HT podcast: A look at the life, politics of Bose

Netaji rose to become the president of the Indian National Congress twice, but internal differences saw his term curtailed in 1939.

Even as a war broke out in Europe, a clash between different streams of the Indian nationalist movement broke out at home. Triggered by differences with the Mahatma and his protégés, and a desire to leverage the crisis presented by the war, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the political lion from Bengal, decided it was time to embark on his own path.

Bose had been a rising star of Indian nationalist movement ever since, inspired by the Mahatma, he joined the Non-Cooperation movement. (HT Archive)

Bose had been a rising star of Indian nationalist movement ever since, inspired by the Mahatma, he joined the Non-Cooperation movement.

He rose to become the president of the Indian National Congress twice, but internal differences saw his term curtailed in 1939.

After a dramatic escape from India while under arrest, he travelled to Europe and Japan and decided to work with Axis Powers.

His subsequent leadership of the Indian National Army (INA) inspired the young and by creating a new, inclusive, armed force to fight for independence, Bose pioneered a new form of struggle. But in 1945, Bose died in a tragic air crash.

In this episode, the Harvard historian, former parliamentarian and Netaji’s grand nephew, Sugata Bose, brings the personal and political together, for his father had helped Netaji escape from Calcutta.

Bose takes us through Netaji’s life, politics, beliefs, relationship with the Mahatma, and leadership of the Indian National Army and debunks the conspiracy theories around his death. He also explains how Netaji’s biggest contribution was showing to the British they could no longer rely on coercive means to sustain foreign rule in India.

Link to podcast: https://www.htsmartcast.com/history-podcasts/1947-road-to-indian-independence/ep-11-netaji-the-life-and-politics-of-subhash-bose/