Shyama Prasad Mukherjee 'ignored': Why India's rulers try to appropriate Netaji legacy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*
“Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose would have been truly proud of India and its military might”, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a programme organised to commemorate his 125th birth anniversary, which falls next year, 2022. But then the current regime is 'expert' in political profit and loss. Leaders acquire importance in accordance with their 'public image value'.
It is indeed ironic that the Hindu right is trying to grab the legacy of Netaji and his Azad Hind Fauj, whose composition reflects how he was proud of India's multicultural, multiethnic heritage. Yet, the right-wing is glorifying him without reading and understanding his work and ideas. This is how the Brahminical elite seeks to appropriate every icon, cleverly sidestepping progressive ideas.
The right-wing did it with Dr BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. But somehow they failed because the ideological legacy of both of them has been very powerful and fascinating to ignore. Those who know the real contribution of these leaders have successfully rebuffed government attempt to use their name for political end.
As for Netaji, historians feet a bit shy because of his association with the German and Japanese fascists. The fact is, Netaji’s efforts to mobilise support from Germany and Japan at that time was purely for the sake of liberating India, as he felt strongly about the British exploitation of India. His differences with the Congress leadership or even communist leader MN Roy became evident when he opposed their support for the war efforts against fascists, as he felt these parties and leaders were compromising.
However, Netaji’s book 'The Indian Struggle 1920-1934’ is a great representation of his ideas about India. In this book, he asked VD Savarkar and MA Jinnah to leave their political association with the British and instead join hand with him in the struggle for independent India. However, both refused.
Even when Netaji took support from the Japanese to liberate India to counter the British power, it is important to understand his idea about India. He genuinely felt that the Congress was not speaking about the honourable release of those Indians who were incarcerating in the jail for their act of 'militancy'.
Among them, he mentioned the heroic Garhwalis (of the Garhwal Rifles fame) who did not fire upon their own fellow countrymen simply because they happened to be Muslims. It is strange that the Congress leadership, including Gandhiji, refused to speak for them.
The most interesting part of Netaji's idea of India is his insistence that all privileges, distinctions and vested interests would need to be abolished to bring social, economic and political equality. He emphasised, a free India will not be a land of capitalists, landlords and castes. Free India will be social, economic and political democracy, he said. He also spoke about depressed classes and their representation.

Hindu right is trying to grab the legacy of Netaji and his Azad Hind Fauj, whose composition reflects how he was proud of India's multicultural, multiethnic heritage

Will today’s rulers read Netaji, especially his ideological leanings, and not worship his military uniform? The problem with them is that they are against socialism and equality, and worship 'weaponisation' and 'militarism'. How would Netaji be proud when people are being divided and segmented? How would he see a community being targeted just because of its identity? How would he feel farmers committing suicide and being termed as anti-national?
Azad Hind Radio reflected India's diversity. It used to broadcast its messages in Hindi, English, Bangla, Telugu, Tamil and Pashto. Will today’s rulers stop imposing Hindi and respect diversity of different languages of India?

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee

It is amusing to see Hindutva votaries seeking to grab Netaji’s image in Bengal while completely ignoring Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, one of their top ideological mentors from Bengal. Let the BJP seek vote in the name of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in Bengal and find out how much support will they get. They must know: Netaji is an icon of inclusive India and one can’t use him for divisive ideas and actions.
Indeed, Netaji’s 'Jai Hind' was the salutation for an ideal, modern India which consists of all communities, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, others. Those who speak about unilateralism can’t claim the legacy of the man who was completely modern and felt India will only be strengthened by encouraging scientific thinking, fair representation of all, including peasants, depressed classes, trade unions etc.
Netaji favoured intellectual discourse. It is time one studies and disseminates his ideological legacy among common people to understand what kind of India he wanted. This is the only way one can counter those who are trying to use him for their ulterior motives.
---
*Human rights defender

Comments

Anonymous said…

Election time in Bengal. You name it the BJP will say it as long as it helps them win elections.

January 25, 2021

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog