NETAJI’S LEGACY: THERE’S A SCRAMBLE FOR IT?

ROBIN ROY The writer is Senior Journalist and former Managing Editor, First India

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is remembered every day, every moment and it will remain so... FOREVER…

However, after so many years, currently the reported “ownership” of the great freedom fighter’s legacy is being claimed by one and all parties and this is so very evident on January 23rd each year on his birth anniversary.

Bengal or in that matter, India, will remember Netaji forever but the clamour for “Whose Netaji he is?” Crosses all limits of decibel especially on this day. And this year, it was no different… On the contrary, this year the clamour had created quite a din.

What Bjp State Unit Said

BJP’s state spokesman Samik Bhattacharya, however, said that the opposition parties are unnecessarily politicising the event. “First of all, RSS is not a political outfit, whose aim is to strengthen Indian society. RSS is above all politics. Secondly, praying in tribute to Netaji cannot be the monopoly of any particular political party since Netaji remains in the hearts of the Indians. There is no need for such unnecessary politics over the matter,” he said.

We look at all the arguments and counter-arguments that took place before, during and after the birth anniversary programmes. It may be recalled that days before the RSS had planned to celebrate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary in Kolkata, his daughter Anita Bose-Pfaff had said that the organisation’s ideology and the nationalist leader’s ideas of secularism and inclusiveness were “poles apart and do not coincide”.

She agreed that the fanfare over the celebration of her father’s birth anniversary is to “partially serve their (BJP, RSS) own interests”. As far as ideology is concerned, the Congress has a lot more in common with Netaji than any other party in the country, she said.

BJP and RSS do not reflect the idea of respecting all religions as preached by Netaji, who was a devout Hindu but believed in respecting other faiths. He was in favour of productive cooperation between members of different religions, Bose-Pfaff

On 126th birth anniv of freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose, his grandnephew Chandra Kumar Bose had said, Netaji was the only leader to date who was inclusive and secular. “RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat must be clear about what he wants, you can’t follow Savarkar & Netaji together, they can’t be on the same page,” Chandra Kumar Bose added. Bhagwat had praised Netaji’s contribution

WHAT NETAJI’S GRAND NEPHEW SAID WHAT MOHAN BHAGWAT SAID

“Subhas babu (Netaji) was first associated with the Congress and followed its path of ‘satygraha’, and ‘andolon’, but when he realised that this was not enough and there was a need for freedom struggle, he worked towards it. Paths differ, but the goals are the same,” he said. The RSS chief also said, “We have Subhasbabu’s ideals in front of us to follow. The goals he had said. “The RSS and BJP do not necessarily reflect this attitude ...If you want to put a simple label, they are rightists and Netaji was a leftist,” she had told PTI in an interview over phone from Germany.

“From what I hear about the RSS ideology, I would agree that it and Netaji’s ideology are poles apart. The two value systems do not coincide. It will certainly be good if the RSS to India’s struggle for independence and urged everyone to adopt Bose’s traits and principles

WHAT CPI (M) MEMBER SAID

their interest that is served,” she said.

and work toward making India a “vishwa guru”. “We remember Netaji not only because we are grateful to him for his valuable contributions towards the freedom struggle but also to ensure that we imbibe his qualities. “Netaji Loho Pronam” at Shahid Minar Ground in Kolkata, Bhagwat stated that even though circumstances and paths may diverge, destination remains the same.

are our goals too... Netaji had said India is a smaller version of the world and the country has felt it wanted to embrace Netaji’s ideals and ideas. Many different groups want to celebrate Netaji’s birthday in different ways and a number of them necessarily agree with his ideas,” Bose-Pfaff said.

LAUDS BJP

Speaking on the recent pomp and fanfare over Netaji’s birth anniversary celebrations, she lauded the BJP-led government to provide relief to the world. We all have to work towards it,” he said, “there can be different paths, and these are described as ‘isms’ (ideologies), which might differ but what is important is the goal.” He noted that “Netaji’s legacy has remained alive” in the hearts of millions of Indians even though “no substantial efforts were made to keep it alive” after the independence. at the Centre for taking a “lot of initiatives” to honour him.

“This has two aspects. After Independence, the official Congress stand on Netaji was reserved and not shared by all Congressmen. It wanted to keep the narrative that it was only the civil disobedience movement that led to the country’s freedom. But after Netaji files were declassified,