Formative Influence of Swami Vivekananda on Subhash Chandra Bose

Formative Influence of Swami Vivekananda on Subhash Chandra Bose:
A Biographical Study

BY ABNISH SINGH
Department of English, Teerthanker Mahaveer University,Moradabad, U.P., India

Subhash Chandra Bose (1897-1945), the dominant figure, of course, next to Gandhi, better known as Netaji, was born in Cuttack, Orissa, on January 23, 1897, in a well known and well to Kayastha family. He was the sixty of the fourteen children of Janakinath Bose, an eminent lawyer by profession, and Prabhavati and descended from the Boses of Mahinagar. He was brought up at Cuttack where he had his school education. Subhash was admitted into the Bapist Mission School at Cuttack in 1902, and when he was in the fourth class, he joined the Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack and remained there up to 1913. Here he learnt Bengali and got the highest marks in the subject. He was an intelligent student and his command of English was superb. He was greatly influenced by his Head-Master, Beni Madhav Das from whom he learnt social, political an economical thoughts and ideas. It was during this period that Subhash was drawn towards the works of Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) as he accepted: "I was barely fifteen when Vivekananda entered my life, then there followed a revolution within and everything was turn upside down."1

As Subhash approached the end of his school career, the religious impulse began to grow in intensity. Due to his study, he could not devote himself fully towards spirituality. As the years rolled on, Subhash grew more and more into thoughts and education of Swami Vivekananda. Time came and he sat for the Matriculation examination in March, 1913 and got second in the whole university. His parents were delighted and he was packed off to Calcutta for further studies. Thereafter he joined the Presidency College, Calcatta. He appeared for the Intermediate examination in 1915 and was placed in the first division. Then he joined the Premiere College of the Calcutta University for his B.A. Honours in Philosophy. As taking Philosophy as his major subject, he was deeply influenced by Swami Vivekananda and by Aurobindo Ghose, the most popular leader of Bengal despite his voluntary exile and absence from politics since 1909, during his undergraduate days. In the College, he was active in students union and was a member of a group devoted mainly to social service and aiming at a synthesis between religion and nationalism, a sort of neo-Vivekananda group.

In January, 1916, Subhash organized a successful strike in the college against the misbehaviour of an English professor. He was expelled from the college. After losing academic years, he was finally permitted to study in the Scottish Church College in July 1917 and got first class in Philosophy but was placed second in order of merit in the B.A. examination in 1919. He decided to study experimental Psychology for his M.A. examination. He could not continue his studies as his father decided to send him to England to study for the Indian Civil Service. So, he set sail to England on 15th September, 1919 to study for the Civil Service. He was admitted for the course at Cambridge and passed the I.C.S. examination in Sep, 1920. But he was already an ardent nationalist and did not want to serve the British. An ardent patriotic spirit in Subhash Bose forced him ultimately to resign from the I.C.S. for the cause of the nation. Before resigning, he corresponded with his father, brother and also C.R. Das. The day, 22 April, 1921, on which he resigned from the I.C.S. was the day of destiny, a crucial turning point in his life. He hurried back to India with a view to take his place in the national struggle that was then in full swing. He reached Bombay on 16 July, 1921 and on the same afternoon had a long interview with Gandhiji at Mani Bhavan. The Mahatma received him with the characteristic hearty smile and the conversation started at once. Subhash desired to obtain a clear understanding of the details of his plans. He was not satisfied with the replies of Gandhiji. He felt that "there was a deplorable lack of clarity in the plan which the Mahatma had formulated and that he himself did not have a clear idea of the successive stages of campaign which would bring India to the cherished goal of freedom"2 Gandhiji advised him to meet Deshbandhu C.R. Das on reaching Calcutta. Subhash had already written to C.R. Das from Cambridge that he had resigned from the I.C.S. and decided to devote his whole time to political work. Subhash Bose met that man soon, had a hearty and long conversation with him and later C.R. Das became his political Guru. Subhash says:
During the course of our conversation I began to feel that here was a man who knew what he was about – who could give all that he had and who could demand from others all they could give - to whom youthfulness was not a short coming but a virtue. By the time our conversation came to an end my mind was made up. I felt that I had found a leader and I meant to follow him.3

