| In 1929, Bose raised
a demand for "full socialism", and came close
to Bhagat Singh's socialist organisation Hindustan Republication
Army. Addressing the Midnapore Youth Conference in 1929,
he said: "…A new society has to be established
on basis of full socialism. Economic disparity is to be
removed and everybody, man and woman, is to be given equal
opportunity for education and advancement in life. We
must see that a sovereign state is established on a socialist
basis."
He reiterated his preference for socialism
in 1930 in his letter to the revolutionary leader, Barindra
Kumar Ghosh (younger brother of Shri Aurobindo). "...We
do not want political freedom alone. We want freedom
from all bondage. Our freedom struggle is meant to break
all the three kinds of bondage - political, economic
and social. Only then will a free and classless society
based on socialism be established. The establishment
of a classless society is the main objective of our
freedom struggle."
For Subhas Chandra Bose, socialism was
not a foreign ideology. He believed that Indian socialism
was rooted in ancient India and in the Indian renaissance
of the 19th century. In his presidential address to
the Rangpur Political Conference (March 30, 1929) he
said: "…This socialism does not derive its
birth from the books of Karl Marx. It has its origin
in the thought and culture of India…We have to
shape our society and politics according to our own
ideals and according to our need."
Addressing the Maharashtra Political
Conference (May 3, 1928), Bose observed: "Communism
is not a western institution. Among the Khasis of Assam...private
property as an institution does not exit even in theory.
….I am sure that similar instances can still be
found in other parts of India and also in the history
of the country."
In his presidential address to
the All-India Naojawan Bharat Shabha, (Karachi, March
1931), he said: "…I want to see the establishment
of a Socialist Republic in India". Observing that
political emancipation should go hand-in-hand with economic
freedom, he said: "...Right to work and sufficient
wages for sustenance must be ensured for all. There
will be no place in society for the idle and everybody
must enjoy equal opportunity. Above all, distribution
of wealth and income must be equal and just for all.
Hence, it is imperative that the state must be responsible
for production as well as distribution."
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