India salutes Netaji Subhas Chandra with a statue at India Gate
- In Current Affairs
- 02:44 PM, Jan 22, 2022
- Ranabir Bhattacharyya
India is celebrating 75 years of Indian Independence. Along with that, the entire nation is marking the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the first Prime Minister of Independent India. Amidst all Covid regulations, the Nation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now setting the records straight, in true testimony to Indian history with true patriotic spirit and commitment. Given such, the Prime Minister of India came up with a historic decision of installing a statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at the India Gate. An icon who has often been ridiculed by the Communists over the decades and willfully ignored by the Congress to glorify their Nehru-Gandhi clan, this is a fitting tribute to Netaji, one of the biggest freedom icons the country has ever witnessed in its years of freedom struggle against the notorious British.
The grand statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be made of granite and will be 28 feet by 6 feet. Ironically the statue will stand at the spot where once a statue of England's King George V was featured. Incidentally, the statue of King George V was removed and shifted in 1968. As per the announcement of the Prime Minister a hologram of the great leader will be put at the spot until the statue is ready. Previously, the central government also announced that Netaji's Birthday will be named 'Parakram Divas' and this year, Netaji's Birthday on 23rd January will mark the beginning of Republic Day celebrations instead of the customary 26th January.
Like all great leaders, Netaji too had his share of inconsistencies in decision makings, strategies and also choosing friends and partners on the battlefield. No one knows what happened to the great man after the much talked about plane crash in Taiwan on 18th August 1945. But his legacy lives on, like a true spark in every nationalist, prioritising Nation above everything else. Two things made him a unique persona altogether - Netaji never compromised in his fight for the Nation's freedom struggle. Secondly, he was not manipulative in national politics for personal benefits like Nehru and all Congress leaders. The biggest irony is, the same Netaji was categorically criticised and ridiculed by the Indian National Congress, of whom Netaji became the elected President twice.
Amidst the recent tableaux controversy with the West Bengal Government, the announcement of the Central Government certainly has political tunes ahead of the elections in five states. But make no mistake, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honest about his intentions. But the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) needs good groundwork to win the crucial UP Assembly Elections.
The announcement of Netaji's statue at India Gate was long overdue as many people signed petitions for it. But it is too early to say whether BJP will get an electoral advantage for a 'timely' decision giving goosebumps to every India. The world has changed a lot ever since World War II. Netaji's world is now more complicated on the cusp of geopolitics, Covid-19 and ever-changing political axes. India hasn't done enough for Netaji and all the commissions to explore what happened to Netaji in the last sixty years have been mere announcements.
Netaji trusted in India, a free-spirited India where development will be for all. A statue is a fine tribute but the political fraternity of India should take a leaf out of Netaji's life to understand, realise and practise patriotism for greatest good of the country at large. That itself will be the best tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary.
Image provided by the author.
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