Subhash Chandra Bose: The Leader Who Never Was

Tum mujhe khoon dou mein tumhe aazaadi dungaa- Subhas Chandra Bose

(Offer me your blood and I will bless you with freedom- Subhas Chandra Bose)

If hypothetically, Subhash Chandra Bose had returned to India before independence, he would have been treated as a war criminal by the Britishers.

However, if the I.N.A. had succeeded in overthrowing the British government, things would have been different and Netaji would have been our first Prime Minister or Premier.

Now questions arise-

• Was he a better leader than Pandit Nehru?- Yes!

• Would India have become an economic superpower under his regime?- Yes!

• Would India have become a Democratic country?- Possibly No!

There would have been certain pros and cons for India under his regime.

Pro’s

• Indian economy would have been way more strong:

After leaving the Indian National Congress, Netaji formed his party known as Forward Bloc.

Forward Bloc’s immediate objectives were-

1. Freeing India from British with the help of radical organizations.

2. Reorganization of agriculture and industry on Socialist lines.

3. Abolition of landlordism in India

4. Making ‘Right to work’ a fundamental right.

5. A modern monetary and credit system.

From the above points, it is clear that Netaji’s plan was of direct action. His party had a proper agenda.

• There would have been no Pakistan; No Kashmir issue:

The victory of the I.N.A. over the British would have brought Netaji into power. It is a known fact that Netaji and Mahatma Gandhi had philosophical and political differences between them. When Netaji was re-elected as Congress President defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya for the Tripuri session in 1939, Gandhiji said,” the defeat is more mine than that of Sitaramayya.”

Gandhiji views on Pakistan had ultimately softened which made the Muslim League fulfill its dream.

On the contrary, Netaji’s radical and nationalist outlook and the end of the British empire would have terminated Jinnah’s ambitions.

No radical supported the partition.

• India would have been a good friend of China:

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was a known socialist and there is little difference between a socialist government and a communist state. Both countries would have been allies and the role of the United States and the Soviet Union would have diminished. There would have been no Sino-Indian war of 1962 and territorial disputes would have been resolved much earlier. However, if by chance a war had taken place under Netaji’s regime, India would have possibly fared better than Nehru's 1962.

• A much more powerful military:

When it comes to the defeat of 1962, Pandit Nehru is criticized for not taking care of military modernization after 1947.

Under Netaji’s rule, military advancement would have been a top priority. The sturdiness of Indian soldiers with top-notch military hardware would have made the Indian army an invincible force.

India would have become a nuclear state long ago, just like China.

• India would have been a permanent member of the Security Council:

Nehru is said to have declined a permanent seat in the Security Council, allegedly. The case would have been different if Subhas Bose would have been in power. Western powers would have objected to India’s permanent seat because of its socialist regime. Britain would have strongly rejected India’s membership because of the humiliating fall of the British regime.

But, the support of the Chinese and the Russians and a powerful socialist economy would have made India a strong contender for the permanent seat long ago.

Con’s

• There would have been no Non-Aligned Movement:

One of the good things that Pandit Nehru did was the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement. The Non-Aligned Movement may have lost its significance now, but back then it was a success. It can be said that this movement diminished the power of the two power blocs and stopped a third World War which could have been a nuclear apocalypse.

Subhas Chandra Bose was a socialist by nature and his leadership would have favored the Soviet Union over the United States. Even Pandit Nehru did this but still, his policy made India a neutral state. India under Netaji would have formed a strong alliance with the Soviet Union making the United States an enemy.

• A high possibility of civil war:

Believe it or not, socialist and communist regimes are ruthless. India has been a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, and multi-ideological state. In short, India was tailor-made for a Democratic regime. People would have protested against the socialist government’s policies after some time.

• Socialism is the childhood of Communism:

A socialist regime focuses on economic development whereas a communist government focuses on economic development under a one-party rule.

Subhas Chandra Bose may have been a socialist, but there is no guarantee that his successors would have followed his socialist principles. A communist government in a diverse country like India would have ruined it because it would have been difficult to bring people with different ideologies under totalitarian principles.

• The C.I.A. would have been hell-bent on eliminating Indian leaders:

Everybody knows about the CIA’s numerous assassination operations. It is said that this agency had made 300 attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. The CIA’s main objective had been to overthrow dictatorial and communist regimes all over the world. Indira Gandhi had been its most hated Indian leader because of her communist and totalitarian outlook. C.I.A. had planned to kill her.

Just think, what would have been different today if Subhas Chandra Bose would have been our leader! (KB)