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The Life Story of Subhash Chandra Bose: From Birth to Death

Early Life and Family Background

Subhash Chandra Bose, popularly known as Netaji, was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Odisha (then Orissa, under British India). He was the ninth child in a family of 14 siblings, born to Janakinath Bose, a prominent and wealthy Bengali lawyer who held the title of Rai Bahadur, and Prabhavati Devi, a devout housewife. His family was from a Kayastha caste and had strong ties to public service and nationalism. Growing up in a well-educated household, Bose was influenced by the patriotic environment, with his elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose also becoming a key figure in the freedom struggle. From a young age, Bose showed signs of brilliance and rebellion, encountering racial discrimination at his Anglo-Indian school in Cuttack, which fueled his nationalist sentiments.

Young Subhash Chandra Bose in Cuttack

Education and Influences

Bose received his early education at the Protestant European School (now Stewart School) in Cuttack, where he excelled academically. In 1909, he joined Ravenshaw Collegiate School and later enrolled at Presidency College in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1913. However, he was expelled in 1916 for participating in nationalist activities against British rule. He then transferred to Scottish Church College, from where he graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1918. At age 16, Bose was deeply inspired by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, which instilled in him a blend of spirituality and nationalism. To prepare for the Indian Civil Service (ICS), his parents sent him to Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, in England, where he passed the ICS exam in 1920 with a high rank. Despite this success, Bose resigned in April 1921, rejecting British service to dedicate himself to India's independence.

Subhash Chandra Bose during his time at Cambridge

Entry into the Freedom Struggle

Upon returning to India in 1921, Bose joined the Indian National Congress and became a devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi, participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement. Gandhi advised him to work under Chittaranjan Das, a prominent Bengali leader, under whom Bose served as a youth educator, journalist, and commandant of the Bengal Congress volunteers. In 1921, he was imprisoned for the first of many times for his anti-British activities. By 1924, he was appointed chief executive officer of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation when Das became mayor. His radical views led to his deportation to Mandalay Prison in Burma in 1924. Released in 1927, Bose strengthened the Bengal Congress and was elected president of the All India Youth Congress in 1928. He co-founded the newspaper Forward and aligned with Jawaharlal Nehru in the left-wing faction of Congress, advocating for complete independence (Purna Swaraj).

Subhash Chandra Bose with Mahatma Gandhi

Leadership in the Indian National Congress

Bose's rise in Congress was meteoric. He was elected general secretary in 1929 and worked closely with Nehru. In 1930, after his release from prison, he became Mayor of Calcutta. He was re-elected general secretary in 1931. Bose visited Europe in the mid-1930s, meeting Indian expatriates and leaders like Benito Mussolini, which broadened his political outlook. He was elected President of the Indian National Congress in 1938 at Haripura and again in 1939 at Tripuri, defeating Gandhi's preferred candidate, Pattabhi Sitaramayya. However, ideological differences with Gandhi over non-violence and strategy led to conflicts. Bose resigned in 1939 after Gandhi's followers refused to join his working committee, prompting him to form the All India Forward Bloc in May 1939 as a leftist faction within Congress to push for radical independence and socialist reforms.

Subhash Chandra Bose as Congress President in 1938

World War II, Exile, and the Indian National Army (INA)

As World War II began, Bose saw an opportunity in the global conflict. Arrested in July 1940 for anti-British speeches, he began a hunger strike and was placed under house arrest. In a daring escape in January 1941, disguised as a Pathan, Bose fled Calcutta, traveled via Kabul to Moscow, and reached Germany. There, he sought support from Adolf Hitler, forming the Indian Legion from Indian prisoners of war. Disillusioned with Germany's priorities, Bose left for Japan in 1943 via a German U-boat. In Singapore, he took over the Indian Independence League from Rash Behari Bose and revived the Indian National Army (INA or Azad Hind Fauj), originally formed in 1942. Comprising about 40,000-45,000 soldiers from Indian POWs and expatriates in Southeast Asia, the INA allied with Japan to fight British forces. Bose's famous slogan, "Give me blood, and I will give you freedom" (Tum Mujhe Khoon Do, Main Tumhe Azadi Dunga), inspired the troops. He proclaimed the Provisional Government of Free India in October 1943 in Singapore, declaring war on Britain and the USA, and hoisted the Indian tricolor in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Netaji addressing INA soldiers in Singapore

Military Campaigns and Defeat

Under Bose's command, the INA launched offensives in 1944, advancing into Northeast India. They captured parts of Manipur and hoisted the flag at Moirang in April 1944, marking the first foreign invasion of British India by Indians. However, the campaigns at Imphal and Kohima failed due to supply issues, harsh weather, and British-Allied counterattacks. By mid-1944, the INA retreated to Burma amid Japan's declining fortunes in the war. Bose reorganized the forces, emphasizing discipline and unity with slogans like "Delhi Chalo" and "Jai Hind," which later became national symbols. Despite initial successes, the INA's defeat in early 1945, coupled with Japan's surrender after atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, marked the end of the military phase. The INA trials in 1945-46 sparked massive protests in India, accelerating the freedom movement by exposing British vulnerabilities.

INA hoisting the flag at Moirang, 1944

Death and Controversy

Subhash Chandra Bose reportedly died on August 18, 1945, at age 48, from third-degree burns sustained in a plane crash in Taihoku (now Taipei), Taiwan, while en route from Japanese-occupied Manchuria to Tokyo. The overloaded Japanese bomber crashed shortly after takeoff, killing Bose and others. His ashes were enshrined at Renkōji Temple in Tokyo. However, his death has been shrouded in mystery and conspiracy theories. Many Indians, especially in Bengal, refused to believe it, fueled by earlier false reports of his death. Theories suggest he survived, escaped to the Soviet Union, or lived incognito as a sadhu in India. Official inquiries, including the 1956 Shah Nawaz Committee and 1974 Khosla Commission, confirmed the plane crash, but the 2006 Mukherjee Commission ruled that Bose did not die in the crash and that the ashes were not his. The Indian government rejected the latter findings, and declassified files continue to spark debates. Despite this, Bose's legacy endures as a symbol of unyielding patriotism.

Renkōji Temple in Tokyo, where Bose's ashes are enshrined

Legacy and Honors

Subhash Chandra Bose's contributions inspired India's independence in 1947, proving that armed resistance could pressure the British. His socialist vision influenced post-independence policies, and the INA trials united diverse groups against colonial rule. He is revered as "Netaji" (Respected Leader). India celebrates his birth as Parakram Divas (Day of Valor) since 2021. Honors include the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island (formerly Andaman), museums like the one at Red Fort (2019), a statue at India Gate (2022), and the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar award. Films, books, and monuments keep his memory alive, portraying him as a fearless revolutionary whose slogan "Jai Hind" is the Indian Armed Forces' motto.

Statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at India Gate