Netaji

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (1897–1945), commonly known as Netaji, was an Indian nationalist leader who played a prominent role in the Indian independence movement. A contemporary of Mahatma Gandhi, he favored bold and decisive action to secure freedom from British rule and sought international support for India's independence.

Born January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Bengal Presidency (present-day Odisha), Bose studied in Calcutta and later attempted the Indian Civil Service before turning to politics. He became a leader of the Indian National Congress and served as its president in 1938 and 1939. He criticized the conciliatory approach of the Congress leadership and advocated complete, immediate independence rather than dominion status.

During World War II, Bose broke with the Congress and formed the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) with Indian prisoners of war and expatriates. With Japanese support, the INA sought to overthrow British rule in India and established the Provisional Government of Free India in territories under Axis influence. Bose promoted the slogan Jai Hind and aimed to mobilize Indians at home and abroad against British rule.

His death was reported in 1945 in a plane crash in Taiwan, though the circumstances have been the subject of speculation and controversy. Bose's legacy remains influential in India and among diaspora communities; he is commemorated as a symbol of national resistance and has been honored by governments and cultural organizations with various monuments, schools, and awards bearing his name.