Subhash Bose's return to Calcutta to join the freedom movement also meant a return to home and family. He had disclaimed any interest in marrying and having his own family. Here again he followed his spiritual mentor-Swami Vivekananda. He stayed with his elder brother Sarat and his family. Subhash was also very close to C.R.Das and his wife Basanti Devi who looked upon him as her own son. He did not enter politics as an unknown volunteer. He was a known figure since his college days up to his resigning from the I.C.S. So, he was given three assignments by C.R. Das. The first assignment of Bose in the Congress was the Office of the Principal of the National College, and along with it he was also made the Chief of the Publicity Congress Committee and the Head of the National Volunteer Corps. Das gave him also the responsibility of keeping contacts with the revolutionaries. Some of his fellowmen were, naturally, did not like to provide such important responsibilities to a new comer like Subhash Chandra Bose. But C.R.Das did not cared for them and expressed his firm conviction in Subhash, saying, "I can see through persons. Bose will never belie my expectations. He will be the right man to do justice to the work"4

Subhash was active in the non-co-operation activities of the Congress Party. These activities included boycotting of European goods and institutions, spinning with Charkha, writing, of the Punjab and Khilafat grievances, furthering of communal harmony between Hindus and Muslims. All these activities meant to bring Swaraj nearer. In the Hartal in Calcatta on 17 November, 1921, organized by the Congress in protest against the visit of the Prince of Wales, he proved his organizing capacity, and in the Civil Disobedience Movement started at that time he was nominated by C.R. Das as one of his successors for the leadership of the movement. This was the first taste of movement for Subhash Bose, he came out with flying colours and justified by his leadership the confidence and faith reposed on him. After the November Hartal, the government moved to suppress the non-co-operation movement. On December 20, 1921, Das and Subhash were both arrested and sentenced to six months in prison. Subhash started his first prison term side by side with C.R. Das.
The period of next few years was just like a hurricane for Bose, to say the least. He became the General Secretary of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee and began to attend All India Congress Committee meetings in different parts of India. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer by the Mayor of Calcutta Corporation, C.R.Das in 1924. He was arrested in Oct., 1924, when he was a C.E.O. of Calcutta Corporation for his alleged involvement with the terrorists. He was put to Mandalay Jail in Barma and was kept detained there for years. During his personal experiments with politics and prison, he became bold throughout the whole period. This was the time when he was in prison in Burma, his political mentor C.R. Das passed away on June 16, 1925. After Das's death Subhash sought the guidance of Mrs. Das. He hailed her as Bengal's mother.

Subhash was released from the Burmese prison in May, 1927, and he carried out his political activities upto the beginning of 1932. Subhash was now an important leader of the Indian National Congress. He differed with the older leadership about the goal of dominion status. He stood for complete independence. During this period, he was made a member of the Motilal Nehru Committee to draw up the Swaraj Constitution. In the Calcutta Session of the Congress, in 1928, Bose, jointly with Jawaharlal Nehru, fought against the move for Dominion Status, as the goal of the Congress. Bose invited severe police assault on him when he was leading a procession of congressmen in Calcutta on October 26, 1913 against repeated government's warnings. He was the Mayor of Calcutta Corporation at that time. During Gandhiji's visit to England as the sole Congress delegate to Second Round Table Conference, Subhash resigned from the Presidency of the Bangal Congress Committee. After soma time, Subhash was again arrested on January 3, 1931. He was detained in the same Jail at Senoi in Central Provinces where his brother Sarat Chandra Bose was kept. Subhash had already suffered serious health problems during his provinces Mandalay imprisonment. Now again, tuberculosis symptoms get surfaced. Government made an offer to Subhash that he could go to Europe for treatment at his personal expenses. He sailed for Europe on February 23, 1933 from Bombay. On reaching Europe, Subhash Bose in one of his letters to his nephew Asoka Bose observed that "outside India, every Indian is India's unofficial ambassador."5 He was outside India for full three years from March, 1933 to March, 1936 and then again for two months in 1937-38. In Europe, he established centers in deferent European Capitals with a view to promote politico- cultural contacts between India and Europe.

