After matriculation Janakinath Bose sent Subhash Chandra to study in Presidency college. The lawyer had a Kothi in Calcutta. So, lodging and boarding was no problem. The elder brother of Subhash was already there in the same college. The Presidency College was a prominent institution of Calcutta.
The atmosphere of the college was completely westernised. The Indian students also acted and behaved like Englishmen. Rovenshaw school had changed the mindset of Subhash. He did not change his attitude and the life style. He continued to go to college in dhoti and kurta.
Here racial bias was very pronounced. The English professors looked down upon the native students and largely ignored them in the classes. The natives were made to sit on the back benches out of the direct sight of the white teachers. It hurt Subhash deeply. But what could he do? As a consolation he started to keep himself busy in outside activities of social service.
Subhash came into contact with famous trade union leader S.C. Bannerji. He used to run a social service organisation. Subhash joined his outfit.
Mr. Bannerjee was also of the opinion that Indians must join politics if they wanted to gain freedom. Subhash was yet to be infected by the politics as the atmosphere at his father’s home had been clinically apolitical.
Meanwhile, Ramakrishna Mission held its annual convention in Calcutta. It was to be attended by Swami Vivekananda. The news excited Subhash. He went to the convention and heard Swamiji’s discourse. It made deep impression on Subhash and he embarked on his own spiritual mission.
He freaked out and roamed about like a sadhu in search of inner peace and the truth. During this period he met several ascetics, sadhus and holy men to seek the guidance. But the confusions did not go away from his mind. After wasting a lot of time he decided to return to the world of reality.
He met well known persons in the fields of literature, social reforms and politics to seek advice. He went to Arbindo Ghosh and Surendra Nath Bannerji. He also sought a meeting with poet Rabindra Nath Taigore. The conclusion of the meetings was that Subhash must face the realities of life at practical level instead of running away from life.
Subhash had lost much study time in his spiritual quest. He barely managed to pass F.A. exams. The marks secured were too low. He felt ashamed of himself and made a resolve to set things right in the coming years. He got down to the business of B.A. course studies in earnest.
He drove away all his doubts, and confusions. Extra curricular activities were cut down. A new phase of the life of Subhash was about to begin. When his father learnt about the changed attitude of his son he was greatly relieved.
Subhash had become a frequenter to the library of the school. The books made him forget about the racial atmosphere of the school and the biased attitude of the Englishmen professors.
One day Subhash was studying a book in the library when one of his classmates came to him running to inform, “Subhash! Professor Aughten is again abusing Indian students and he has slapped one of them!”
Professor Aughten was a known Indian baiter who thought that the natives were paganic barbarians nothing better than cattle. Once or twice the same professor had treated Subhash insultingly. So, he carried some grudge against Aughten and knew how unreasonable the Englishman could be. Subhash walked to the class with the other boy and looked into the classroom from outside. The professor indeed was hurling invectives at the Indian students.
Subhash went straight to the principal and complained against the erratic professor. But the principal himself an Englishman suffered from the racial bias. Instead of doing the justice he rebuked Subhash for disrespect for his teacher and advised him to apologize to Mr. Aughten.
Subhash rallied the students and told them what had happened in the principal’s cabin. Aughten’s behaviour was already known to the students. On the initiative of Subhash the students decided to go on strike.
All the Indian students boycotted the classes. The strike continued for three days. At a later stage Indian teaching staff also joined it. The college management was forced to yield. Professor Aughten apologized to the students.
The matter didn’t end there. The racialist professor carried the grudge against Subhash and waited for an opportune moment to hit back.
One day, Subhash was a bit late for Mr. Aughten’s class. To make matters worse he was wearing chappals which made ‘pat-pat’ sound as he walked.
Professor Aughten barked, “You Indians don’t even know how to walk properly. Why should you drag your feet to make that ugly sound?” Then, he gave two whacks to the back of Subhash.
Subhash instantly realised that the professor was taking revenge for the earlier incident of the strike. In a rush of blood he slapped the professor hard making him stagger back. The professor fell down. Subhash walked out of the class.
