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Dec

Dec 30: The Day India Was First Declared Independent

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Subhash Chandra Bose, first called Netaji by the soldiers of his Indian National Army (INA), was one of the greatest leaders of India’s glorious freedom struggle for liberation from British colonial rule. His armed resistance against the British rule was a culmination of the process that had started with the first war of independence, which was waged in 1857, nearly 85 years before Netaji Subhash Bose’s battle cry tum mujhe khoon do mai thumae Azadi dooga ( you give me your blood, I will give you freedom).

After the dawn of the 20th century if Mahrishi Arbindo raised the conscience of our society, Mahatma Gandhi woke up a sleeping national, Jawaharlal Nehru gave it a sense of history and modern outlook, Sardar Patel gave it political unity and administrative acumen and Maulana Azad a scholarly disposition and need for a multiculturism, Subhash Bose gave the country a rare verve and courage to take on the mightiest in the world in pursuit of freedom and dignified life. His lofty idealism not only inspired the youth of his time but is a source of constant encouragement for the youth everywhere who show courage to fight the oppressive status quo and suppression of the weak and disadvantaged sections of a society anywhere in the world.

Any grateful nation respects and remembers its great leaders. We do it for our leaders like Netaji Subhash Bose. But such remembrance is generally done on the birth and death anniversaries of the leaders when people recall the contributions and sacrifices of their heroes. People remember that  Netaji Bose was born on  January 23. However, few of us can recall that on December 30, he declared India’s independence from British rule after his Indian National Army (INA) liberated part of India from the British yoke. The month of December thus became the symbol of hope for our nation, which was rising from a deep slumber.

Subhash Chandra Bose, popularly known as Netaji, was among the greatest leaders of India’s freedom struggle, symbolising courage, sacrifice, and revolutionary zeal against British colonial rule. His armed resistance through the Indian National Army marked the culmination of a long legacy of resistance that began in 1857. While other leaders shaped India’s conscience, unity, and modern outlook, Netaji inspired unmatched bravery and determination to confront imperial power.
Obvious and Offbeat
By Pradeep Mathur
Beyond his birth anniversary on January 23, his historic declaration of India’s independence on December 30, after the INA liberated parts of Indian territory, remains lesser known but deeply significant. Post-independence, India has progressed remarkably despite starting as a divided and impoverished nation. However, the article notes a moral decline marked by greed, social divisions, and loss of idealism. Remembering Netaji’s values, the author argues, is essential to restoring the nation’s moral soul and true greatness.

Since our Independence in 1947, our country has made good progress in many areas. The British had left us divided and squeezed our resources, leaving us virtually pauperised. After independence, our leaders, administrators and professionals engaged themselves in the task of nation-building, with the result that today we are among the top five countries of the world in almost all spheres. We are also to be grateful to this great son of India, Netaji Subhash Bose, for all that we have achieved today.

No doubt we have made impressive progress in many areas, but in the process, something is fundamentally lacking somewhere. The greed, rat race to grab more, scramble to capture positions of power,  lack of empathy for the poor and needy, caste and communal prejudices, social conflicts and a generally low moral fibre characterise our present-day society. As our philosopher-President, Dr Radhakrishnan, has said, “ everything is right with the body, but the soul is missing.

Therefore, there is a pressing need to remember Netaji Bose and recall his supreme sacrifice and tell our people that idealism is not something to be laughed at and considered utopian but is an essential ingredient to make a country really great in deed and not merely in words.

December and January are such months of birth and death anniversaries of many big leaders who have made their contribution to building our country in various ways. Let us remember and pay our tributes to Netaji Subhash Bose during this time. (Prof Pradeep Mathur is editor-in-chief of Media Map News Network).

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