Subhas Chandra Bose; 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945 was an Indian nationalist whose defiant patriotism made him a hero in India, but whose attempt during World War II to rid India of British rule with the help of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan left a troubled legacy. The honorific Netaji (Hindustani: "Respected Leader"), first applied to Bose in Germany in early 1942 by the Indian soldiers of the Indische Legion and by the German and Indian officials in the Special Bureau for India in Berlin, was later used throughout India.

1. 23 January 1897 - 18
August 1945

2. - सुभाष चंद्र बोस 'नेताजी'

3. Subhas Chandra Bose was one of the illustrious sons
of India. He was born on January 23rd, 1897 in
Cuttack.
His father was a leading lawyer and he came form a
well-to-do family.
Subhas Chandra Bose was a brilliant student at
school. He was well build and physically strong.
Passing his matriculation examination from Cuttack,
he joined the Presidency College, Calcutta where he
passed his degree examination.
Later he went to England and studied at Cambridge.
He sat for the I.C.S. examination and came out
successful.

4. He was appointed as Presidency Magistrate, Calcutta
(now Kolkata), and a post which no Indian occupied
earlier. Subhas Chandra Bose came under the spell
of Swami Vivekananda, even as a student at school.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ramakrishnan Paramahamsa,
Sri Aurobindo and Tagore also influenced the shaping
of mystic idealism in Subhas Chandra Bose.
He developed faith in God, which stood un-wavered
till the last.
The freedom movement had already taken its roots in
India under the leadership of great leaders like Tilak,
Gokhale and Gandhiji. Subhas Chandra Bose was a
born rebel and never tolerated injustice.

5. It is said that he once beat a European Professor and
was punished for it.
It was natural for this born rebel to get attracted by
the freedom movement.
He resigned from I.C.S. and joined the freedom
struggle where he proved to be an uncompromising
revolutionary.
After Frits World War, the Imperial British rule in India
was challenged by Congress.
Leaders like Mahatma Gandhi believed in the path of
non-violence, non-cooperation and civil disobedience.
Subhas Chandra Bose believed in the saying ‘Sword
for Sword’ in the fight against British.

7. Subhas Chandra Bose was elected as President of
the India National Congress at Tripura.
As he could not agree with the views of Gandhiji he
resigned from the President-ship of the Indian
National Congress and organized the Forward Block
in 1939.
In September, 1939, the Second World Was broke
out. Subhas Chandra Bose was arrested by the
British government along with many other Congress
leaders in July, 1940 under the Defense of India
Rules.
Subhas Chandra Bose undertook a fast unto death in
the prison against continued detention.

8. He was released but interned in his residence with
round the clock vigil.
Bose nevertheless escaped in January 1941 and
reached Berlin in April 1941 travelling through
Peshawar, Kabul and Moscow.
His purpose in going to Berlin was to enlist the help
and support of Hitler for the freedom struggle in India.
That was sot easy. Bose submitted a memorandum
explaining his cause to the German ruler, Adolf Hitler.
But it was only the fiery personality of Bose and his
un-wavering conviction of purpose that ultimately
made Hitler to agree to his proposal.

10. Subhas Chandra Bose knew that there were many
Indians in exile in Germany. Many Indian prisoners of
was captured by Axis powers in North Africa were
brought to Germany.
There were a few eminent Indians like Habibur
Rehman. W.G. Ganapuley, N.G. Swamy, M.R. Vyas
and A.C.N. Nambiar whom Bose could gather
together.
With their assistance Bose established a Free India
Centre in November 1941. This centre gave birth to
Azad Hind Movement.
The Azad Hind Movement gave to us the war cry ‘Jai
Hind’ which is now adopted by us as an Indian form of
greeting.

12. Bose received the title “Netaji” during this time.
Netaji with the help and cooperation of Indian youth and
prisoners of war in Germany raised the ‘Indian Legion’ a
national militia to struggle for India’s freedom.
He christened the Legion as “Azad Hind Fauz”. The
Legion was trained by the German Army in various fields
of war.
In India, the Quit India Movement was started in August
1942.
The Japanese were making advance against Allied
Forces in Far East.
The Japanese were advancing towards Burma and it was
occupied in March, 1942.

13. These events forced a change of strategy and plan.
The Japanese considered that Netaji presence in the
Far Fast may be helpful Rash Bihari Bose, a
revolutionary for the transference of Netaji from
Europe to Asia.
Leaving the command of Azad Hind Fauz in the
hands of A.C.N. Nambiar, Netaji left Germany on his
onward journey to Japan.
He covered the 25,000 Kms. By see route. By then,
Rash Behari Bose had established, in September
1941, the Indian National Army (INA) with the help of
Captain Mohan Singh and others.

14. The arrival of Netaji gave added impetus to Indian
National Army.
Netaji organized the I.N.A. and the number went up to
30,000 men.
A women’s regiment was also raised in the name of
Rani Jhansi regiment. The I.N.A. formed a separate
unit with a command of its own and functioned in the
battle field along with Japanese.
The Indian National Army, in its struggle for freedom,
attacked India from the side of Assam.
The Arkhan and Imphal battles were not successful.

15. There was dearth of provisions.
The monsoon added to their difficulties.
 So the bold attempt made by Netaji to win freedom
by force could not succeed.
The attack unnerved the British. They realize that
they cannot thereafter rely on Indian Army to defend
British rule in India.
This change of mind helped India to achieve
Independence much earlier. Netaji was not to accept
defeat. He planned to go to Russia to fight for
freedom from there.
But destiny willed otherwise.

17. He was last seen on August 17, 1945.
Later it was heard that the plane in which he travelled
had crashed.
His centenary birthday celebrations wee held all over
India on January 23rd 1997.
Netaji was a passionate lover of peace and he had
immense faith in spirituality.
The following words of his address to the men of his
army testify the same.

18. “I cannot give you anything but hunger, hardship and
death. Give me your life. I promise freedom to you”.
“A true soldier needs both military and spiritual
training”.
The I.N.A. instilled the spirit of patriotism in us by its
flag song.
“Vijay Viswa Tiranga Pyara”, “Jhanda Ucha Rahe
Hamara”.
Netaji died as a martyr serving the cause of Mother
India and no Indian can afford to forget this great
leader of our Nation.

19. [Netaji Resignation Letter to ICS, Indian Civil Service]

23. - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose