This year (2015) marks a number of important anniversaries: from the sealing of the Magna Carta (1215), the Battle of Agincourt (1415), the Battle of Waterloo (1815), the campaign at Gallipoli (1915), Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa (1915), VE and VJ Days, and the dropping of atom bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima (1945), to the 50
th anniversary of the funeral of Winston Churchill (1965) in January amongst others. It is also the 70
th anniversary (1945) of the sometimes disputed death of Subhas Chandra Bose.
Who? you might legitimately ask. Perhaps if I were to say that Subhas Chandra Bose or Netaji, as he was known by his followers, could be regarded in the same light as Gandhi and Nehru as one of the leaders of the Indian independence struggle that might change one’s perspective. What marked Bose out is that he was prepared to use subversive means, take up arms and ally himself with Britain’s enemies to confront the British Empire. Bose has to some extent been written out of the Indian independence narrative mainly because he died – in a disputed air crash – just after the end of the Second World War, and it might not have suited Gandhi and Nehru in particular to acknowledge Bose’s role in precipitating independence.
On a personal note my father’s family were great acolytes of the Bengali Subhas Chandra Bose, and in the latter part of his life my father raised funds for Netaji Bhavan, the museum and historical institute dedicated to Bose. At our Birmingham home we often hosted Bose’s nephew Sisir, who set up Netaji Bhavan, and his wife Krishna, who at one time had been a Congress MP.
I had not really heard of Bose until a trip to Calcutta when I was about 20. Sisir Bose was a little older than my father and like him an alumni of Calcutta Medical College; he showed us around the museum one evening. I remember Sisir Bose being very formal and clipped, very English it seemed. In the museum itself I recall lots of uniforms and in the driveway a car which played a major part in the Bose mythology.
Subhas Chandra Bose’s story is in many respects a Boys Own adventure story. He was born in 1897 and brought up in a fairly traditional upper class, and wealthy, Bengali family but at some distance from Calcutta, in Cuttack, now in Orissa. Bose read widely as a child and teenager, and was influenced mainly by CR Das amongst others. What seemed to be highly relevant was that he mixed with Muslim friends as well as Hindu, and was taught that India was a multi-cultural /faith country. Bose also understood the concept of service and particularly to India. His education appeared to be a mix of both English and Bengali traditions, and he seemed to be highly accomplished in the English language from an early age. Sparkling exam results meant a place at Presidency College in Calcutta to read Philosophy.
At Presidency College there was an “incident” where a Professor was assaulted and Bose’s involvement was disputed but he was nevertheless suspended and expelled. Eventually Bose managed to complete his degree at another college. Then a spell in the UK for about 2 years reading Mental and Moral Sciences at Cambridge and sitting the Indian Civil Service (ICS) exam in which he came fourth in 1921.
The ICS was regarded by its membership as the “heaven-born service” with young, generally Oxbridge educated, Britons often running huge swathes of India. Passing the exam put Bose in somewhat of a dilemma; by now his rebellious nature had fully asserted itself and he could not imagine working for India’s oppressors and colonial power. Accordingly he resigned with a letter to the Secretary of State for India.
It seems that Bose much enjoyed his stay in the UK, holidaying at seaside towns and making friends with resident Indians whether in Cambridge or elsewhere. Bose also found as Gandhi did that the British were less racist and friendlier in their own country than in India.
Subhas Chandra Bose then returned to India on board a ship where he numbered Tagore as a fellow passenger. At this point his path seemed set, meeting Gandhi amongst others. In time Subhas Chandra Bose had a number of mentors including the Bengali C R Das. He found himself opposing Gandhi and Nehru, who was in thrall to Gandhi, but nevertheless he became President of Congress, and later because of major splits began his own party Forward Bloc.
Numerous spells in prison all over India and in Mandalay followed. While these prison spells often resulted in illnesses such as malaria, it allowed Bose time to read and formulate his plans and strategies. At various times Bose was able to travel and spent time in Europe in 1937/8 in particular, when he met many important leaders including Eamon de Valera, the President of Ireland, and Benes, the Czech President. Bose also met and married his Austrian secretary Emelie Schenkel.
