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Role of Subhash Chandra Bose in National

Movement
Iftikhar Arshad
Research Scholar
B.R. Ambedkar Bihar University,Muzaffarpur,Bihar

Abstract: The contribution of Subhas Chandra Bose is no less. to India in 1921.But his urge for participating in the
He has been denied his rightful place in the annals of Indian freedom movement was intense that in April 1921. Soon, he
history. Subhash Chandra Bose was one of India’s greatest left home to become an active member of India's
freedom fighter. He revived the Indian National Army, independence movement. He, later joined the Indian
popularly known as ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ in 1943 which was
National Congress, and also elected as the president of the
initially formed in 1942 by Rash Behari Bose. He provided an
influential leadership and kept the spirit of nationalism party. After returning to India Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
burning during the slack period of national movement in came under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and joined
India. In this paper we will studied about role of Netaji in the Indian National Congress. On Gandhiji's instructions, he
National Movement . Netaji was a patriot to the last drop of his started working under Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, whom
blood. In his passionate love for the motherland, he was he later acknowledged his political guru. Soon he showed
prepared to do anything for the sake of liberating his country. his leadership mettle and gained his way up in the Congress'
Subhash Chandra Bose is a legendary figure in Indian history. hierarchy. In 1928 the Motilal Nehru Committee appointed
His contribution to the freedom struggle made him a brave by the Congress declared in favour of Domination Status,
hero of India.
but Subhas Chandra Bose along with Jawaharlal Nehru
opposed it, and both asserted that they would be satisfied
I. INTRODUCTION with nothing short of complete independence for India.

S ubhas Chandra Bose was born on 23rd Jan, 1897 in

Cuttack, Orissa, India. His father, Janaki Nath Bose had
migrated to Cuttack to work as a barrister. His mother's
II. SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE WITH CONGRESS

After returning to India Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose came

name was Probhabati. From his childhood he was a bright under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and joined the
student and was a topper in the matriculation examination Indian National Congress. On Gandhiji's instructions, he
from the whole of Kolkata province. Subhash Chandra Bose started working under Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, whom
was a very intelligent and sincere student but never had he later acknowledged his political guru. During his service
much interest in sports. He was admitted to the Protestant with the Indian National Congress, he was greatly
European School, like his brothers and sisters, in January influenced by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Sri Aurobindo. He
1902. He continued his studies at this school which was run therefore returned to Kolkata to work under Chittaranjan
by the Baptist Mission up to 1909 and then shifted to the Das, the Bengali freedom fighter and co-founder of the
Ravenshaw Collegiate School. The day Subhas was Swaraj Party. He did not agree with Gandhiji's methods of
admitted to this school, Beni Madhab Das, the headmaster, achieving Independence through non-violence. He believed
understood how brilliant and scintillating his genius was. that the only way of achieving Independence was by
After securing the second position in the matriculation shedding blood. Subhas Chandra Bose was jailed during
examination in 1913, he got admitted to the Presidency Civil Disobedience movement in 1930. He was released in
College where he studied briefly He graduated from the 1931 after Gandhi-Irwin pact was signed. He protested
Scottish Church College in Kolkata with a First Class against the Gandhi-Irwin pact and opposed the suspension
degree in Philosophy. While studying in Presidency College of Civil Disobedience movement specially when Bhagat
Calcutta, he organized an attack on the British Principal, Mr Singh and his associates were hanged. Subash Chandra
F.E. Oaten. As a result, he was expelled from the college. Bose was soon arrested again under the infamous Bengal
The principal had made derogatory remarks about the Regulation. After a year he was released on medical
Indians in his lecture. This showed Subhash's love for his grounds and was banished from India to Europe. However
motherland. Influenced by the teachings of Swami both Jawahar and Subash pushed through the Karachi
Vivekananda, he was known for his patriotic zeal as a resolution of 1931, which besides endorsing the Gandhi-
student. He also adored Vivekananda as his spiritual Guru. Irwin pact included the principle of fundamental rights and
He went to England to fulfil his parents' desire to appear in national economic programme. Economic plannings, land
the Indian Civil Services. Bose was placed fourth with reforms, basic education, and basic civil liberties were to be
highest marks in English. However, Subhas Chandra Bose the frame work of future congress programme. The Indian
was deeply disturbed by the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre, Struggle, 1920–1934 and pleaded India’s cause with
and left his Civil Services apprenticeship midway to return

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European leaders. He returned from Europe in 1936, was Independence League. Through his intrinsic diplomatic
again taken into custody, and was released after a year. In acumen Netaji could arrive at an agreement with the
1938 he was elected president of the Indian National Japanese Government to build up the format of his
Congress and formed a national planning committee, which wherewithal.
formulated a policy of broad industrialization. The INA leaders in the first instance were convicted but
On 22 June 1939 Bose organised the All India Forward their sentences were soon remitted and ultimately they were
Bloc a faction within the Indian National Congress, aimed set free. However some INA officers were not released for
at consolidating the political left, but its main strength was which there was a public resentment. Demonstrations were
in his home state, Bengal. U Muthuramalingam Thevar, organized in different parts of the country. Sarat Chandra
who was a staunch supporter of Bose from the beginning, Bose, the brother of Subhash Chandra mobilized the public
joined the Forward Bloc. When Bose visited Madurai on 6 sentiment in support of the INA and made elaborate
September, Thevar organised a massive rally as his arrangements for the celebration of the anniversary of the
reception When Subash Chandra Bose was heading to foundation of the Azad Hind Government on 21st October,
Madurai, on an invitation of Muthuramalinga Thevar to 1943.
amass support for the Forward Bloc, he passed through Bose proclaimed the establishment of a provisional
Madras and spent three days at Gandhi Peak independent Indian government, and his so-called Indian
National Army (Azad Hind Fauj), alongside Japanese
III. SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE VS. CONGRESS troops, advanced to Rangoon (Yangôn) and thence overland
into India, reaching Indian soil on March 18, 1944, and
In 1928, during the Guwahati Session of the Congress, a moving into Kohima and the plains of Imphal. In a stubborn
difference in the opinion between the old and new members battle, the mixed Indian and Japanese forces, lacking
surfaced. The young leaders, as against the traditional Japanese air support, were defeated and forced to retreat;
leadership, wanted a "complete self-rule and without any the Indian National Army nevertheless for some time
compromise". The senior leaders were in favor of the succeeded in maintaining its identity as a liberation army,
"dominion status for India within the British rule". Congress based in Burma and then Indochina.
party had undertaken a mission of opposing his every
thought, insulting him and to stifle his highflying ambitions. V. VISITS TO ENGLAND
In this manoeuvre of congress many a time he felt
suffocated. Once there was a picture of ‘Subhash Chandra During his sojourn to England, he met with the leaders of
Bose against entire congress party’. It was first election of British Labor Party and political thinkers including Clement
congress that time. Usually closer aide of Mahatma Gandhi Attlee, Arthur Greenwood, Harold Laski, G.D.H. Cole, and
used to get elected; but this time Subhash Chandra Bose got Sir Stafford Cripps. Bose also discuss with them about the
elected with higher votes. This insulted Gandhi group, future of India. It must also be noted that it was during the
which lead to their less interest of thinking towards parties regime of the Labor Party (1945-1951), with Attlee as the
campaign for independence. he resigned from congress Prime Minister, that India gained independence.
Presidentship and formed his Forward Block in 1940 due to
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