The management held a meeting to consider the issue of the indiscipline and the offence committed by Subhash. Subhash was asked if he was sorry for his misconduct and would apologize to the professor. But he was unrepentant and said, “I did what I should have done according to the call of my conscience.”
The management expelled him.
Subhash returned to Cuttack to his father who was not pleased. He expressed his disapproval in no uncertain terms.
Subhash too had to live with himself. He found great consolation in social work. He had gathered his own band of volunteers.
Father did not like his son hob-nobbing with lowly people. He wanted his son away studying in the college. Babu Janakinath Bose used his influence and got his son admitted in Scottish Church College through the efforts of the Vice Chancellor of the Calcutta University. Subhash had lost two years.
In that college, military training was an optional subject. Subhash opted for it.
He progressed well in the training. The incharge of the military training, Captain Gray was very pleased with Subhash.
Meanwhile, Professor Aughten had been shifted to the administrative wing of the Department of Education and he had become The Director General.
One day, he happened to descend on the Scottish Church college for inspection. He also inspected the parade presented by the military trainees of that college.
Subhash saw Mr. Aughten’s gaze fixing on him. He had spotted and recognised his old student enemy. Subhash felt a chill go down his spine. Would he take revenge?
Mr. Aughten pointed towards Subhash and asked from Captain Gray, “How is that boy coming up in the military training? And the discipline?’’
“Excellent sir in both respects,” Captain Gray reported and added more words in the praise of his favourite trainee, Subhash.
When the parade was over, Mr. Aughten walked up to Subhash and shook hands with him saying with a smile, “Very well, Mr. Subhash. The captain is full of praise for you. I am pleased.”
“Thank you, sir,” Subhash said and added, “I am happy to see you here, sir.”
“Really!” Mr. Aughten laughed. He gave Subhash commissioned officer’s rank in his unit.
Mr. Aughten was not a bad man after all. He harboured no ill will against his earlier problem student. He had changed a lot. Or may be, he was a bad teacher but a good administrator.
It was not the military training only where he excelled, Subhash progressed in studies too very impressively. Subhash passed the B.A. exams in flying colours securing second position in the University. This time Jankinath Bose too was pleased. He saw his dream likely to come true.
Janakinath Bose advised Subhash to appear in I.C.S. exams which used to be held in London during those days. A whole lot of British youngmen took part in the test who aspired to be the top officials of the British colonial empire. Subhash had no wish to be a civil servant in the colonial government. Jallianwala Bagh massacre had happened and the youth of the country was angry at the colonial rulers. The sympathies of Subhash lay with those angry anti-British youth. He told his father that his conscience would not allow him to be a servant of the colonial rulers.
Babu Janakinath was a grim person. For him his wish was an order. He could not take ‘no’ from his son least of all.
He accused Subhash, “The fact is that you are not good enough for ICS. You are afraid that the ICS exam would expose your true worth and the shallow capabilities.”
It hit Subhash like a blow. He was hurt. He thought…‘Alright, I will show you that I am not afraid of ICS exam.’
He agreed to go to London and take the test. He would not tolerate attack on his self respect and integrity.
There was one more reason for Rai Bahadur Janakinath wanting to send his son away to London. Revolutionaries and freedom fighters was mushrooming all over the country. He feared that Subhash would get mixed up with them. For him they were bad elements.
Subhash reached London in the month of October, 1919 and joined Cambridge University to prepare himself for the test for which only 8 months were left. Many other candidates had put in years in the preparations. Subhash took test result of which was declared on 22nd Sept 1920. Subhash had secured the fourth position where English candidates had also taken part.
The news elated the Bose family back home. All friends, relatives and neighbours poured in to congratulate the Boses. For the first time Janakinath Bose was proud of his son really. The success of his son had raised his own status by a few notches amongst his own colleagues.
But the father was in for a shock. Subhash had no intention of joining the colonial service of the aliens that was tormenting his countrymen. Subhash made no attempt to rush back home and report for duty. He dilly-dallied in England.