During the Second World War, from 1940 onwards, most Indian independence leaders including Bose were imprisoned. One of the concerns of the British was that Bose might die in prison and after he began a hunger strike he was released in early December 1940. There then followed a Boys Own adventure when Bose escaped to Afghanistan in January 1941 and thence to Germany. Bose’s nephew, Sisir, drove him, in the car previously mentioned, in the middle of the night to a small town outside Calcutta, and dressed as a Muslim Bose took the train to Peshawar. All this under the eyes of the British authorities.
There were some embarrassing episodes while waiting for a guide to take Bose across to Afghanistan. In Kabul there was another lengthy wait negotiating with the Soviets, Germans, and Italians for asylum and visas. Eventually given Italian papers Bose travelled across the Soviet Union and to Germany.
In Europe Bose was financed and aided by the German Foreign Office, particularly in the form of Adam von Trott, a member of the German anti-Hitler resistance. Despite meeting Hitler Bose found a German reluctance to support the cause of Indian independence. Whether this was driven by the ideology of racial supremacy or admiration for the British as an imperial power, or a mixture of the two is not clear. By the time of the meeting with Hitler in May 1942 it was clear that Bose would not get the support he wanted. Records of the meeting suggest Hitler lectured to Bose and Bose castigated Hitler for his racial views.
Despite building up an Indian Legion in Germany, comprised largely of Indian servicemen taken prisoner by the Axis powers, Bose felt with the Japanese able to threaten India, and with the Japanese promising help to raise an Indian Army he had no option but to travel to the Far East. Another adventure followed, with a putative plane journey rejected, and so a transfer at sea between German and Japanese submarines off Madagascar was arranged. It is believed that the British knew of these plans but decided not to sink either submarine so not to compromise the fact that enemy communications had been decrypted.
Bose found the Japanese more receptive hosts than the Germans; the Japanese believed Bose would make a useful ally in their struggle against the British in particular. A fledgling Indian National Army (INA) had been raised from Indian POWs and indigenous Indians by Rash Behari Bose and Mohan Singh amongst others and now Bose came to lead it. Bose raised money from Indians all over the Far East.
While the Japanese leadership was generally supportive there were always issues in finding logistical resources such as arms and transportation because they were at the fullest extent of Japanese supply lines. By early 1944 the Japanese had also to contend with the might of the US in the Pacific theatre. Estimates of the INA’s total strength vary but probably in the most decisive phase of the war in battle it was not more than about 10,000. But it was intended to be a political army showing that Indians could raise an army and fight against its oppressors. For Japanese generals the INA was seemingly more of a distraction. The INA fought attached to Japanese regiments as they attacked the eastern Indian states. Opinions of the actual military contribution of the INA vary; there is no question that while some units fought bravely others deserted back to their colonial masters. After battles in Eastern India, notably Kohima and Imphal, the Japanese and the INA found themselves in full-blown retreat.
After the August 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Japanese surrender Bose found himself on the run. If he were arrested anywhere in Japanese, or French territory perhaps, then he would probably via the Americans be handed over to the British, despite American opposition to British imperialism. So, with the help of the Japanese, and their air force, Bose made his way to Saigon – the routing is unclear – and thence to Formosa, now Taiwan. In Formosa Bose’s aircraft crashed on take-off and he suffered severe burns. He died within a few hours with a close aide nearby. His body was cremated on Formosa and the ashes were taken to a Buddhist temple in Tokyo, where it is believed they still remain. Bose’s planned destination is unclear: it appears to be Japanese controlled Manchuria from where he could have made contact with either the Soviets or Chinese Communists.
The circumstances of Bose’s death are hotly debated with the post-independence Indian government having set up a number of inquiries. There are few Japanese documents, but this was during the chaos of the immediate cessation of hostilities. Of course there are some who believe the “crash” and “death” was to cover up his disappearance but there have been no reliable sightings of Bose since. Dr Sisir Bose himself investigated the circumstances of the death of his uncle and was in no doubt that he died in Taiwan. Writers such as Leonard Gordon have reached the same conclusion.
So why am I writing about Subhas Chandra Bose now? I found my father’s copy of Mihir Bose’s The Lost Hero on my bookshelves and I bought Sugata Bose’s His Majesty’s Opponent. I also found Shyam Benegal’s film The Forgotten Hero on YouTube; I had been looking for a DVD copy for some time and was surprised to find it free on YouTube.
