Skip to main content

Remembering Subhash Chandra Bose for his stand for religious harmony

By Harasankar Adhikari 

Subhas Chandra Bose, a great hero, a charismatic leader, a ‘patriot of patriots’ of mother India, and also a great socio-political thinker, developed a deeply religious and spiritual frame of mind. He was deeply in love with Hindu scriptures from his early childhood. His religious and spiritual tendencies were modified and strengthened by the teachings of Ramkrishna Paramahansa and Vivekananda. 
He was a believer in God. At the time of the declaration of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind, he took the oath, "In the name of God, I take this sacred oath to liberate India and the thirty-eight crores of my countrymen. I, Subhas Chandra Bose, will continue the sacred war of freedom till the last breath of my life." When he was taken over the direct command of the I.N.A. on August 26, 1943, he said, "I pray that God may give me the necessary strength to fulfill my duty to Indians, under all circumstances, however difficult or trying they may be." In his address to the Indian National Army in Singapore, he said, "May God now bless our army and grant us victory in the coming fight."
Subhas Chandra Bose accepted the Upanishadic concept of 'Tyaga' and applied the ideal of renunciation for self-realization to work eternally for the benefit of the country and its toiling masses. Further, he was a secularist with an attitude of impartiality towards all religions. He thought that the government of Free India must have an absolutely neutral and impartial attitude towards all religions. It would be the choice of every individual to profess or follow a particular religion of his faith. According to him, religion is a private affair; it cannot be made an affair of the state. He opined that economic issues are the cause of communal divisions and barriers because nation-wide freedom struggles resulted in psychological metamorphism on the political front. The Hindus, Muslims, and other sections of India were affected by multifarious deformities of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and so forth. A democratic government would have a direct right to participate and an indirect right to criticize to solve the political problem.
Shah Nawaz Khan commented that there were no religious or provincial differences among Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh soldiers in the Indian National Army. They were united enough to realize that they were sons of the same motherland. In his unfinished autobiography, 'An Indian Pilgrim', he remarked, "I was lucky, however, that the environment in which I grew up was on the whole conducive to the broadening of my mind." From his autobiography, we might quote, " In fact, I cannot remember even having looked upon Muslims as different from ourselves in any way except that they go to pray in mosques." As a true disciple of Swami Vivekananda, he realized that the progress of India would be possible with the uplift of the downtrodden and the so-called untouchables, who constitute the very essence of our society. The leadership of Subhas Chandra Bose was an example of the spirit of unity, faith, and sacrifice, with the sole objective of liberating Mother India.
After seven and a half decades of independence, this nation has been suffering from communal divisions because of political politics. Religion has become a tramp card for hate politics.
Will our political leaders rectify themselves on the 127th birth day, just after the day of “Pran Pratistha” at the Rama Temple in Ayodhya? It would be a great tribute to Bose, the unforgotten leader of India.

Comments

TRENDING

70,000 migrants, sold on Canadian dream, face uncertain future: Canada reinvents the xenophobic wheel

By Saurav Sarkar*  Bikram Singh is running out of time on his post-study work visa in Canada. Singh is one of about 70,000 migrants who were sold on the Canadian dream of eventually making the country their home but now face an uncertain future with their work permits set to expire by December 2024. They came from places like India, China, and the Philippines, and sold their land and belongings in their home countries, took out loans, or made other enormous commitments to get themselves to Canada.

Defeat of martial law: Has the decisive moment for change come in South Korea?

By Steven Lee  Late at night on December 3, soldiers stormed into South Korea’s National Assembly in armored vehicles and combat helicopters. Assembly staff desperately blocked their assault with fire extinguishers and barricades. South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol had just declared martial law to “ eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces .”

Govt of India asked to work for release of 217 Indian fishermen detained in Pakistan since 2021

By A Representative  Members of the fishing communities from Gujarat and Diu, Union Territory, held a press conference in Ahmedabad, urging the Union Government to take proactive measures to secure the release of Indian fishermen currently detained in Pakistan. Presently, 217 Indian fishermen, mostly from Gujarat and Diu, are held in Pakistan’s Malir Jail. Of these, 53 have been incarcerated since 2021 and 130 since 2022.