He reached Bombay only on 16th July, 1921. By that time Mohandas Gandhi had emerged as a leading figure on the Indian political scene and was guiding the freedom struggle. Subhash went to meet Gandhi who had adopted fakir’s life style to identify himself with the grassroot people.
When Subhash reached at Gandhiji’s abode he was sitting in a carpeted room with other Congressmen who were all wearing Khadi. Subhash felt very awkward because he was wearing the European dress. But Gandhiji made no issue of it. He infact greeted Subhash and asked him to sit beside him. Subhash felt at ease. Subhash talked with him for almost an hour. He aggressively asked about the policies of Gandhiji and his plans for the freedom of India. The oldman replied to the youngman in easy manner and kept smiling all the time. Subhash raised questions about the practicability of the non-violence.
Gandhiji advised him to meet the famous Congress leader of Bengal, Mr. Chittaranjan Das.
He met Chittaranjan Das. Subhash reported to him what had transpired between him and Gandhiji. He expressed his doubts and misgivings about Gandhiji’s policies like strict adherence to the non-violence.
Chittaranjan Das agreed with Subhash that some of Gandhiji’s attitudes and policies were inexplicable and unnecessarily inflexible. And too much stress on non-violence was impracticable.
But they had to admit that there was no alternative but to work with Gandhiji because he was such a mysterious political-spiritual force that had the power to unite all Indians against the British rulers inspite of all his whims. Even his whims gave him an aura. When he walked the countrymen followed him enmasse forgetting all their internal differences. The freedom struggle could not afford to disown such a priceless asset.
Chittaranjan Das was an unrivalled leader of Bengal. He was the party president of Bengal Congress. Subhash decided to begin his political innings under his guidance.
Meanwhile, Subhash wrote to Home Secretary, “I can not serve under a foreign rule. Hence I resign from ICS cadre.”
He had taken ICS examination simply to prove to his father that he was not afraid of taking the ICS test and he had the qualification to be an administrative officer.
To begin with Chittaranjan Das appointed Subhash as the Principal of the National College. During the freedom movement Congress and its wings had set up chains of National schools and colleges to educate the youngmen and train them as volunteers for the party. Subhash set up his own National Volunteer Core of the youth for the social services and the political work. He formally joined Bengal Congress Committee.
He also took over the job of editing ‘Banglar Katha,’ a magazine.
In the month of November, 1921 Prince of Wales came to India to tour the country. The Congress decided to rise in protest against the visit. Non-Cooperation movement was on. The country was in turmoil. The British were trying to crush the movement through police repression. Thousands of political agitators were languishing in jails. The natives were dying in police firings. The cities and towns were being rocked by protest marches, pickets, demonstrations and strikes. At such a time arrival of the Prince of Wales for sight seeing and getting wined and dined was a mockery of justice.
In Calcutta and Bengal Chittaranjan Das was asked to organise the boycott of the Prince of Wales. He delegated the responsibility to Subhash Bose. Subhash rallied his dedicated volunteers who worked hard to make the Calcutta boycott most successful in the entire country. It made everyone take notice of the new entrant to the Congress politics, Subhash Bose. His leadership and the organisational talent was appreciated by all.
The success of the strike so enthused Congressmen that Bengal Congress Committee held a closed door meeting to devise moves to give a new impetus to non-cooperation movement.
At the national level Congress party was doing the same. Plans to launch a new movement was on to re-energize the non-cooperation movement.
On 10th December, 1921 Subhash and Chittaranjan Das both were arrested in Calcutta. It prompted 25000 Congress volunteers to offer arrest. Everyday thousands of volunteers would line up to get arrested.
The two leaders were tried and sentenced to a jail term of six months each. Their absence from the scene did not slow down the anti-government movement. In fact, it became fiercer, such was the planning skill of Subhash and the spirit he had filled his followers with.
