Project - History

 Introduction
Movies are an integral part of our lives, whether we realize it or not.
They allow us to experience different emotions, cultures and
perspectives. Movies can be entertaining, educative, and provide
information in a manner no other medium can. Movies bring people
together and bring joy to the people watching it. They also have
incredible power and influence trends, the right movies can bring to
light and raise awareness about social, political and environmental
issues. They can influence people to do the right things and help find
solutions to big problems.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was one of the most prominent and
influential leaders during India’s struggle for freedom. He was an
important leftist leader. He was elected as president of congress in
1938 and 1939 but had to resign due to disputes with Gandhi. He
founded his own party “Forward Bloc”. He was imprisoned multiple
times by the British but he managed to escape to Afghanistan in 1941.
From there he travelled to Germany, and when he reached there, he
established the INA with help from Nazi Germany. He eventually
went to South-East Asia and started his military campaign with help
from the Japanese empire. Although he was not successful, his
attempts at freeing India had made him a National Hero and
eventually helped pave the way for India’s Independence. In 1945,
after learning of Japan’s surrender, he took a plane to Japan but
unfortunately, his plane crashed on the way and he died there.
 Early Life
Bose was born in 1897 in Cuttack, then part of the Bengal presidency.
He was born into a wealthy family; his father Janakinath Bose was a
successful lawyer. He was the ninth child and sixth son in the family.
He went to the Baptist Mission's Protestant European School in 1902,
the school taught only in English. There were no Indian languages,
which was in sharp contrast with his home where everyone spoke
only Bengali. In 1913 he went to the historic Presidency college in
Calcutta where he studied Philosophy. He had also befriended
Hemanta Kumar Sarkar, and in the vacations of 1914 he and Bose
travelled to Northern India seeking a spiritual Guru. Since his family
was not informed about this, they thought he had run away, this
caused emotional distress to his parents. While he could not find his
guru, Bose caught Typhoid fever. When he returned home, he and his
father did not get along and only the return of his brother Sarat
Chandra Bose which calmed the conflict. Then, Bose returned to
Presidency and continued studying. In 1916, Bose was accused of
being involved in an incident concerning E.F Oaten. The students
claimed that Oaten had made harsh remarks about Indian culture and
Oaten said that the students were making a loud noise outside his
classroom. On Feb 15th some students surrounded Oaten in a hallway
and beat him with sandals. Oaten, though uninjured, could not
identify the students, but a college servant said he saw Bose among
those fleeing and he was suspended from Presidency. He joined the
Scottish church college and graduated with his B.A and honours in
philosophy. In 1919 Bose went to England to prepare for the ICS
exam as his father had wished. He arrived in London in October of
1919 and readied his application. He also wished to get into the
university of Cambridge, although it was past the admission date, he
managed to get in with help from fellow Indian students. He also
simultaneously prepared for the Civil Service exams. He chose the
Mental and Moral Sciences Tripos at Cambridge, its completion
requirement reduced to two years on account of his Indian B. A. He
took the exam in 1920 and got placed fourth out of six vacancies but
there was still a final examination and a riding test. Bose felt that the
ICS was not far as he had great knowledge and was a rider himself,
yet in 1921, he started to doubt taking the final exam. During this
time, he wrote a lot of letters to his brother Sarat Chandra Bose. In
April of 1921, he finally decided that he would not take the final
exam. He wrote letters regarding his decision to his family, though his
father and others were not happy regarding this, his mother
understood and was with him. Bose had been in touch with C.R Das,
a lawyer turned politician in Bengal who urged him to return to
Calcutta.
 Early Adulthood
After arriving in Bombay in 1921, Bose went straight to meet
Gandhiji. When they met, Gandhiji was the leader of the non-
cooperation movement that had shook the British in India. Bose later
wrote about his meeting with Gandhiji, mentioning that his answers
were vague and his goals unclear, Bose also believed that non-violent
means would not work as effectively as other means which could
possibly use violence. Gandhiji sent Bose to work under C.R Das as
he was much more flexible and was more tolerant of Bose’s methods.
It was C.R Das who allowed Bose to become a prominent political
figure in the Congress. Bose became a youth educator, journalist and
leader of the Bengal Congress Volunteers. In 1923 he was appointed
the leader of the Indian Youth Congress and just a year later, he
became the chief executive officer of the Calcutta Municipal
corporation with Das as the Mayor. In 1924, during a protest, he,
Maghfoor Ahmad Ajazi and other leaders were arrested and
imprisoned. He was later sent to Mandalay, Burma where he
contracted tuberculosis. He eventually came back in 1927, became
general secretary with Jawaharlal Nehru and also Mayor of Calcutta
in 1930. During the 1930s he travelled across Europe, meeting Indian
students and European politicians, including Benito Mussolini. He
observed communism and fascism in action. During this time, he also
researched and wrote the first part of his book The Indian Struggle,
which covered the country's independence movement from 1920 to
1934. Though it was published in London in 1935, the British
government banned the book in the colony out of fears that it would
cause public unrest. Bose and Emilie Schenkl met in 1934 and
developed a relationship while she worked as a secretary, helping him
with his book and writing it for him. They eventually got married in
December of 1937 and had a child in 1942. After coming back from
Europe, Bose had become very influential in the INC and was elected
President. He was re-elected in 1939 but there was a lot of opposition
to him. Even Gandhiji was against Bose being President, there was a
split in the Congress but Bose tried to unite everyone. There was a rift
between Bose and Nehru, who had previously worked together as
secretaries in the Congress. Eventually, Bose was forced to resign and
formed his own faction “All India Forward Bloc”.

