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Eternal India
encyclopedia
SUBHAS
CHANDRA
BOSE 1897-1948
FREEDOM MOVEMENT
Subhas Chandra Bose was a Man of Destiny, if there ever was one. What is the mark
of a man of destiny? That he is born with a mission. That he creates his own milieu to
fulfil it. That he infuses others with his own faith and purpose, makes them embrace
poverty, suffering, death itself for the cause. That he writes his will across the lives of
millions.
All this Netaji did.
Subhas Chandra Bose
Born at Cuttack (in modern Orissa) on
23rd January 1897, the 9th child of Janaki
Nath and Prabhavati Bose. His father was a
lawyer . From 1902-08 Subhas studied in a
missionary school at Cuttack run by the Bap-
tist Mission. From 1908-13 he studied at the
Ravenshaw Collegiate School. His headmas-
ter Beni Madhav Das made a tremendous im-
pression on Subhas. He instilled in Subhas an
awareness of moral values and social respon-
sibilities. During this period he was attracted
towards spiritual life. He came across the
works of Swami Vivekananda.
Subhas was not unmindful of the duty to
one's motherland. In a letter to his mother he
wrote:
"India is God's beloved land. He has
been bom in this great land in every age in the
form of the saviour for the enlightenment of
the people, to rid this earth of sin and to
establish righteousness in every Indian heart.
He has come into being in many centuries in
human form, but not so many times in any
other country . That is why I say, India our
motherland, is God's beloved land."
In 1913 he joined the Presidency College,
Calcutta. It was then regarded as the premier
college of the Calcutta University with emi-
nent professors like Sir J.C. Bose and P.C.
Ray on its staff. He visited Rishikesh, Harid-
war, Banaras, Mathura and Gaya. Subhash
passed the intermediate examination in the
first division.
For his B. A. he took the honours course in
philosophy. During this period, an incident
involving a professor of the college, E.F.
Oaten
had a far-reaching effect on his life. Prof.
Oaten, like other Englishmen, began to treat
his Indian students with disdain and contempt.
One day for no apparent reason he man-
handled a student of the first year class. The
angry students decided to take the law in
their
own hands and gave a sound thrashing to the
professor. This incident aroused the ire of the
authorities. The Government summarily
closed the Presidency College and appointed
a commission of enquiry. Subhas and his
group of students were suspected to be behind
the act. Subhas was thereafter rusticated from
the university.
Subhas immersed himself in social works.
He joined a band of students nursing cholera
and smallpox patients in Cuttack. After a year
he went back to Calcutta and was allowed to
join the Scottish Church College. He passed
his B.A. examination in 1919 with first class
honours in philosophy and was placed, sec-
ond in the order of merit.
It was then that his father decided to send
him to England to study for the Indian Civil
Service. On September 15, 1919 he set sail
from Bombay.
He succeeded in getting admission to
Fitzwilliam House at Cambridge. In July
1920, 8 months after his arrival in Cam-
bridge, he appeared for the civil services
examination. He came through the exami-
nation with flying colours being placed
fourth in the order of merit. Spurning a life
of opulence and high status which the civil
service would confer on him and aspiring to
dedicate his life for the service of his moth-
erland, Subhas summarily resigned from the
service in 1921. In June 1921 he left for India.
Reaching Bombay, he met Gandhi who
had become the leader of the Indian National
Congress. Dissatisfied with Gandhi, he went
to Calcutta and came in contact with C.R. Das.
Bose was also placed in charge of the Pub-
licity Board of the Bengal Provincial Con-
gress Committee and made head of the
National Volunteer Corps.
“Bose was a young man in a hurry, and
failed to see the wisdom of the old leader's
patience and perserverance in efforts to con-
quer his opponents by love. British imperial-
ism (he felt) understood only brute strength
and not soul force. While participating
wholeheartedly in Gandhi's non-cooperation
movements, he always wanted to widen
their
scope and quicken their tempo. Whenever
these movements were halted or withdrawn,
as happened more than once, Bose became fu-
rious, and gave vent to his anger and frustra-
tion.”
In December 1921 Bose was arrested in
connection with the Civil Disobedience Move-
ment.
On January 11,1923, the All-India Swaraj
Party was officially inaugurated at Gaya.
Subhas became a leader of youth. He formed
the
"All Bengal Youth'League "
with himself
as President. The Swaraj party greatly con-
solidated its position in 1923. The success of
the Swaraj Party throughout the country
worried the government. It feared an upsurge
of revolutionary activities. On October 25,
1924
a large number of Congressmen were
arrested under a new emergency ordinance
called the Bengal ordinance signed by the
Viceroy the previous night.
Among those arrested was Subhas. He
was accused of complicity in a revolutionary
conspiracy. On January 25,1925 he was
shifted
to Mandalay jail in upper Burma. On June 16,
1925
C.R. Das died.
On May 16,1927 he was released in view
of his health after detention without trial for
two years, six months and 21 days.
On January 9, Bose presided over a meet-
ing at Hazra Park in Calcutta to explain to the
people the significance of the Independence
Day. As the President of the trade union con-
gress, he specially appealed to workers to
observe the day, for without independence,
the economic exploitation would never end.
On September 25, B ose was elected mayor of
the Calcutta Municipal Corporation. In De-
cember 1930 he started the Bengal Swadeshi
League for co-ordination of the activities of
industrialists, businessmen and social work-
ers.
Bose arrived in Vienna on March 8,1933.
He stayed in Europe for the next four years.
He visted many countries to win sympathizers
for the Indian freedom movement. During
his stay in Europe he visited practically