'MY ENEMY'S ENEMY IS MY FRIEND'

'MY ENEMY'S ENEMY IS MY FRIEND'

If Churchill and Stalin both used the principle 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' and are hailed for it, why then must Netaji be perennially blamed for doing the same? To save Britain, Churchill befriended communist Soviet Union and to drive Britain out of India, Netaji befriended Nazi Germany and imperial fascist Japan. Where lay the difference beyond judging things from the perspective of the victor?

USA also befriended communist Soviet Union and dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to emerge no better in terms of practising war ethics than Germany or Japan. Britain destroyed India to save herself. The Soviet Union, in driving Germany out, overran Eastern Europe and enslaved it for nearly half a century. Where was befriending Germany and Japan for India's freedom so wrong ethically then, at least in terms of the realpolitik that dictated events for the other great powers as well?

Did not America on the eve of her independence seek imperial France's help to drive out imperial Britain from her soil? Does not the Lafayette Square even today stand on American soil as testimony to it? Was not America fighting for democracy and was she not in the same vein taking the help of an imperial power to end imperialism in her own land? These are the exigencies of history and must be understood as such.

Netaji never stood for fascism or its extreme manifestation in the National Socialism of Germany. All that he had sought was a wartime alliance with the Axis powers to end British imperialism in India, for the World War provided India her best chance of doing so. Hence, Indians, feel proud to say that Netaji was not wrong in seeking Axis alliance for securing India's freedom and never feel apologetic about it.

We must debunk the theory that Netaji's alliance with imperial Japan would have compromised India's independence and would have in turn made India slaves to the Japanese. Such a turn of events would never be but that is the subject matter of a future lengthy series of articles. Suffice it to say that what Netaji did, he did after careful consideration of the political possibilities that could befall India, and I am dead certain that he came to the conclusion that Japan's help would ensure the exit of the Brits while not allowing the entry of the Japs with any measure of military might that would threaten India's freshly gained freedom.

Written by Sugata Bose