BHARAT RATNA, TWELFTH UPDATE : THE RESURRECTION OF THE HEROES

14 JUN 2018 — My dear countrymen and friends across the globe,

Here I come before you once more to solicit your support for the cause of conferment of the Bharat Ratna to the trinity of revolutionary leaders in Rash Behari Bose, Bagha Jatin and Masterda Surjya Sen. No national honour, however exalted in status, can sufficiently pay homage to these three seminal leaders and others like them, for their sacrifices for the nation transcend encapsulation in estimation and recognition thereof. Yet, it is important that the nation remembers them reverently thus for its own well-being, for amnesia otherwise will be the precursor to national death which must be avoided at any cost.

Our history text books are replete with the saga of the non-violent Gandhian struggle but, alas, the revolutionary armed struggle for freedom is sadly neglected there. Consequently, generations of Indians have been brought up with wrong or, at best, partial notions of their recent historical past. The result of this has been that we, Indians, sadly lack a proper historical perspective on our freedom movement and are deficient in the feeling of genuine national pride that is deep and goes beyond the momentary emotional effusion.

Truth must be stated clear and historical facts duly recorded. If not, then the nation will become debilitated in the digestion of untruth. Propagation of partial truths as gospel may be politically expedient for the hour but ruinous to a nation's future.

We are, today, standing at a fair distance from the field of battle for us to take an objective look at the history of our freedom struggle and impartially judge the course, the events and the personalities that shone to give it lustre and eventual fruition. To this end we must revive interest about the freedom struggle and what better way to do so than to award posthumously the Bharat Ratna to our trinity of heroes. In this way we shall not only be honouring these forgotten figures, now almost erased from public memory, but shall also give a new direction to the character and movement of our polity that has seemingly lost hope as it has lost faith in the present political dispensations of whatever hue or ideological inclination.

I, therefore, exhort you, my dear countrymen and my friends across the globe, to come together in solidarity with the cause and ensure with your signature support that our trinity of legendary leaders, the scourge of the British Raj, get duly recognised for their sublime sacrifices for our motherland's freedom. In this consists our national good and our international well-being, too, for in the upholding of truth all good ensues.

Thanking you,
Ever yours in the motherland,
Sugata Bose.

Bande Mataram! Jai Hind!