NETAJI --- MAN, MYSTERY AND MYTH ... 15
There are many who posit Justice Manoj Kumar Mukherjee's informal admission that Bhagawaji was Netaji as a sort of proof that he indeed was so, for they keep on quoting his unofficial statement by way of bolstering their case, but in the same vein they categorically deny the veracity of the judge's affirmation that Netaji in all probability was no more. This sort of selective adherence to statements made is a mockery of truth and one must be honest and even forthright in making one's stand clear in the light of evidence and rational rigour. Else, fanciful claims on the basis of flawed arguments do not hold ground.
The so-called scholars must be better schooled in scientific reasoning to be able to see the fallacious arguments they so often present by way of bringing home their points of view to the public. The people are not all unintelligent that they cannot see through the perfidies perpetrated by the government over the last seven decades to malign, marginalise and minimise Netaji so that his legacy may be obliterated for good to the benefit of the parties that have thus far profited from such an exercise. But that does not mean that the public must be fed all sorts of fanciful stories to win them over to an opposition of everything that is sane and likely to be true. That does not serve the cause of the restoration of Netaji's rightful place in the polity in any way.
What is needed is to educate the public about the historical life of Netaji till 18 August, 1945 so that they are made aware of who he truly was instead of who he supposedly became post disappearance. Very few know the details of his chronicled life and his political principles, philosophy and imperatives in a world torn by the exigencies of realpolitik where freedom had to be won amidst the impending and later ongoing cataclysm of the Second World War. It is here that scholars --- I mean the real ones and not the pretenders to scholarship --- need to focus and educate the people.
There are many that are on the payroll of political parties, hired historians who write what their paymasters command them to do. But there are other sincere adherents to historical truth as well who love the leader luminous of their motherland and who would spare no means to bring to the fore facts and figures that tell the true story of the freedom movement. These latter ones must be supported and encouraged to fight for the freedom of the public mind from both official myth spread and fiction floated by irresponsible half-baked scholars who have no better job than to fill up the academic vacuum in their lives through farcical propositions and fantastic tales cooked up or propagated by them. This is a pernicious trend that must be countered by propagation of the real historically recorded life and attainments of Netaji, albeit with a discerning eye, for there are heresies in such recorded history as well. However, as more and more of the young and intelligent and educated members of the polity take to the study of Netaji in depth, the air will gradually clear and transparency of vision about the seminal achievements of our patriot premier restored. Till then the battle is on against all those who foist fables on Netaji and attempt to keep him either in the shadows of history or in the realm of myths.
Written by Sugata Bose
There are many who posit Justice Manoj Kumar Mukherjee's informal admission that Bhagawaji was Netaji as a sort of proof that he indeed was so, for they keep on quoting his unofficial statement by way of bolstering their case, but in the same vein they categorically deny the veracity of the judge's affirmation that Netaji in all probability was no more. This sort of selective adherence to statements made is a mockery of truth and one must be honest and even forthright in making one's stand clear in the light of evidence and rational rigour. Else, fanciful claims on the basis of flawed arguments do not hold ground.
The so-called scholars must be better schooled in scientific reasoning to be able to see the fallacious arguments they so often present by way of bringing home their points of view to the public. The people are not all unintelligent that they cannot see through the perfidies perpetrated by the government over the last seven decades to malign, marginalise and minimise Netaji so that his legacy may be obliterated for good to the benefit of the parties that have thus far profited from such an exercise. But that does not mean that the public must be fed all sorts of fanciful stories to win them over to an opposition of everything that is sane and likely to be true. That does not serve the cause of the restoration of Netaji's rightful place in the polity in any way.
What is needed is to educate the public about the historical life of Netaji till 18 August, 1945 so that they are made aware of who he truly was instead of who he supposedly became post disappearance. Very few know the details of his chronicled life and his political principles, philosophy and imperatives in a world torn by the exigencies of realpolitik where freedom had to be won amidst the impending and later ongoing cataclysm of the Second World War. It is here that scholars --- I mean the real ones and not the pretenders to scholarship --- need to focus and educate the people.
There are many that are on the payroll of political parties, hired historians who write what their paymasters command them to do. But there are other sincere adherents to historical truth as well who love the leader luminous of their motherland and who would spare no means to bring to the fore facts and figures that tell the true story of the freedom movement. These latter ones must be supported and encouraged to fight for the freedom of the public mind from both official myth spread and fiction floated by irresponsible half-baked scholars who have no better job than to fill up the academic vacuum in their lives through farcical propositions and fantastic tales cooked up or propagated by them. This is a pernicious trend that must be countered by propagation of the real historically recorded life and attainments of Netaji, albeit with a discerning eye, for there are heresies in such recorded history as well. However, as more and more of the young and intelligent and educated members of the polity take to the study of Netaji in depth, the air will gradually clear and transparency of vision about the seminal achievements of our patriot premier restored. Till then the battle is on against all those who foist fables on Netaji and attempt to keep him either in the shadows of history or in the realm of myths.
Written by Sugata Bose
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