Worried at the progress of the agitation the British authorities proposed that if boycott of Prince of Wales was withdrawn the arrested workers, Subhash and Mr. Das would be released besides discussing the needs and aspirations of Indians in Round Table Conference with Congress leaders. To some central Congress leaders the offer looked worth a try. Chittaranjan Das, Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad etc. agreed to the offer. But Subhash Bose soundly rejected the proposal and called it a British conspiracy. He killed the proposal. The volunteers were faithful to the young leader. When the authorities tried to release the workers from the jails, they refused to leave. Not only that, fresh armies of young volunteers and Congressmen lined up infront of jails and police stations to offer arrests. The administration was thrown in quandary. The more workers they arrested the more new workers turned up to offer themselves for arrest.
When the countrymen were in such rebellious mood Gandhiji announced the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement from Bardoli.
The Congress appointed Gandhiji as the Dictator of the movement. The party made Chittaranjan Das ‘Dictator’ of the movement in Bengal. He delegated the job to his faithful lieutenant Subhash Bose. It should be noted that both the leaders were in jail. But their influence on the workers and the masses was such that just a word from them was enough to electrify them. The agitation rocked the state.
The Civil Disobedience movement snowballed at frightening speed all over the nation. It appeared that the British government will get blown away. Then, something went wrong. Gandhiji’s strict order was that the movement shall be kept non-violent. There was no place for violence in his scheme of things.
On the day of 4th February, 1922 at a place called Chauri-Chaura, near Gorakhpur in U.P. some over-excited agitators shut 21 policemen in the police station and set in on fire. All of them got burnt to death.
The violent incident shocked Gandhiji. He was so anguished that he suspended the Civil Disobedience Movement and declared that the people of the country were not yet ready for such a movement based on principles.
This development dismayed the nation. Most of the Congress leaders were of the opinion that Gandhiji’s decision was inappropriate. Some leaders even called it a stab in the back.
Subhash termed it ‘National Disaster’.
The British authorities did not spare Gandhiji. He was arrested on 13th April, 1922 and sentenced to a six year jail sentence.
Meanwhile, Subhash continued to languish in jail. He was released only on 24th August, 1922 after the completion of six month jail term. Five days later Chittaranjan Das too came out.
After the suspension of Civil Disobedience Movement frustration and anguish had caused division in the party. Two distinct groups were emerging. One group wanted changes in the policies of the party. The other group was for the continuation of the old policies and programmes.
As soon as Subhash came out of the jail he found Bengal suffering from heavy floods. Padma and Brahmputra rivers were creating a deluge. Subhash rallied his faithful volunteers and got busy in relief works helping out suffering people. It was the old habit of Subhash to serve the people whenever natural calamities struck. Even the British Governor of Bengal was very impressed with the service rendered by Subhash. He openly praised the organising skills of Subhash.
In the month of December Congress session was held. Chittaranjan Das was elected the president of the session. He belonged to the group that wanted changes in the policies of the party. But this group was in minority. Pro-status quo group was strong.
Chittaranjan Das put forward the proposal seeking changes in the policies. The proposal was defeated in voting which greatly hurt him. In sheer frustration he resigned from the presidentship, party post and the membership of the party. Like a true disciple Subhash followed the suit. The followers of pro-change asked Chittaranjan Das to form a new party. Motilal Nehru had also joined their group. Chittaranjan Das consulted Motilal Nehru and Subhash.
On 1st January, 1923 formation of a new outfit called ‘Swaraj Party’ was announced. Chittaranjan Das was appointed the president of the party and Moti Lal Nehru became its general secretary.
Subhash volunteered to look after the tasks of publicity, publications and organisational matters. He was going to be the driving force behind the new party.
Then, Bengal State Council elections were held. Swaraj Party swept the elections. The Congress party didn’t take part in the election on the advice of Gandhiji. Infact, Congress boycotted the elections as it did not want to be a part of the British rule in any form and at any level.
The victory of Swaraj party came as a rude shock to the Congress. It was now facing a new challenge. The president of the party Maulana Abul Kalam Azad didn’t like it. He called a meeting of the party in Delhi and declared that the Congressmen could take part in the forthcoming State Council election as individuals. The meeting took place on 1st September, 1923. Meanwhile Calcutta corporation elections were held. A large number of Congressmen fought elections as independent candidates. But Swaraj party won the majority. Subhash Bose was elected unopposed.
