Re: [nukkad] Gandhiji & others (Bose)

["Samira Razdan" <>]

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When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion
- Ethiopian Proverb
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Rawat:  Isn't it surprising that available information is
conspicuously silent on Gandjiji's conflicts with Bhagat
Singh and with Subhash Chandra Bose.
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Harshal's Bose-Gandhi analysis is absolutely correct.
Now... we did study a little about Bose and of course -a lot- about
Gandhi... :-)  ... and ...

As always... political ego, greed for power and dirty politics
played an important role in the Bose-Gandhi relationship.

I am sorry to say this but Gandhi was a "seasoned" politician... he
knew how to play his cards... and he played the political "game" well
with the British... e.g. his neutral stand at the Jallianvala Bagh
massacre (note: the Anglo-Saxon world has always loved Gandhi! ;-) ).

Gandhi knew very well how to remain the center of attraction... even
if it meant going against his own countrym(a e)n. ;-)

Bose was a very popular leader. He was a one-time follower of Gandhi
and even served as the president of the INC for two years.
But... Bose and Gandhi had their "ideological" differences.

Bose demanded total freedom for India. But Congress wanted it in
"stages"(??). Many leaders... including Nehru supported Bose in this
matter. But later Bhagat Singh's martyrdom and the inability of the
Congress leaders to save his life incensed Bose. So he started a
movement opposing the Irvin-Gandhi Peace Pact (not a good idea ;-)!)
The British imprisoned him ... and he was expelled from India. But
he defied the punishment and came back.
...
Then WWII broke out and the Indians fought in the war on behalf of
the British. :-(

Bose wanted to take the help of Germany and Japan to "oust" the
British... and formed the INA (and this is probably the main reason
why the Allies do -not- glorify Bose). He may have been successful in
his mission to expel the British and free India... but he met an
untimely death. He (mysteriously ??) died in a plane crash... and
he was only 48 years old.

History has always portrayed Gandhi as the "saint"... the man
who wanted independence by "peaceful" methods... and... Bose as
the person who advocated "violence" (INA) to attain independence.
(another reason why Gandhi is more popular than Bose !)

But many historians believe that Indians could have attained
independence much earlier if they had been more aggressive.
The British army in India consisted mainly of Indian soldiers. If
they had joined Bose's INA... then the British would have seriously
considered fleeing the country (they were already badly beaten in
WWII, in Europe). But many Indians joined/remained on Gandhi's
side... and the British were assured that the Indians would continue
to tolerate their "rule".

I have read articles which suggest that Bose did not die in the
1945 crash... that he remained in hiding for a long time and passed
away much later. Anyhow, he disappeared from the Indian political
scene... forever... on Aug 18, 1945 (day his plane crashed).

Had he lived... would he have written a new chapter in India's
struggle for independence... or would he have changed India's
political destiny forever ??
... and that we will never know... :-)

-Sam.







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