The nation celebrated the 117th birth
anniversary of legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who was a
shining hero of our war of independence. The 117th birthanniversary of Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose, the forgotten hero of the Indian independence struggle,
celebrated on 23rd January.
Subhas Chandra Bose's birth anniversary is
celebrated every year with the great honour by the people including government
and non-government organisations in Kolkata, as he was one of the most
well-known Indian leaders during the independence movement and has become a
great legendary figure in the history of India.
Netaji's followers have demanded that his
birth anniversary be celebrated as 'Desh
Prem Divas' on a national scale in order to remember his great sacrifice
towards the country. Though the West Bengal government is said to be
celebrating the day as 'Desh Prem Divas', there still has been no initiative
from the Central Government to mark the day as a special occasion.
Netaji's followers say there are many far
lesser mortals whose birthday is being celebrated as someday or the other but
not of this man who for long fought a battle for independence on his own. Government's
apathy towards one of the greatest sons of India, they say, has many a times
befuddled the billion plus population of the country, but no headway seems to
have been achieved in making the man receive the glory he so rightly deserves.
He doesn't have a
political legacy to advocate his case in the corridors of power, but his
actions and patriotism has forever left an indelible imprint in the hearts of
the common man who still love for what he managed to do. Awards and recognition
can only externally accentuate the place that he has managed to build in the
heart of every patriotic Indian, but the lack of them though immaterial to his
followers does indeed present the government and the country in poor light.
Bose, who advocated complete independence for
India at the earliest as opposed to the All-India Congress Committee which
wanted it in phases, through Dominion status, was born on 23rd January, 1897 in Cuttack.
Right from the very beginning he was a
brilliant student and fiercely patriotic.
As was the convention then he appeared for
the Civil Services exams and passed out with flying colours. But serving the
British was the last thing in his mind. Serving a house-arrest, he quite
amazingly slipped from the ruthless British government and went from Hitler to
Mussolini to seek their support in overthrowing the British from India.
He persevered for long, before eventually
managing to form the Indian National
Army (INA) that consisted of the POWs of the World War.
Limited in resources, his sharp rhetoric
inspired thousands to fight for the independence of India. Such was his oratory
skills and the fervour to liberate India that in no time, he managed to raise
an army of more than a million who walked all the way from Japan to India forgoing
food, water and proper rest. They had limited ammunition and the daunting
prospect of facing a mighty army, but it was Netaji's sincere dedication that
ensured the zeal never wavered. After
initial victory, they gradually began to lose, but not for once did they beat a
retreat. Netaji is then said to have died in aircrash, when he was on his way
to Japan to seek arms and ammunition.