New Delhi: January 23 marks the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the most extraordinary leaders India has ever seen. In a fitting tribute to his indomitable spirit and unparalleled contribution to India’s independence struggle, the Government of India has designated the day as Parakram Diwas — a day to honor the bravery and sacrifice that Bose epitomised. Yet, beyond ceremonial acknowledgments lies a need to revisit and reclaim the revolutionary essence of Bose’s legacy, which continues to inspire and provoke reflection on the meaning of true freedom.
Subhas Chandra Bose was not a conventional leader. A visionary and a revolutionary, he was driven by an unrelenting commitment to see India free from colonial shackles. He differed from many of his contemporaries in his approach, believing that armed struggle, rather than passive resistance, was the only way to uproot the British regime. As the Supreme Commander of the Indian National Army (INA) and the leader of the Provisional Government of Free India, Bose did not just dream of freedom — he sought to snatch it from the jaws of imperial tyranny.
A clarion call for sacrifice
One of the most iconic moments in Bose’s life came when he issued his fiery call to action: “Tum mujhe khoon do, main tumhe Azadi dunga” (Give me blood, and I will give you freedom). These words were not mere rhetoric; they encapsulated his belief in the power of collective sacrifice. Bose envisioned a nation awakened not just by slogans but by action — a nation willing to risk life and limb for the ultimate goal of self-determination.
In July 1944, the INA, under Bose’s leadership, launched its military strike against the British Indian Army in the Imphal-Kohima sector. Though the INA’s military advance was halted, their efforts sowed seeds of defiance and nationalism among Indian soldiers serving in the British ranks. The INA’s actions catalysed a broader realisation among Indians that the British Empire was neither invincible.
The RIN Mutiny – A spark from Bose’s flame
The reverberations of Bose’s revolutionary fervor could be felt across the subcontinent. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) mutiny of February 1946. Spanning cities like Bombay, Karachi, Calcutta, Kochi, and Vishakhapatnam, the mutiny saw over 20,000 sailors rise in revolt against British rule. The image of Indian sailors holding aloft Netaji’s portraits, shouting INA slogans like “Jai Hind,” and replacing the Union Jack with the Tricolor was a vivid reminder of Bose’s enduring influence.
The RIN mutiny was not an isolated incident. Similar unrest surfaced in the British Indian Army and Royal Indian Air Force, signaling a tectonic shift in the loyalties of Indian soldiers. For decades, the British had relied on the Indian armed forces as the backbone of their colonial machinery. The idea that Indian soldiers could turn against their British commanders was a nightmare scenario for the colonial establishment. As Babasaheb Ambedkar later observed in a 1955 BBC interview, the loyalty of Indian soldiers had been the linchpin of British control. Bose’s impact shattered that illusion, exposing the fragility of the colonial enterprise.
British Realisation and retreat
The extent of this existential threat was not lost on the British themselves. General Claude Auchinleck, the then Commander-in-Chief of British Indian forces, wrote in a confidential note dated September 5, 1946, about the critical need to keep the Indian Army “steady.” The reliability of the armed forces, he noted, was the only guarantee of stability in a rapidly changing India. Similarly, Sir Norman Smith, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, expressed alarm over the public sympathy for the INA, cautioning that it posed a direct threat to the cohesion of the Indian Army.
Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister who oversaw India’s independence, later confirmed that Bose’s activities and the subsequent RIN mutiny had a profound impact on the British decision to leave India. In a conversation with Justice Phani Bhusan Chakraborti, Attlee reportedly admitted that Bose and the INA had shaken the foundations of British rule, rendering the Empire unsustainable.
A deliberate erasure of legacy
Despite this well-documented historical facts, Bose’s contributions have often been sidelined in mainstream narratives of India’s freedom struggle. The reasons for this marginalisation are complex but deliberate. The dominant narrative, shaped largely by the Congres’s post-independence leadership, emphasised non-violent resistance as the cornerstone of India’s freedom. Bose’s revolutionary methods, which involved forging alliances with Axis powers and advocating armed conflict, did not align with this “sanitised version of history”.
This selective amnesia has done a disservice to India’s understanding of its own struggle for independence. By reducing Bose to a footnote, the nation has overlooked the idea that freedom is not granted but seized, that sovereignty demands courage and sacrifice.
Significance of Parakram Diwas
By designating Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary as Parakram Diwas, the Government of India has taken a significant step toward restoring his rightful place in the pantheon of India’s freedom fighters. Yet, the true tribute to Bose lies not in symbolic gestures but in embodying the values he stood for. Parakram, or bravery, is not just about military valor; it is about moral courage, intellectual independence, and the willingness to challenge the status quo.
In today’s context, Bose’s legacy serves as a powerful reminder that freedom is an ongoing struggle. Political freedom, though achieved in 1947, must be complemented by economic, social, and cultural liberation. The spirit of Bose urges us to confront the inequalities and injustices that persist in our society, to question authority when it strays from the path of justice, and to demand accountability from those in power.
A call to remember
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was more than a revolutionary. He was a visionary who dared to dream of an India that was not just free but self-reliant and dignified. His life and work challenge us to move beyond complacency, to embrace the spirit of parakram in our own lives. As we celebrate Parakram Diwas, let us remember that the best way to honor Bose is not merely to remember him but to act in the spirit of his ideals.
India owes its freedom to many, but the fire that Bose ignited remains a beacon for those who dare to dream of a just and equitable world. The story of his struggle is not just a chapter in India’s past. In fact it is a lesson for its future.
(Saswat Panigrahi is a Senior Multimedia Journalist.)