Chittaranjan Das got elected as ‘Mayor’of Calcutta. The deputy mayor’s post went to Suhrawardi who became prime minister of Pakistan after the partition of India for a short period. Subhash Chandra Bose took over the chair of the Chief Executive Officer at the insistence of Mr. Das who had now immense faith in his disciple and his capabilities. He used to call Subhash ‘A young old man.’
In the dominating presence of Subhash the British administration soon was reduced to a mere shadow. Subhash cleaned up Calcutta through exemplary reforms in sanitary systems.
Along the line social worker in Subhash too made its presence felt. He organized a volunteer core. The members of this organisation used to sell Khadi to the people to arouse their patriotic feelings and they propagated anti-British thoughts.
Soon the volunteers started unleashing anti-British propaganda openly in public meetings.
The popularity of this activity was greatly worrying the rulers. The people were becoming receptive to the freedom politics. Anti-colonial rule atmosphere was fast building up. The administration was already fed up with leftist militants and their violent activities. Several British officers had lost their lives to the militancy. Now Subhash and his volunteers were adding fuel to the fire. It was too much.
Chittaranjan Das warned Subhash against going too hard against the British and advised him to suspend the campaign. But Subhash did not yield. Mr. Das had to reluctantly go along in face of the adamant mood of his disciple. It gained a great popularity among masses for him too.
Then, the revolutionary Gopinath Saha shot dead a British named ‘Day’. Infact he wanted to kill the police commissioner Charles who had earned notoriety for his arrogance and cruelty to the natives. Gopinath Saha was nabbed, tried and sentenced to death. All efforts to save his life failed and he was hanged.
Subhash Bose had admiration for the martyrdom of Gopinath Saha. In a meeting of his workers he got a resolution passed praising the deeds of the martyr and condemning the British government for the hanging.
But Subhash and his workers were members of a political party who could be easily targetted legally unlike the militants who were elusive. The administration hit by declaring the volunteer core of Subhash as a militant organisation.
Subhash was arrested on 25th October, 1924 on the trumped up charges of being involved in terrorist activities. Eighty of his volunteers were also nabbed on the same charges.
It angered Chittaranjan Das and he resigned from mayorship in protest. He rallied the party workers and went around holding public meetings to demand the release of Subhash. He soundly condemned the authorities for falsely incriminating Subhash.
Meanwhile, the administration was busy in creating some evidence to link Subhash with the militants or his being involved in terrorist activities. The authorities failed.
Meanwhile public anger against the British was rising. The authorities were forced to relent. They allowed Subhash to deal with the corporation paper work in his cell of Alipore jail.
One day his office secretary came to meet him to discuss some matter. The jail sepoy didn’t allow him into the cell of Subhash. It angered Subhash and he rebuked the sepoy. The sepoy complained to his officer. As a result Subhash was transferred to Behrampur jail.
It was clear that the authorities were hell bent on mentally torturing Subhash. May be, they had studied his past and knew that he was a tender heart and emotionally vulnerable.
On 25th January, 1925 the British played one more dirty trick. Subhash was sent to Mandlay Jail of Burma (Myanmar) where many other freedom fighters had served various periods of sentences. The jail was a virtual wooden zoo. Subhash Bose described it thus—
‘Mandlay Jail building was like zoo. The prisoners looked like caged animals at night. All the Indian prisoners in that jail were subjects of great curiosity for Whites. The jail authorities treated them like mysterious creatures of unknown nature. Even ministers and judges used to visit the jail to have a peek at the Indian prisoners.’
Once, a commissioner of an England jail came to inspect Mandlay jail. He talked to Subhash and declared that he was the most dangerous prisoners he had ever met.
The jail had a good number of criminals too besides the political prisoners. Subhash Bose did a psychological study of them all for his own benefit of education. He also met local prisoners and some padres who revealed to him that most of the locals hated the British. And he learnt the pleasant fact that India and Burma shared almost the same customs and culture.
