of Nehru and Gandhi. Gandhi has serious differences with his approach that was more radical and infused with modern development ideas relying heavily on industrialization whereas Gandhi was towing a boat laden with Sawraj and pastoral economics. Nehru was too modern but in this fight he remained less vocal to support Gandhi who finally saw to it that Bose felt suffocated and impatient for Full Independence. Gandhi was advocating the soft approach to even reconcile with British as he did in supporting war and Khilafat. Gandhi would have been content with even dominion status given to India by the British Government. His approach was to overthrow the British for complete independence and that led to his house arrest. Finally he escaped the country and reached Germany. This was time of World War II and one can marvel at his escapade that would have entailed a lot of ingenuity and imagination. On reaching Germany he met Adolf Hitler and sought his help to fight the British for getting rid of them to free his country. He raised Indian National Army in Germany to fight with Germans. Was this a small deed or a mere quixotic fight with castles? On the other hand raising donations and an army in a foreign country needed extraordinary skill as well dynamism.  When German went weak in war he managed to reach Japan and raise an army to touch the coast of his motherland fighting his tough and impossible mission. It looks a fairy tale but it was the reality of an Indian hero that we did not acknowledge fully and rather made all possible efforts to assign it a background space. This disregard went to the extent that in Children text books we reduced his mention and even omitted it for higher classes.

After exit of Bose from India Nehru took the command of the party and all the ideas of Gandhi were either ignored or given a marginal place. For example: partition too was accepted against Gandhi’s wishes. we accepted two nation theory which was greatest mistake resulting in millions holocaust. Dr Ambedkar thought it was absurd to bring swaraj or Panchayat in our Constitution and threw it out. Even he gave in to Nehru’s views and finally a document was adopted inspite of reservations of  many tall leaders like Prasad and Patel and others. Everything became Jawahar lal’s show. It must be acknowledged that he was astute politician and a capable leader who commanded high literary and holistic grasp of world view. But there was another jewel in the crown of nation that was squandered by out disregard and manipulative politics that eased out Bose.

There would be a lot of mudslinging on Nehru for his manipulation and disregard of Bose . Three commissions of enquiry did not bring out anything substantial to reveal some light on death of the martyar.On the other hand Nehru’s letter to Atlee informing about Bose called  a war criminal is hogging lime light. It is true that is not the letter signed by Nehru but as taken down by a stenographer who produced it before Khosla Commission that did not give any credence to it. Nehru did what a politician would do to remain sole inheritor of Gandhi and fight for freedom of India. Obviously he did not want to share the lime light with another competitor as a politician would do. It should be remembered that even Atlee the then PM of Britain acknowledged that Bose could unnerve British that army could revolt as many in army had sympathy for him. Gandhi was held high esteem by all leader and I find a lot of fault on the part of Gandhi who not only made him leave party and country but gave him no support. Gandhi could have molded this genius for furtherance of the cause of the country but he did not and preferred to lean on shoulders of Nehru. Gandhi could put up with radicals like Ram Manohar Lohia but why he did not likewise give a hand and blessed a brave and duly elected leader of the party?

The controversy is now hot and will not die. BJP will claim credit for bringing documents first time in public domain whereas earlier governments refused it. Instead of beating the drums it should restore the honor and memory of the great son of India in fittest manner.

---Prof N.K.Singh former Chairman International Airports Authority