DEMOCRAT OR DICTATOR?
A democrat without fail who understood the imperative of force to subdue an enemy and to discipline a disorganised populace. His views on the combination of the elements of fascism and communism as the required formulation for post-freedom functioning of the country so that it emerged into a powerful modern nation with the capacity to defend its freedom must be seen in this light and not in the painted hue of he having been perverted into a power-thirsty dictator under the influence of fascist Germany, Italy and Japan.
Netaji was out and out a nationalist fighting for India's freedom from the occupying British forces at any cost. His request for Soviet help did not make him a communist nor did his alliance with fascist Germany, Italy and Japan make him a fascist.These were political alliances based on the workings of realpolitik or pragmatic courses adopted to suit political exigencies. The very principle, 'My enemy's enemy is my friend', adopted by Netaji during the Second World War was never meant by him to be ethically correct in all circumstances but surely suited to the wartime circumstance when the opportunity at hand for acquiring freedom could not have been given a go by.
History offers rare opportunities for total transformation of a society or a nation's political set-up and when such an occasion goes abegging, that society or nation has to often wait centuries before it comes by another such chance for self-transformation. As a keen student of history, Netaji understood that the Second World War was one such unique occasion when a world power like Britain, herself fighting to save her independence from the Germans, could be dislodged from Indian soil for good. He also knew that the Ghadar Revolution plotted during the First World War having failed, if this opportunity afforded India's way by history a second time could not be utilised to good effect, a third such chance might not come in foreseeable times and India would have to remain enslaved to the British for long.
Gandhiji's intransigence in shifting from his passive stance with respect to civil disobedience at the onset of the Second World War and Netaji's having been ousted from the Congress and marginalised in national politics to be of significant effect in expelling the British from India forced him into self-imposed exile to seek foreign help for freedom. When the Soviet Russia failed him in securing the necessary support on account of Stalin's apprehension of an impending German invasion of Russia and his probable requirement of British help in such a case, Netaji was forced to seek help from Nazi Germany. This surely was not his primary objective but turned out to be the reality in the shifting wartime political scenario. Alliance with the fascists was thus forced on Netaji owing to historical exigencies and not by his self-selection as such.
The British not only labelled Netaji as quisling of the Japanese but as an authoritarian leader who imposed his will in a arbitrary manner as becomes a dictator. In this way they started a carefully crafted malicious campaign against Bose in their published literature on him so as to denigrate him and reduce his proportions in the imagination of the Indian people. This suited the Congress dispensation at the helm of affairs at the time of independence as well and the rumour circulated that Netaji had in fascist contamination turned a fascist dictator himself.
A democrat without fail who understood the imperative of force to subdue an enemy and to discipline a disorganised populace. His views on the combination of the elements of fascism and communism as the required formulation for post-freedom functioning of the country so that it emerged into a powerful modern nation with the capacity to defend its freedom must be seen in this light and not in the painted hue of he having been perverted into a power-thirsty dictator under the influence of fascist Germany, Italy and Japan.
Netaji was out and out a nationalist fighting for India's freedom from the occupying British forces at any cost. His request for Soviet help did not make him a communist nor did his alliance with fascist Germany, Italy and Japan make him a fascist.These were political alliances based on the workings of realpolitik or pragmatic courses adopted to suit political exigencies. The very principle, 'My enemy's enemy is my friend', adopted by Netaji during the Second World War was never meant by him to be ethically correct in all circumstances but surely suited to the wartime circumstance when the opportunity at hand for acquiring freedom could not have been given a go by.
History offers rare opportunities for total transformation of a society or a nation's political set-up and when such an occasion goes abegging, that society or nation has to often wait centuries before it comes by another such chance for self-transformation. As a keen student of history, Netaji understood that the Second World War was one such unique occasion when a world power like Britain, herself fighting to save her independence from the Germans, could be dislodged from Indian soil for good. He also knew that the Ghadar Revolution plotted during the First World War having failed, if this opportunity afforded India's way by history a second time could not be utilised to good effect, a third such chance might not come in foreseeable times and India would have to remain enslaved to the British for long.
Gandhiji's intransigence in shifting from his passive stance with respect to civil disobedience at the onset of the Second World War and Netaji's having been ousted from the Congress and marginalised in national politics to be of significant effect in expelling the British from India forced him into self-imposed exile to seek foreign help for freedom. When the Soviet Russia failed him in securing the necessary support on account of Stalin's apprehension of an impending German invasion of Russia and his probable requirement of British help in such a case, Netaji was forced to seek help from Nazi Germany. This surely was not his primary objective but turned out to be the reality in the shifting wartime political scenario. Alliance with the fascists was thus forced on Netaji owing to historical exigencies and not by his self-selection as such.
The British not only labelled Netaji as quisling of the Japanese but as an authoritarian leader who imposed his will in a arbitrary manner as becomes a dictator. In this way they started a carefully crafted malicious campaign against Bose in their published literature on him so as to denigrate him and reduce his proportions in the imagination of the Indian people. This suited the Congress dispensation at the helm of affairs at the time of independence as well and the rumour circulated that Netaji had in fascist contamination turned a fascist dictator himself.
Evolving and expanding ...
Written by Sugata Bose
Written by Sugata Bose
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