Returning home, he found the Congress forming Government in the Provinces. He took part in it. The glorious day came in his life when he was elected as the President, fifty one in serial order, at the Haripura Congress Session in 19 February, 1938. He was re-elected the President of the Congress next year in the Tripuri Session defeating Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya, a nominee of Ghandhiji. This election was significant in the sense that it was an election of ideologies. Pattabhi represented the right wing of the Congress, whereas Subhash Bose represented the leftists who were also called extremists. Besides, he was convinced that war would break out within six months and demanded that the Congress should give an ultimatum to the British and if the ultimatum was rejected the entire country would be engaged in the struggle for Purna Swaraj. But the Congress did not adopt his suggestion and so he resigned from the Congress Presidentship and established Forward Bloc within the Congress. The Second World War broke out on 3 Sep., 1939 with Hitler invading Poland, true to the prophecy of Subhash Bose. On March 19, 1940, he convened Anti-Compromise Conference at Ramgarh under the joint auspices of Forward Bloc and Kisan Sabha which demanded a world wide struggle against the British. Bose was arrested on July 2, 1940. He was first kept in the Presidency Jail, and afterwards, in consideration of his health, he was kept in house, detention in his Elegin Road residence. From there, he left incognito to in the last week of January 1941. What he did thereafter in Europe and South-East Asia is now a recorded history.

After his escape from his residence, Subhash Bose, in his thesis entitled Forward Bloc – Its Justification, has explained the background and programme of the Forward Bloc, which is written during his sojourn in Kabul after his escape from India in January, 1941. He wrote: "when the main stream of a movement begins to stagnate, but there is still vitality in the movement as a whole – a left Wing invariably appears. The main function of the Left Wing is to stimulate progress when there is danger of its being arresyts."6

Besides, he put emphasis again and again on unity of action. Forward Bloc became the symbol of left unity for him. In the words of Bose, the Forward Block, and for that matter the Left "stands for uncompromising national struggle for the attainment of Independence, and for the post struggle period, it stands for socialist reconstruction."7

Subhash Bose reached Berlin during the first week of April, 1941. His aim was to get support from the outside for the independence of India. At that time, Germany, Italy and Japan formed a group called the Axis Powers. Among them, Germany was the most powerful nation and Hitler was the man whose help would be decisive for Bose. That was the reason; he had gone to Germany to supplement from outside the struggle going on at home. He negotiated alliance with both Germany and Japan, saying "our enemy's enemy is our friend." For proceeding his struggle at a large scale, on November 2, 1941, the Azad Hind Sangh held its first official meeting in Berlin. The eye of the needle before him was how to free his motherland from bondage. Suffice it to say that he was a dynamic personality possessing inexhaustible energy. He was also a gifted organizer, bold and blessed with the power of clear thinking. It is truly written by one of his associates that Bose "had a native power to lead, and he knew it"8. He was gifted with many colours of talents. He could take a decision in flash. He wanted that Hindus and Muslims should extend their sphere of co-operation to national politics. If better understanding would obtain between the two principal religious communities our battle for freedom would be won more decisively and more expeditiously. So, with the purpose of having a contact with the masses of India, he established ‘The Azad Hind Radio' in February 19, 1942. His regular broadcasts from Berlin aroused tremendous enthusiasms in India. In 1943, he founded Indian National Army with the ideal of liberating India by exerting pressure from outside and creating discontentment among the Indian armed personnel captivated and deserted during war.

Moreover, the works of Subhash Chandr Bose – The Indian Struggle and An Indian Pilgrim, also kindled the spirit of patriotism among the Indians. The Indian Struggle, first published in London on 17th January 1935, is the most important and comprehensive single volume of Netaji's work. The books is in two parts. The first is Netaji's narrative of the Indian struggle from 1920 to 1942. The second consists of a collection of writings, speeches and other documentary material covering the decade that ended with the Quit India Movement. In preparing this autobiography, Emilie Schenkl helped Subhas Bose. Later, Subhash married Schenkl and they had a daughter, Anita. An Indian Pilgrim is Netaji autobiography upto his Cambridge days in 1921. It also contains a collection of his letters of his boyhood, adolescence and youth ending with the one he wrote on the day he resigned from the Indian Civil Service. His works also inspired many for the betterment of India.

