RESPONSES TO DIVERSE COMMENTS ON GANDHI'S SIDELINING BOSE

Photo : Bose at Tripuri as Congress President, in a critical state of health, forced into attendance by the intransigence of Congressmen over a deferment of date for the Session requested by him, the refusal being attended by some Congress leaders alleging that he was feigning sickness by way of a clever political ploy.

What do you feel about Gandhi's role in sidelining Subhas Chandra Bose from the mainstream of Indian politics in 1939? Do you think the Mahatma was justified in his action in his pursuit of his own brand of ideological politics? I solicit your opinion.

Right in a way you are. Let our emotions be transmuted into constructive action for the cause of the resurrection of Netaji. But again, if we do not have public discourse on the matter, then the issue will not get currency enough for the fruition of the very cause of the hero which lies in wait for so long. I appreciate your sentiment, though, Abhishikta.

Gandhi acted in an autocratic unethical manner, pulling political strings from behind the curtain and ousting Bose, first from the Congress Presidency which he was forced to abdicate, and then, from the party itself when he was unceremoniously expelled. The only way he could then serve the nation was from overseas which he did after his great escape from India.

The politicians of the day like Nehru, Patel, Azad and the like were in no way brainless. They lacked character enough, true, but they were shrewd custodians of self-interest which they realised by remaining loyal to Gandhi at any cost, even if it meant the fall of the nation to facilitate their rise.

These politicians, perfidious as they were, stooped to any length to suit their personal ends and literally sold the future of our motherland, in effect, to Britain, Pakistan and later, as an inertial consequence of dubious, debilitating Gandhian non-violence, to China.

Falsities and fabrications furthering familial ends, that of the Nehru-Gandhi descent, has literally ruined the manhood of the nation.

Gandhi, I hear, later rued the loss of Bose at the time of India's catastrophic independence amidst Partition when he himself had lost the rudder of the freedom movement and Nehru made common cause with Mountbatten while giving lip service to Gandhi in terms of his great devotion to him. Gandhi had, in effect, then felt let down by his protege and resigned to the state of affairs which had now gone beyond his mortal control.

Tanman Lahiri, I am a very ordinary person just like you and like everybody else. Thanks for your magnanimity but the issue is Netaji and not me.

Did Gandhi support Netaji's actions in Germany and East Asia, did he? Well, I am yet to be illumined to that effect on this issue as you put it across.

Perfect analysis and articulation, dear Mohit Babu. I remain beholden to you as well for the information you have given me regarding the Netaji documentaries.

I sometimes wonder whether there has been any psycho-analysis done on Gandhi's actions and motivations in life, especially, with regard to his idiosyncrasies which are galore and, often, quite grotesque.

Brother, do not hate Gandhiji; love Netaji instead. Do not waste your emotions on someone you do not like. Also, you will be doing a great service to yourself and to the world by releasing yourself from any such negative emotion which neither does good to you nor does it conduce to the well-being of the cause we cherish, that of resurrection of the one and only one we adore as our beloved Netaji. 

Perceptive, and precisely so. You have hit the hammer on the head. Your observation about the vastly varied backgrounds from which they hail as being one of the the prime causes of their temperamental difference and consequently, the wide divergence in their political approach, has expanded my vision about Mahatmaji and Netaji. Your originality of thinking has enlivened the issue in my mind and I must, in due course of time, try to understand these seminal personalities from the vantage point of their childhood environments. My sincere thankfulness for this.