This book examines dialectics of complex caste and class relationship

By Harsh Thakor*  In Caste and Revolution by N. Ravi, the author addresses questions raised by Dalit and Bahujan intellectuals inspired by revolutionary parties. These questions center on caste issues and seek to formulate a profound diagnosis to chart a path toward the annihilation of caste. The book explains how caste-based feudalism and comprador bureaucratic capitalism intertwine to perpetuate the caste system. It asserts that only the path of a New Democratic Revolution can eradicate caste. The book delves into the need for an equal position for oppressed castes in all layers of society to abolish caste discrimination and oppression. It offers an analytical diagnosis, a penetrating navigation, and a detailed account of the dialectics of caste and class across diverse spheres. Annihilation of Caste and the New Democratic Revolution A revolutionary party develops a perspective document on the caste question, integrating its understanding of caste and the program for caste annih...

How Amit Shah's statement on Ambedkar reflects frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion, empowerment

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  Dr. B.R. Ambedkar remains the liberator and emancipator of India’s oppressed communities. However, attempts to box him between two Brahmanical political parties betray a superficial and self-serving understanding of his legacy. The statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha was highly objectionable, reflecting the frustration of those uncomfortable with Dalit assertion and empowerment.

Balod tech fest tests students’ interest in innovative ideas in the fields of science, engineering, start-ups

By A Representative  A techno fest scheduled on December 20 and 21 in Balod district of Chhattisgarh will test the innovative ideas of school students in the fields of science, engineering and start-ups.  For this two-day fest organised at Maheswari Bhawan of the district, a total of 824 models made by students were initially registered. Out of those, a selection committee chose 200 models from several schools spread over five blocks of Balod. These will be on display on these two days from 10am to 4.30pm. Out of many ideas, one of the most interesting models is a smart glove which can be used by children with impairments and disabilities. For those who cannot speak at all or have speech difficulty, they can ask for help from caregivers by pressing their fingers on the glove after wearing it. This will attract attention. 

प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के दोहन करने की प्रतिस्पर्धा: बढ़ रही पर्यावरणीय और सामाजिक चुनौतियां

- राज कुमार सिन्हा  प्राकृतिक संसाधनों और कॉमन्स, जैसे सामुदायिक भूमि, वन, चारागाह और जल निकाय स्थानीय समुदायों के लिए महत्वपूर्ण हैं जो इन संसाधनों पर निर्भर हैं और उनके सतत् उपयोग एवं संरक्षण के लिए पीढ़ियों से प्रयासरत हैं। कॉमन्स न केवल हमारी पारिस्थितिकी को संतुलित रखते हैं, बल्कि ग्रामीण आजीविका, जैव विविधता, और जलवायु अनुकूलन के लिए भी महत्वपूर्ण हैं। दुर्भाग्यवश, हर साल इन संसाधनों में 4% की कमी आ रही है, जिससे पर्यावरणीय और सामाजिक चुनौतियां बढ़ रही हैं। इन कॉमन्स के संरक्षण और पुनरुद्धार के लिए दीर्घकालीन योजना पर कार्य करने की आवश्यकता है। जिससे एक बेहतर, समान और टिकाऊ भविष्य का निर्माण हो सके।

Sylvester Clarke: The forgotten force of West Indies fast bowling

By Harsh Thakor*  December 4th marked the 25th anniversary of Sylvester Clarke's untimely death due to a heart attack at the age of 45, just weeks after the passing of Malcolm Marshall. This year also commemorated what would have been his 70th birthday on December 11.

Local businessman subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse: Demand for accountability, justice

By Kirity Roy* On October 9, 2024, a disturbing incident of harassment and abuse took place in the Swarupnagar Block of North 24 Parganas district, involving a local businessman, Hasanur Gazi, who was subjected to physical assault, verbal abuse, and religious discrimination by a Border Security Force (BSF) constable. The incident, which occurred at the Hakimpur Checkpost, has raised serious concerns about the safety and dignity of citizens living in border areas, especially those belonging to religious minorities.

બેટ દ્વારકામાં માત્ર મુસ્લિમ ઘરો અને ધાર્મિક સ્થળો પર બુલડોઝર કાર્યવાહી: તાત્કાલિક રોકવાની માંગ

- પ્રતિનિધિ   દ્વારા   બેટ દ્વારકામાં મુસ્લિમ સમુદાયના ઘરો અને ધાર્મિક સ્થળો પર તંત્ર દ્વારા થયેલી બુલડોઝર કાર્યવાહી સામે સામાજિક આગેવાનો અને નાગરિકોમાં ભારે વિરોધ જોવા મળી રહ્યો છે. સ્થાનિકોમાંથી કેટલાક દ્વારા ગુજરાતના મુખ્યમંત્રીને લેખિતમાં રજૂઆત કરવામાં આવી છે, જેમાં આ કાર્યવાહી તાત્કાલિક રોકવાની માંગ ઉઠાવવામાં આવી છે.