I think it is probably difficult for any Bengali to write about Subhas Chandra Bose without it becoming hagiography but both Mihir Bose and Sugata Bose have accomplished the task superbly.
Mihir Bose is now primarily a sports journalist and no relation to Subhas Bose. His book is a bit dated now (1982) but is nevertheless a very good read for someone who knew relatively little about the subject. I understand that Mihir Bose has updated the original book with a couple of new chapters in Raj, Secrets. Revolution: A Life of Subhas Chandra Bose.
I am not certain if I have met Sugata Bose as he is a son of the late Sisir Bose and a great nephew of Subhas Chandra Bose. An academic historian, Sugata Bose’s style is more intense and he possibly benefits from having access to many documents and records held in Netaji Bhavan. Most of my summary of Subhas Chandra Bose’s life and exploits has been taken from the two books which are highly recommended. Both focus on Subhas Chandra Bose’s key influences and intellectual growth as well as the wartime exploits.
The Shyam Benegal film 'The Forgotten Hero' on the last 4 years of Subhas Chandra Bose is a highly entertaining and lengthy movie. It focuses essentially on the period between his flight from British India, his relationship with Emelie Schenkel, the negotiations with both the Nazis and the Japanese, the submarine journey, and lastly the continued development and battles of the INA. But one should not forget that it is a movie and as Mihir Bose has pointed out artistic licence has been taken
[1]. Mihir Bose makes the point forcefully that without collaborators in the form of the British Indian Army Britain could never have held on to India for so long and it was only with uncertainty about loyalties that the British lost their nerve. My impression is that the Subhas Chandra Bose of the film is more humorous than the books suggest, and the film does not really give an insight into his intellectual and analytical gifts although these are difficult to portray. Mihir Bose wishes the film had concluded with a plane crash and so put to rest the rumours concerning Bose’s fate; but Mihir Bose is most vocal in taking fellow Bengalis to task for their failure to remember Bose and his story. Nevertheless the film is worth watching particularly as it is available on YouTube.
[2]There are a number of possibly apocryphal stories about Subhas Chandra Bose, both related by Mihir Bose, that make him quite endearing and assertive, and both involved British interlocutors. After Bose was appointed Mayor of Calcutta at an early age the Chief Engineer of the Corporation entered his office whilst smoking. “Is it proper” Bose asked “to smoke in the presence of a superior officer?” The Engineer was apparently suitably chastened. Later Bose was leading a march in Calcutta and was accosted by a senior policeman who, while trying presumably to establish a rapport, addressed Bose as “Subhas”. Bose seemed to be quite affronted by this and suggested he be addressed as “Mr Bose”. I am reminded that fairly recently David Milliband, when British Foreign Secretary, made a similar faux pas with the Indian Foreign Minister.
[3]Bose was a great supporter of the rights of Indian women and created a woman’s regiment in the INA: The Rani of Jhansi Regiment. Originally the regiment was supposed to offer nursing and medical care but it appears that Bose was willing to allow the regiment into combat, a decision that would have preceded the Israelis, although the Soviets did have women combat soldiers in the Second World War. Given the long standing controversies about the position of women in Indian society one wonders if Bose as a post-Independence Indian leader could have been the catalyst for a change in attitudes.
Bose was also a great believer in the cause of Indian unity across languages and religions. Unlike in the British Indian Army there were no units organised on religious grounds. All religions fought and died together eating food that was prepared for all. Given Bose’s views and record would he have been able to oppose the Partition of India and counter Jinnah and The Muslim League? This is a great imponderable, and Gandhi himself opposed Partition but was eventually forced to concede defeat. Bose was also a proponent of the development of Hindi as a national language; despite his perfect command of English he felt that Indians needed their own national language. My understanding is that Bose’s command of Hindi was limited and he often had to use his INA colleagues to correct his speeches.
One might think that in most people’s eyes Bose has unalloyed credibility but there are some controversial issues. Among them his “marriage” to Emilie Schenkel. The evidence is that they were married on Bose’s trip to Europe in 1938 but not formally, rather married by a Hindu priest, a colleague of Bose’s although even this is disputed. It could be that Nazi racial supremacy laws made formal, registered mixed marriages illegal but it is more likely that Bose could not, while advancing the cause of Indian independence, marry anyone let alone a Western woman. Bose had had many offers of marriage from Indian women but refused all.