On 16th June, 1925 Chittranjan Das passed away in Calcutta. The news stunned Subhash. He wept like a child. Mr. Das was a great moral support for him which made the prison life bearable. Now that support was gone.
The following year State Council elections were held in Bengal. Subhash fought the election from jail. He was declared elected from Calcutta constituency with a big margin.
The people had hopes that after the victory the government would release Subhash to honour the people’s mandate. But it was not to be. The British authorities had little respect for the mandate of the natives. Subhash continued to languish in jail.
In desperation Subhash went on hunger strike. He grew very weak and became prone to diseases.
The winter arrived and Subhash fell ill. He was running fever. His condition aggravated. Some doctors examined him and declared that Subhash could properly be treated only outside jail in home conditions. The advice of the doctors was rejected by the authorities.
Meanwhile, one day Subhash had some altercation with the superintendent of the jail. It made his release more difficult. But luckily for Subhash the officer was transferred.
The new superintendent was considerate and sympathetic to Subhash. He recommended shifting of Subhash to some salubrious place for treatment. It was decided to shift Subhash to Almora Jail situated in the hills of U.P.
Subhash was accordingly put on a Calcutta bound ship. He was off loaded on the way by the authorities in a conspiracy bid to keep Subhash out of the country. He was put through a medical check up. The report was submitted to the Governor who was residing at Darjeeling. Contrary to the expectations of the authorities the Governor ordered the immediate release of Subhash as soon as he read the report.
He was released on 16th May, 1927 after being kept in prison for 2½ years without trial.
The situation in the country was no good. His Swaraj Party was in bad shape. Its image was no more clean. The society was in the throes of gruesome communal carnage. Hindu-Muslim relations were never so worse. Gandhiji had come out of jail and secluded himself into Harijan upliftment programmes.
All the progressive elements of the Congress party had been converted into socialists. For the socialists the capitalism was as odious as colonialism. The British government hated them.
This was the scenario when Subhash was released. His arrival in Calcutta filled the people with a new hope. The young people were elated. Now they could hope for deliverance from the mood of frustration and despair. Subhash didn’t disappoint them. He rallied the Congressmen to continue the struggle against the colonial rulers. The readers must note here that then the Congress party was like a big family. When the dissidents broke away to form Swaraj Party it didn’t mean that they severed all relationships with the parent party. They still functioned as a part of the Congress albeit a separate groups within the large framework of Congress. The groups freely used workers of one another.
In December, 1927 Congress held its annual session at Madras. Subhash and Jawahar Lal Nehru were elected to the posts of the general secretaries of the party. Jawahar Lal Nehru also belonged to the socialist group. The two became a united force.
That was the period when revolutionaries had regrouped to form ‘Hindustan Republican Association’ in 1924. Shortly later Chandra-shekhar Azad and Sardar Bhagat Singh joined this outfit. The group looted a train at Kakori on 9th August, 1925 that was carrying government treasury with the aim of raising funds. The government hit back and most of the members of the raiding party were nabbed. Many of them were hanged. It incapacitated the outfit. Only one of the raiding party to escape the dragnet of the police was Chandra Shekhar Azad. Bhagat Singh had not taken part in the raid. Later the two got together and resurrected the organisation under a new banner called ‘Indian Socialist Republican Army’ with Azad as its commander-in-chief.
The socialist leaders of the Congress had soft corner for the revolutionary groups and admired their spirit of sacrifice. Although they did not believe that the independence could be won through armed battle against the British.
Subhash was trying to rally the young aggressive elements of the Congress to force the party to adopt more challenging postures.
A seven member group of Englishmen called ‘Simon Commission’ had arrived in India to review the administrative reforms. It was headed by Sir John Simon. There was no Indian on its panel. It was a great betrayal against the people of India as earlier it was promised that half of the members of the commission would be of Indian origin.
The Congress gave a call to the countrymen to boycott Simon Commission. Subhash and Jawahar Lal set out to arouse the countrymen against the commission. The people rose up in answer to the call of the young leaders.