So was his spirit that moved the hearts and minds of Indians as well as the people of other nation as was done by Swami Vivekananda. He was tireless. He had the thought that ‘awake, arise and not stop till the goal is reached.' Following this ideology of Swamiji, he set forth to South East Asia. So, from Germany he made a perilous three month voyage in a submarine and reached Singapore on July 2, 1943. On landing in Japan, Subhash Bose was welcomed by the local government as well as by Rash Behari Bose. Two days later on 4 July he took over from Rash Behari Bose the leadership of Indian Independence Movement in East Asia and organized the Indian National Army and became its supreme commander. In his own speech Subhash Chandra Bose announced his intentions to organize Provisional Government of Free India. Bose gave the slogan-"Delhi Chalo – March to Delhi".9 The Japanese PM Tojo was invited to attend a special review of the INA. Bose renamed the I.N.A. as Azad Hind Fauj and urged for a total mobilization for a total war. He proclaimed the Provisional Government of Azad Hind on 21 October, 1943. He was hailed as Netaji by the army as well as by the Indian Civilian population in East Asia. Now there was the time for the Azad Hind Government to proclaim war against the British on the battle-field. So, battles were fought. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were liberated in November, 1943 and renamed as ‘Shaheed and Swaraj Islands'. The Azad Hind Fauj crossed the Burma border and stood on native soil, that is India, on 18 March, 1944. How the brave army subsequently advanced up to Kohima and Imphal, how free India's banner was hoisted aloft there to the deafening cries of ‘Jai Hind' and ‘Netaji Zindabad' and how the atom bombs compelled Japan to surrender and the I.N.A., subsequently to retreat are all important events in the life of S.C.Bose as well as in history. Netaji was reportedly killed in an air-crash over Taipei. There is, however, no proof of it. Only Colonel Habibur Rahman had left an eye witness account of the crash. In August 20, 1945, the body of Netaji was taken to Taipei crematorium and was cremated. Ashes were kept in an urn in the shrine attached to the hospital. On September 5, 1945, Colonel Rahman and one Japanese Officer Colonel Saki travelled to Tokyo along with Netaji's ashes. The ashes were moved to a Buddhist temple - the Renkoji Temple. They have remained there since then. Moreover, the people of India did not believe that Subhash was actually dead. The stories about his reappearance continued to circulate. As a result of public pressure the Government of India had held two official inquiries - Shah Nawaj Committee in 1956 and the Khosla Commission in 1974, but they were in vain. The efforts of Netaji were not in vain. It was due to his efforts and sacrifice, India won freedom after some time. Truly, Netaji is immortal. He gave his life in defense of the honour and glory of his motherland and shall ever remains fully alive in the nation's heart becoming a never ending source of inspiration and courage to many a people all over the globe. And this was undoubtedly the outcome of the formative influence of Swami Vivekananda on him. .

REFERENCES:

[1] S.R.Bakshi. Subhash Chandra Bose : Founder of I.N.A. New Delhi: Anmol Publications. 1991. 2.
[2] Subhash Chandra Bose. The Indian Struggle 1920-42. Bombay: Asia Publishing House. 1964. 78.
[3] S.R.Bakshi. Subhash Chandra Bose : Founder of I.N.A. op.cit. 53.
[4] S.R.Bakshi Subhash Chandra Bose : Founder of I.N.A. op.cit. 6.
[5] Asoka Nath Bose. My Uncle Netaji, Calcutta : Esem Publications. 1977. 63.
[6] S.C.Bose. The Indian Struggle 1920 – 42. Op.cit. 395.
[7] S.C.Bose. The Indian Struggle 1920 – 4. Op.cit. 412.
[8] M. Shivram. The Road to Delhi, Tokyo: Charles Tuttle. 1967. pp. 123 – 24.
[9] Dilip Kumar Roy. The Subhash I Knew. Bombay: Nalanda Publications. 1946. 28.



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