Subhas Chandra Bose (also known as Netaji) was a prominent Indian nationalist leader who played a key role in the country’s struggle for independence from British rule. He was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Odisha, India, to a prominent lawyer and a devout mother who instilled in him a strong sense of Indian cultural heritage.
Bose received his early education in Cuttack and then went on to study at Presidency College in Calcutta (now Kolkata) before pursuing higher studies in England. He was deeply influenced by the writings of Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, and Mahatma Gandhi, which shaped his nationalist ideals and beliefs.
In 1921, Bose joined the Indian National Congress and soon became an active participant in the freedom struggle. He was elected president of the Congress in 1938 but resigned from the post a year later due to ideological differences with the Congress leadership. Bose believed that India needed to take a more militant approach to achieve independence, while the Congress leaders favored a nonviolent path.
In 1941, Bose escaped from house arrest in Calcutta and fled to Germany, where he sought the support of Adolf Hitler and the Axis powers for India’s independence. He formed the Indian National Army (INA), also known as the Azad Hind Fauj, with the help of the Japanese army and led the INA in battles against the British Indian Army in Burma and northeast India.
Bose’s leadership and bravery in the face of adversity made him a popular figure among Indians, and his slogan “Jai Hind” (Victory to India) became a rallying cry for the independence movement. Unfortunately, Bose died in a plane crash in 1945 under mysterious circumstances, which has led to various conspiracy theories about his death.
Despite his short life, Bose remains an iconic figure in Indian history and is remembered for his unwavering commitment to India’s independence and his belief in the power of the people to effect change. His legacy lives on in the INA Memorial in Singapore and the Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, which bears his name.
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