The Simon Commission was greeted with black flags and the slogans of ‘Simon go back’ wherever it went. The young leaders went to cities and the towns to deliver speeches against the Simion Commission.
In May, 1928 Subhash went to Sabarmati Ashram to meet Gandhiji to request him to provide the leadership to a nationwide agitation against the alien rulers as the time was ripe. He knew that only Gandhiji could rally the country behind him. But their talks did not succeed and the differences remained.
In one of his earlier comments Subhash had said that the young generation should not stay content with handing over the responsibilities to old leaders. It should take the initiatives. He was also of the opinion that the soft policies and the philosophy of leaders like Arbindo Ghosh and Gandhiji were creating dangerous situations in the country. On the other hand Gandhiji thought that Subhash was trying to push the Congress party on the path of militancy.
Jawahar Lal Nehru got a resolution passed in the Congress session demanding total freedom for India from the British rule. A sub-committee had been set up to prepare the framework of the constitution for India under the chairmanship of Moti Lal Nehru. The report submitted by it was called ‘Nehru Report’. It envisaged continuance of the colonial rule and zamindari rights. The independence sought was within that frame work.
The report shocked Jawahar Lal Nehru and Subhash Bose. They were for total freedom from the British rule. In protest against the report they even threatened to resign if the amendments suggested by them were not passed. To their anguish the amendments got rejected.
The differences between old leaders and the socialist block were increasing.
Subhash was hell bent on direct confrontation with the British. He had given military training to thousands of Congress workers. Infact, one day he came to the Congress session with his uniformed army and he himself was in the dress of the Commander-in-Chief.
Gandhiji didn’t like it. He made fun of Subhash’s exercise by calling it ‘Burtross Mill’s Circus’. The people of Bengal did not like it. There were sharp critical reactions.
Meanwhile during anti-Simon Commission protest at Lahore Lala Lajpat Rai received lathi blows unleashed by the police officer Sanders. The injuries took Lalaji’s life.
In a revenge act Bhagat Singh and Rajguru shot Sanders to death. Chandra Shekhar Azad and Sukhdev helped in getaway during which a police constable was shot dead by the former. All the revolutionary youth managed to escape.
Later, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw bombs and pamphlets in the Assembly Hall of Delhi to protest against Public Safety Bill and Industrial Disputes Bill. They got arrested and had to face ‘Sanders Killing’ charge also in which Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were sentenced to death.
Meanwhile, in the company of Subhash Jawahar Lal Nehru had become confirmed leftist. The militant elements were gaining upperhand in the Congress. It was not to the liking of Gandhiji and the old guards. Jawahar Lal was Gandhiji protege. So, his joining the opposite camp was worrisome. Gandhiji very cleverly got Jawahar Lal Nehru elected to the post of the president of the party and got him clubbed with the old leaders.
As anticipated, it created desired distance between Subhash and Jawahar Lal. The former was forced to fend for himself.
On 31st October, 1929 the Viceroy announced ‘Colonial Self-rule’ for India. The Congress party officially welcomed it. Subhash Bose condemned the announcement as he thought that it was against the interests of workers, farmers and the poor.
On 26th January, 1930 Subhash formed his own ‘Congress Democratic Party’.
Meanwhile, Gandhiji wanted to workout a pact with the Viceroy Lord Irvin to implement ‘Nehru Report’ and to get all the political workers freed who were languishing in jails for taking part in various movements.
The revolutionaries were against the pact.
Jatindas went on hunger strike in jail against the pact. He died after 64 days of the strike. Revolutionaries tried to blast the train in which Lord Irvin was travelling. Lord Irvin escaped unhurt. Gandhiji congratulated Lord Irvin.
In his newspaper, Gandhiji blacked out the news of the death of Jatindas but gave lead story treatment to the escape of Lord Irvin in the bomb blast. It made Subhash very angry and he bitterly criticized the attitude of Gandhiji. Other Congress leaders also disapproved the act of Gandhiji. But they had no option but stay with him because only he could keep the party together.