In addition, Bose’s adoption of the title Netaji has some unfortunate resonances with Fuhrer and Il Duce, both dictatorial and authoritarian. Bose’s acolytes and followers claim it was a title chosen by them and not Bose himself. Bose seemingly had authoritarian tendencies and it’s difficult to conceive of how they may have played out in an independent India.
What if Bose had returned immediately after the end of the war? Would the British have arrested and possibly hanged him for waging war on the King Emperor? The British had executed Indians before as well as, for example, Irishmen after the Easter Rebellion. But in the case of Subhas Chandra Bose that is unlikely because the repercussions would have been the collapse of any hopes of a civilised handover of power. However, Bose would have done everything to subvert the British. Had India become independent with Bose as one of the leading lights could one imagine him working with Mountbatten in the prelude or aftermath? the Mountbatten who destroyed the INA memorial in Singapore soon after the end of the war. Mountbatten, as one can tell from the many photos with Nehru and Gandhi in particular, would have prided himself on developing relationships with the leading players but one suspects that Bose would have been immune to his charms.
Earlier this year I came across a wonderful article by Daniel Finkelstein in The Times on Winston Churchill
[4]. In the article Finkelstein focuses on Churchill’s nature in always taking the audacious and bold course: “...And it is generally a disaster.” But that when it came to the fight against fascism Churchill understood the challenge and that Britain had to stand up despite the odds. In 1940 Britain stood alone against the might of Germany and Churchill was not to know that the US would later join the war, although he knew without their entry Britain could not resist.
Churchill, Finkelstein writes, knew “...the probability of success but also (able to) consider what is at stake”. While avowed enemies in this regard Bose and Churchill were I believe very similar. Bose saw the world and his plans in a very reductive way. His calculation would have been based on the question and answer: “what do I need to do to achieve Indian independence?” Thus Subhas Chandra Bose was prepared to ally himself with some very unsavoury characters and regimes: Hitler, Mussolini, the Japanese Empire, and Stalin if necessary, to achieve these objectives. The old adage “My enemy’s enemy is my friend” comes to mind. And Bose was prepared to countenance the deaths of 8 million Indians to meet his goal. Indeed Bose left the members of the Indian Legion in Western Europe to their fates when he departed for Asia.
It is potentially interesting to play the game so beloved of historians: the counter-factual. What if Churchill had won the election in 1945, continued as Prime Minister, while at the same time Subhas Chandra Bose had not been killed on Taiwan? Churchill was a great supporter of the British Empire, and, it is well known, had called Gandhi a “half-naked fakir”, but I cannot find any Churchill comments about Bose. It is most probable that reports on the whereabouts and exploits of Bose during the war would have crossed Churchill’s desk. Unquestionably Churchill, unlike Atlee, the post 1945 Labour Prime Minister, would have opposed Indian independence. Bose, possibly from the Soviet Union or China, or from India itself, would have been able to organise armed insurrections using the Indian armed forces, sections of which had mutinied after the end of the war on learning of the exploits of Bose and the INA. From there it is easy to suggest a forced and panicked withdrawal by the British in 1946 perhaps.
Given Bose’s exploits why then has he been “forgotten” or “lost” when he should be high on the honour board of Indian leaders? One should remember that many Indian independence leaders including Ambedkar and Patel amongst others have also been “lost”. There is a tendency to focus mainly on Nehru and Gandhi and they, or their supporters, were able to write the histories. But there is also another possible explanation: that the memory of Gandhi, as the apostle of non-violence, cannot be traduced by acknowledging the role of the Bose and the INA in the independence struggle.
[1] Tehelka, Mihir Bose, “Lost and Found: Benegal’s Bose”, 4 June 2005
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh2EbuP_Y-4[3] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1126557/HARRY-PHIBBS-The-Indians-right-It-IS-rude-disrespectful-use-names.html ;
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/4307840/David-Miliband-accused-of-arrogance-over-Kashmir-comments.html[4] The Times, Daniel Finkelstein, “Let’s Face it, Churchill was often a disaster”, 28 January 2015
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