 Political Career
Bose had a long and illustrious political career which started in 1921,
when he returned to India, and ended with his untimely death in 1945.
Arriving in Bombay in 1921, Bose immediately went to meet with
Gandhiji, who at the time had become the single most influential
leader of India’s struggle. In Bose’s account of the meeting, he
thought that Gandhiji’s methods were not thought through. They
differed on the question for the future of India, while Bose preferred a
totalitarian government, Gandhiji was strongly against it. Even though
they disagreed with each other, Gandhiji told Bose to work under
Chittaranjan Das, one of the most important nationalist leaders in
Bengal.
In 1927, after being released from prison, Bose rose through the ranks
of the INC, and became General secretary, working with Jawaharlal
Nehru. By 1938, Bose had become a renowned national leader and
was nominated for Congress President. Bose had criticised Gandhiji
for his conservative economics and suggested broad industrialisation,
which went against the Gandhian principles of promoting cottage
industries and use of Indian resources. Bose was also strongly in
favour of complete independence with use of force against the British.
This meant a confrontation with Gandhiji, who opposed Bose’s
presidency. This caused a split in the Congress between Gandhiji’s
supporters and Bose’s supporters. In 1939, Bose was elected as
president again and this time was strongly opposed by the Gandhian
faction in Congress, eventually he was forced to resign for the sake of
Congress’ unity. In May of 1939, Bose organised the “All India
Forward Bloc” a left-wing faction within the Congress. The first
conference was held in Bombay the same year and Netaji was
announced the President.
He was placed under observation in his home but managed to flee to
Afghanistan, from where he went to Nazi Germany. There he held
meetings with German officials and eventually realised that Germany
did not care about India’s Independence. Knowing that Germany was
of no use anymore, Netaji took a submarine to reach Japanese
occupied South-East Asia. In July 1943, at a meeting in Singapore,
Rash Behari Bose handed over control of the INA to Subhas Chandra
Bose. The INA was established in 1942 with Captain Mohan Singh as
it’s leader. The INA’s first movements were on the Manipur frontier,
where the groups of INA soldiers fought bravely. The Indian Tricolour
flag was raised for the first time in the town of Moirang, in Manipur,
in north-eastern India. The Japanese forces in Imphal and Kohima
were defeated and the INA was forced to retreat. Although the INA
continued to fight, they never could succeed as the Japanese had
surrendered, the INA had to be disbanded. Although Netaji is
regarded as one of the most important freedom fighters and
remembered as a brave man, some question his methods and wartime
alliances. However, Netaji’s contributions made a significant impact
on the Indian people and in one way or the other helped India gain
Independence.

 Bose and INC

Subhas Chandra Bose's association with the INC dates back to 1921.
Arriving in Bombay fresh from England and with a strong feeling of
Nationalism, Bose contacted Gandhiji, the leader who had taken the
British by storm and propelled India's freedom struggle with the Non-
Cooperation Movement. Their meeting, however, revealed a
fundamental difference in ideologies. While Gandhiji advocated for
Swaraj through non-violent resistance, Bose favoured a more radical
approach. He envisioned a totalitarian state, something that Gandhiji
was in strong opposition of. Despite their disagreement, Gandhi
recognized Bose's potential and sent him to work with Chittaranjan
Das, an important nationalist figure in Bengal. Under Das's guidance,
Bose's political skills grew.
Following Das's death and his release from prison in 1927, Bose
quickly rose through the ranks of the Indian National Congress. He
served as General Secretary alongside future Prime Minister,
Jawaharlal Nehru. Bose strongly believed in political freedom and
also the establishment of a socialist economic system. This put him at
odds with Gandhiji, a staunch believer in self-sufficiency and cottage
industries. By 1938, Bose had become a leader of national
importance. He was nominated for the position of Congress President.
Bose's vocal criticism of Gandhi's economic conservatism,
particularly his belief in rapid industrialization, clashed with Gandhi's
principles. Bose also wanted complete independence, achieved even
through armed resistance. This brought him into direct confrontation
with Gandhi, who strongly opposed any form of violence and did not
want Bose to be President, eve n saying that Bose should make his
own cabinet
The tension within the INC finally erupted. The 1939 election saw
Bose win the presidency again, but this time he faced a lot of
opposition from the Gandhian faction. To maintain a unity in the
party, Bose was forced to resign. This marked a turning point in the
journey of India's freedom struggle. While Gandhi's peaceful methods
continued to gather support, Bose's pursuit of complete independence,
by any means necessary, resonated with a growing segment of the
population. Eventually, more people started believing that force was
necessary to obtain freedom. This spirit of Immediate Independence
by any means was reflected in the quit India movement. Netaji had
left his mark in the INC and still inspires people to this day.