1929 was a bad year. The world was passing through a period of great economic recession. It affected India as well. The farmers and workers were in pitiable situation. They were starving. Subhash prepared them for a political battle. Fifty thousand workers took out a procession when Congress session was held in Calcutta.
Congress Democratic Party of the Subhash was gaining great popularity amongst the people. Its aim was to liberate India from the British.
Not to be left behind the Congress Party also decided to celebrate 26th January, 1930 as the Independence Day.
On 23rd January, 1930 a procession was taken out under the leadership of Subhash Bose. They were observing that day as ‘All India Sufferers Day’. The authorities were annoyed with Subhash because he was creating unrest amongst the industrial workers and farmers.
Subhash was arrested on the same day, tried and sentenced to one year imprisonment.
One day, a clash between the prisoners and the Central Jail authorities took place over some issue. There was some physical violence. Subhash was gravely injured.
He remained unconscious for an hour without any medical help or attention. Some caluminous authorities even spread the rumour of his demise. He was at last released in the month of September.
Soon after his release Subhash again set out on a countrywide tour to rally the countrymen against the British rule.
Meanwhile Gandhiji was leading ‘Civil Disobedience Movement.’ The government arrested him on 5th May, 1930. Through an ordinance Congress was declared unlawful and its properties were confiscated. Martial Law was enforced on the country and even wearing Gandhi cap became an offence.
On 26th January, 1931 Gandhiji was released on health grounds. On the same day Subhash was leading an anti-government procession in Calcutta. The police lathi charged on the procession. The policemen paid special attention to Subhash. Two of his fingers got fractured. He was kept in Lal Bazaar police station for hours without any medical help. Then, he was tried and given six month jail sentence.
On 5th March, 1931 Gandhi-Irvin Pact was signed.
Subhash called it ‘A curse’.
It was hoped that there would be some relief for the revolutionaries in the pact. But there was none. Gandhiji had no sympathy for the militants as he thought that they were terrorists involved in murders, bombings and other kinds of violence. He could not compromise on his principle of non-violence.
Then, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were hanged. The nation was plunged in grief. Many people accused Gandhiji for not doing anything for the young revolutionaries although it was irrational because Gandhiji always made it clear that he would not defend any act of violence. Anyway the young generation was angry.
Congress session held at Karachi was for the purpose of giving assent to Gandhi-Irvin Pact. When Gandhiji alighted from train at Karachi the youth greeted him with black flags.
Subhash Bose was also heading towards Karachi to attend the session. He screamed in anguish when he got the news of the hangings of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru while in the train. At Karachi he was given a rousing welcome.
Subhash was a known sympathiser of the revolutionaries. The physical sufferings at the hands of the British had pushed him emotionally closer to the revolutionaries who were also the victims of the British tyranny. He was elected President of the ‘Young India Forum’ which organised All India Youth Conference. In his speech Subhash Bose condemned the Gandhi- Irvin Pact and passed vitriolic remarks against the policies of Gandhiji. He openly demanded full freedom for India and hoped that after the independence the country would become a socialist republic. Subhash paid glowing tributes to the revolutionary martyrs Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdav, Chandrashekhar Azad, Ramprasad Bismil, Rajendra Lahiri, Roshan Singh and Ashfaq Ullah Khan.
On 1st January, 1932 Civil Disobedience Movement was relaunched.
On 2nd January, Subhash Bose was arrested. And on 4th January Gandhiji and Sardar Patel were taken into custody. Other Congress leaders and workers were also being arrested in large numbers. Inspite of these arrests the movement was going on unhindered. It pleased Subhash.
On 17th August, 1932 British Prime Minister announced ‘Communal Award’ according to which the Harijans were to be recognised as the separate constituency. It angered Gandhiji. He undertook ‘Fast unto death’ against the Award. It put brakes on the Civil Disobedience Movement. It made Subhash literally sick.
The authorities used his illness as an excuse to remove Subhash from the Indian scene by sending him to Europe for treatment. On 23rd February, 1933 Subhash was put on a ship.
