Embodiment of liberation Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, The Pioneer, January 22, 2006
http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp? main_variable=OPED&file_name=opd3%2Etxt&counter_img=3 The first constitutional heads of the State deserve their rightful place in history. However, a sincere introspection and analysis of the struggle of the INA that first hoisted the national flag in Imphal and elsewhere in India, makes Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose occupy the most eminent position. The mass has always honoured a hero who took the courage to demonstrate the will of the people as Netaji did even in exile. One may cite the example of Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara in Cuba and Oliver Tomboy of African National Congress in South Africa to understand the significance of Netaji and the INA in India's freedom struggle. I, therefore, sincerely feel that if one writes the true modern Indian history of our national struggle for Independence, he or she must acknowledge that Netaji was our foremost leader, much before the Constitution was adopted. Contrary to popular perception, Netaji was never a believer of Marxism and Leninism. Whatever may be the interpretation by the Left ideologues today, he was a great patriot, a true nationalist, a devoted Indian and, above all, secular par excellence. His idea of socialism and conceptualisation of Planning Commission in the 1920s and '30s, when he was elected the president of the Indian National Congress in Haripura and Tripuri, gave the nation a message which was further promoted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in his tenure as the Prime Minister of India. Netaji's slogan for the INA, "Ittemad, Ittefaq and Qurbani", was not merely a message but a manifestation of his secular outlook where every religion and faith had equal share. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore never defended any act of violence and hatred, but he always honoured the value of patriotism, courage and sacrifice. Therefore, when Gurudev called Gandhi "Mahatma" and Subhas Chandra Bose "Netaji", this revealed the two sides of our national history - while one was a great and divine soul who sacrificed his entire life for humanity, non-violence and peace, the other led an uncompromising struggle for the achievement of the country's independence from the bondage of colonial rule. Little wonder, Gandhi was called "Mahatma" while Subhas Chandra Bose named "Netaji". Netaji's relevance gains significance in today's world because he desired a society where everybody, both rich and poor, got equal opportunity and justice. His life also symbolised the struggle to fight all kinds of conservative and obscurantist approaches in various spheres of life. The architect of modern India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, on many occasions shared the perception of Subhas Chandra Bose in Congress party's inner deliberations. Thereon, issues of political, economic and social exploitation under colonial rule used to come up in constructive debates. It is indeed the young people of India who perhaps could not fathom the ideals of Netaji for not having studied his intricate strategy of struggle in the backdrop of the Second World War. The method employed by Netaji to take on the might of the British Empire in India was grossly misunderstood by many Leftist intellectuals. This cannot be ruled out: If Netaji had not taken the initiative to hit the Empire hard at that crucial time, it would not have realised that its days in this country were numbered. Pandit Nehru, notwithstanding his political differences with Netaji, saluted the historic march of the INA and came forward to defend its soldiers as a lawyer in the Red Fort trials. The 1942 Quit India movement within the country and the INA onslaught from outside destabilised the British government substantially. Netaji, therefore, is a living spirit of all liberation movements of the world and not merely of India. The Bhagvat Gita, the Bible and the Quran philosophically unite in a "Triveni Sangam" in Netaji's spirituality. Swami Vivekanand's approach on socialism had a direct bearing on his thoughts. The civilisational ethos of India that took shape through thousands of years of evolution motivated Netaji to espouse the cause of the oppressed and weaker sections of society. To him, colonialism, imperialism and racism, the curses of civilisation, could not be tackled without a determined effort by civilians through an armed struggle. On certain occasions, Netaji differed with Mahatma Gandhi; but at the end of the day, it was Netaji who held the Mahatma in much higher esteem than expected. His philosophy of struggle will continue to inspire the youth across the globe, wherever there is a battle against social and economic exploitation. The writer is Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India -- This is ZESTGlobal. Post articles on international affairs to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTGlobal by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/join/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTGlobal/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
