Subhash Chandra Bose, popularly known as Netaji, was a great militant, freedom fighter and a patriot. He was born in Cuttack, Orissa on 23rd January 1897 to Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. His father Janakinath Bose was a well-known lawyer of his time. His mother Prabhavati Devi was a religious woman.

Bose did his graduation from Presidency College, Kolkata. He went to England in September 1919 for higher studies. He was selected for the Indian Civil Service but returned to India without completing his training to take part in the freedom struggle.

From a young age, Subhash Chandra Bose had the nationalist temperament and Britishers’ discrimination towards Indians would fill him with rage. To serve the country, he joined the Indian National Congress (also known as the Congress Party). Bose joined the Noncooperation Movement, started by Gandhi under his influence. Bose was a revolutionary freedom fighter who was known to have founded the Azad Hind Army or Indian National Army. For his revolutionary movements, Bose had been to jail several times. He was suspected of connections with secret revolutionary movements and was sent to Mandalay Jail in Burma (Myanmar) where he contracted Tuberculosis. Bose was elected the president of Congress party and worked along with Jawahar Lal Nehru, another great political leader. Both had a more militant and left-wing approach to Independence, which became a reason for Bose’s differences with Gandhi and other Congress leaders.

Subhash Chandra launched an all-India anti-British Campaign in September, 1939. He was arrested in July, 1940. Later he was put under house-arrest, but then he disappeared in the guise of a Pathan and reached Berlin, Germany in November, 1941.

Bose’s selfless contribution to India’s Independence Movement and organizing and leading the Indian National Army is indispensable. His struggle of Independence was highlighted during the Civil Disobedience Movement for which he had even been arrested. In fact, he was imprisoned 11 times for his ideologies and the use of force against the British. Bose was elected the president of the Indian National Congress twice but he resigned from the post as he was against the congress internal and foreign policy.

Subhash Chandra was one of the greatest freedom-fighters and patriots and the Pride of Bengal. He became a legend in his life-time as a great leader, fiery orator and organiser. He was sent to prison eleven times during 1920-1941.

Subhash Chandra favoured complete freedom of India at the earliest while the Congress was in favour of freedom in phases in the beginning. He was also against India’s joining the Second World War as an ally of the British.

This led to differences with Gandhiji, and so he resigned from the President-ship of the Congress and set up the Forward Block. After his mysterious disappearance from his house, where he was under arrest, he appeared in Kabul and again disappeared until he surfaced in Germany. From there he started publishing and broadcasting on air to help the struggle for freedom.

He was promised help in his armed struggle by Germany. Then he travelled to Japan facing all the dangers posed by the Second World War. He became the commander of the Indian National Army and freed the islands of Andaman and Nicobar and renamed them as Swaraj and Saheed Islands.

“Delhi Chalo” (March Delhi) becomes the battle cry of the Indian National Army and they were soon across the Indian border in Manipur but then the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the surrender of the Japanese army changed the whole course of events. Therefore, he decided to return to Tokyo to decide his further course of action, but unfortunately, his plane crashed near Taipei and he achieved martyrdom at the young age of 48 years. But the country took the news of his death with disbelief and still there are thousands and thousands of Indians who believe that he is alive.

Subhash was a great adventurer as well. His military exploits, unmatched patriotism and exemplary bravery have made him a role model for the young men and women of India. He still lives within our hearts and minds and works as a leading light and source of inspiration. Had he been alive today, he would have given a new orientation and turn to our political and social life with his so charismatic personality and high sense of patriotism. After the defeat of Japan, Netaji wanted the help of Soviet Russia in his armed struggle against the English.

Subhash Chandra knew very well that Russia cannot remain a friend of the allied countries for a long time. Later we saw it and there developed a cold war between Russia and the Western Powers. Besides forming a formidable army called Indian National Army of 40,000 soldiers, he had also set up Azad Hind Bank in Rangoon with an initial capital of $ 50 million.

Before he withdrew from the eastern borders of India due to unavoidable circumstances, he had actually occupied and freed more than 1500 sq. miles of the Indian Territory from the British. He had many close associates like Ras Bihari Bose, Shahnawaz Khan Etc. Besides Chittaranjan Das, he was also influenced by Bai Gangadhar Tilak.

“By freedom I mean all-round freedom, i.e. freedom for the individual as well as for the society; freedom for the rich as well as for the poor; freedom for men as well as for women; freedom for all individuals and for all classes.”

Subhash Chandra Bose was a great freedom fighter whose role in India’s Independence is instrumental. Through this essay, students will learn a great deal about Subhash Chandra Bose and his life. Writing about him will allow students to have knowledge about his struggle for freedom in detail. Download Free Essay on Subash Chandra Bose on our site.

Netaji was also fluent in many Indian languages. Bose’s struggle for freedom proved to be an inspiration not just for India, but also for all Third World countries. The Indian freedom struggle and the war of independence led by Bose had a profound impact on those countries. Netaji’s status establishes him as the “hero of freedom” globally.