 Bose and the Forward Bloc

Subhas Chandra Bose was the founder of Forward Bloc. The All-India
Forward Bloc was established by Bose in 1939 he resigned from the
presidency of the INC due to conflicting methods and approach to
independence with other important figures in the party, particularly
Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Bose was a prominent and radical leader in the Congress, known for
his aggressive approach towards achieving independence from the
British. However, he was frustrated with the Congress's more peaceful
strategies and their commitment to non-violence as the sole method
for gaining independence.
In April of 1939, Bose resigned as President of the Congress after
seeing that his methods and strategies would never be accepted by the
peaceful Congress leadership. After his resignation Bose, went on to
establish the “All India Forward Bloc” which aimed to bring together
all left-wing sections within the Congress.
On May 3, 1939, Bose announced the formation of the Forward Bloc
within the INC in a rally in Calcutta. The Forward Bloc wanted to
unite leftists, promote socialist principles, and strengthen the struggle
for complete and immediate independence. They wanted the support
of workers, peasants, youth and other organisations.
Despite its initial position as a faction within the Congress, the
Forward Bloc eventually cut ties with the Congress and operated
independently, especially as Bose's views and methods continued to
diverge significantly from those of the important Congress leaders.
The party played a vital role in gathering radical elements and
assembling public opinion against British rule during the struggle for
Independence.

 Bose and INA

When war broke out, Bose led multiple protests against India’s
involvement in the war. This led to his arrest, though he was
eventually released due to his fast unto death. He was placed under
observation in his home, but just before his escape, he sought solitude
and was able to refrain from meeting British guards. In January 1941
Bose escaped his house and with the help of some friends was able to
reach Nazi Germany via Afghanistan
There, he worked with the German authorities and established an
Indian Legion with the prisoners of war in Germany. He even met
with German dictator Adolf Hitler, but that meeting made Bose realise
that Germany was not interested in India’s Independence and only
cared about their own welfare. In the meantime, they had also
declared war on the Soviet Union, which worsened the situation for
the German army and ruined Netaji’s plans for invading India via the
Soviet Union.
Knowing that Germany was of no use anymore, Netaji took a
submarine to reach Japanese occupied South-East Asia. By the time
Bose arrived Iwaichi Fujiwara had worked with Captain Mohan Singh
had already established the Indian National Army. Command of the
INA was given to Netaji and he was able to reorganise and gather lots
of support for the army. Even when faced with problems, Bose was
able to maintain support and motivate his soldiers. Spoken as a part of
a motivational speech for the Indian National Army at a rally of
Indians in Burma on 4 July 1944, Bose's most famous quote was
"Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom!"
The groups of INA soldiers fought bravely on the Manipur frontier.
On the Indian mainland, an Indian Tricolour flag, modelled after that
of the Indian National Congress, was raised for the first time in the
town of Moirang, in Manipur, in north-eastern India. Meanwhile, the
Japanese had conquered the territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
in 1942. In 1944, the Japanese forces in Imphal and Kohima were
defeated and the dream of establishing an INA base in India was lost.
Although the INA continued to fight important battles, they never
could succeed as large parts of their troops had to surrender and with
Japan’s defeat in WW2, the INA had to be disbanded. In the end,
Netaji’s legacy is one shrouded with controversy. However, Netaji’s
contributions made a significant impact on the Indian people and in
one way or the other helped India gain Independence.
 My Learning
This project allowed me to get an insight on Netaji’s life and learn
more about him, his achievements and his impact on our lives.
One trait of Netaji that has inspired me the most is his unwavering
determination. Ever since he first came back to India, he worked to
aid in the Independence movement. Despite being sent to jail multiple
times and facing obstacles, he never gave up. Even when he was
forced to resign from Congress presidency, he did not let anything
come in his way and organised the Forward Bloc to bring together
people like him.
He did this because he knew that his actions were necessary. Although
the victories of the INA were short-lived, Netaji did not lose hope. If a
person works towards their goal with determination and hard work, it
will only be a matter of time before they achieve it.
We all need to work together to ensure that our country is always in
the best conditions. Working for NGO’s and charities or simply
keeping the places around ourselves clean is a small effort all of us
can make which will go a long way. Proper utilisation of resources,
such as electricity, water and other things will help everyone in the
long-term. Protecting our environment and taking good care of
ourselves are two of the most fundamental things that every person
should do to contribute for our society and country.