NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE

THE GREATEST REVOLUTIONARY AND SOCIALIST LEADER

By:Sheel Bhadra Yajee. M.P.

The contributor is the Vice-President of the I. N. A. Martyrs' Memorial Committee

Moirang, Manipur. Through his initiative and dedication, the Committee could collect
contributions from the Centre and State Governments for the memorial. Shri Yajee was
also the former President of the All India Forward Bloc and one of the close associates
and confident of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
. . . . . . Editor,
NDIA is going to celebrate the 75th Birth Day of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the
23rd of January, 1971 and on this very day, Shri V. V. Giri, President of Indian Republic
and one of the closest associates of Netaji is going to unveil the bronze statue of Netaji in
military uniform at Moirang (Manipur) in the premises of the Indian National Army
Martyrs' Memorial.

On this solemn occasion, the writer of this article as a colleague and Co-worker of Netaji
is to convince the people of India and abroad that Netaji was the greatest revolutionary
and socialist leader of India.

Since the very beginning of his political life, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as the
President of Bharat Navjawan Sabha, All India Trade Union Congress, Indian National
Congress, the All India Forward Bloc and the Head of the Provisional Azad Hind
Government had always advocated uncompromising struggle against the British
Imperialism and had clearly preached that the salvation of India, as of the world
depended on full blooded Socialism Scientific Socialism, but he also clearly held that
India would evolve her own methods to achieve Socialism. Due to his taking help from
Germany, Italy and Japan to lead the Indian National Army to liberate India from the
clutches of British Imperialism during the Second World War, some interested parties and
individuals held wrong notions and created impression that Netaji was not a full-fledged
socialist but a national socialist. Though Lenin during the First World War took all help
from Germany which was at war with U.K. and Russia, to reach St. Petersburg (now
Leningrad) safely to conduct the Great October Revolution, no body doubted his sincerity
and called him as agent of Germany.

Now it is a well known fact that just after the All India Anti-compromise Conference at
Rangrah (Bihar) in March 1940 in which it was decided to start a national struggle
against British Imperialism, Netaji consulted some of us on the question of seeking active
help from U.S.S.R. and late Lala Shankarlal the then President of Delhi Pradesh Congress
Committee and the then General Secretary of the All India Forward Bloc was sent to
Japan on a false Passport to finalize this agreement with the Soviet Ambassador in Japan.
In the meanwhile, Netaji was arrested in Calcutta in connection with the removal of the
Holl-well movement.
Lala Shankarlal came back to Calcutta from Japan incognito after finalizing the
agreement with the Soviet Ambassador in Japan and through Late Mr. Sarat Chandra
Bose the elder brother of Netaji, the message of agreement was communicated to Netaji
in Calcutta jail.

To come out from the jail and finalize plans to go to U.S.S.R. via Kabul. Netaji started a
fast into death. He was released and how he escaped from India to Kabul via Peshawar
and again from Kabul to Moscow and Berlin. It is now well known. Due to non-
aggression pact with U. K., Stalin and Molotov advised Netaji to take help from Germany
and Italy. And Netaji did take help from Germany, Italy and Japan because; these three
countries were also fighting U. K. in Second World War.

The writer had to give out this background and reasons as why Netaji had to go to Berlin
and Rome because later on the Soviet Press and the Communist Party of India had
depicted Netaji as fascist and used vulgar and abusive terms against him. Even after the
defeat of the I.N.A. in the battlefield, Netaji decided to go U.S.S.R. via Manchuria to
continue the struggle against British Imperialism. While going to Manchuria, the fateful
an accident took in which he died.

It may be remembered here that after the formation of the Azad Hind Government on the
2lst of October, 1943, Netaji and his Provisional Azad Hind Government declared war
against U.S.A. and U.K. but not against U.S.S.R. and China though they were the allies
of U.K. in the Second World War. This foreign policy of Azad Hind Government proves
that Netaji was not against any socialist country.

Presiding over the Third Indian Political Conference held in London on June 10. 1933,
Netaji said; "During the nineteenth Century, Germany made the most remarkable gift
through Marxian philosophy and during twentieth Century Russia had enriched the
culture and civilization of the world through her achievement in proletarian revolution
and proletarian culture. The next remarkable contribution to the culture and the
civilization of the world. India would be called upon to make." Further he said "we know
for example that in Soviet Russia, a new scheme of national ( or political ) economy has
been evolved in keeping with facts and conditions of the land. The same thing will
happen to India. In solving our economic problems, Pigeon and Marshall will not be of
much help."

As the Editor of "the Forward Bloc" the organ of the All India Forward Bloc, writing on
the role of the Forward Bloc said Netaji "that the Forward Bloc would prepare the ground
to grow into a Marxist Party". This declaration of Netaji as the President of the All India
Forward Bloc in the official organ of the Party proves that he was a genuine scientific
Socialist and was neither a national socialist nor a Fabian Socialist.

On the 15th of March, 1935, writing a letter to the United Press of India from Vienna,
Netaji said "further if I am not mistaken, the Congress Socialist Party seems to be under
the influence of Fabian Socialism which was the fashion in England 50 years ago".
The writing in his famous book 'The Indian Struggle' about the post-independence
struggle period Netaji said "The Party that is going to fight for freedom is the party that is
entitled to draw up the constitution of India and rule over the country. If we are to have a
socialist economy, socialism cannot be established by the Western Democracy. Socialist
reconstruction can be done only by Dictatorship but that Dictatorship should not be of
individuals or of the cliques but of general masses" Citing the constituent Assembly of
Kerensky's government, Netaji said that if Lenin would have joined it, the Bolshevik
Government of Lenin would have never come into existence".

Presiding over the fifty first session of the Indian National Congress on Feb. 9, 1938 at
Haripura (Gujarat) Netaji said "I am afraid there is lack of clarity in the minds of many
congressman as to the Congress in the history of the national struggle. I know that there
are friends who think that after freedom is own the Congress Party, having achieved its
objectives should wither away. Such a conception is entirely erroneous. The Party that
wins freedom should be also the party that will put into effect the entire programme of
post war reconstructions. Only those who have won can handle it properly.

If it were to forcibly liquidate itself, chaos would follow. I have no doubt in my mind that
our chief national problems relating to the eradication of poverty. Illiteracy and disease
and to the scientific production and distribution can be effectively tackled along
socialistic lines. The very first things which our future national government will have to
do would be to set up a Planning Commission for drawing up a comprehensive plan for
construction. Last but not the least, the State, on the advice of Planning Commission, will
have to adopt a comprehensive scheme for gradually socializing our entire agriculture
and industrial system in the sphere of both production and distribution. Extra capital will
have to be procured for this whether through internal or external loans or through
inflations".

Just after the Haripura Congress Session, Netaji as President of the Au India Congress
Committee set up a Planning Commission and appointed Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru as the
President, Shri V. V. Giri ( the present President of the Indian Republic ) as Convenor and
Shri H. V. Kamath as the Secretary of the Planning Committee.

Presiding over the All India Forward Bloc Conference at Nagpur in June. 1940 he
declared "the All India Forward Bloc as a full-fledged socialist Party within the Indian
National Congress and he gave a clarion call to "All power to the Indian people" and
observed "We shall also bear in mind that the Forward Bloc will have a role to play in the
post Struggle phase of our history. It will have to build up a new India and happy India on
the basis of eternal principles of liberty, democracy and socialism"

These writings and observations of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose given here clearly prove
that Netaji was not only the greatest revolutionary leader of India but he was also a
genuine scientific socialist leader of the country.