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SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE AND GANDHI: IDEOLOGICAL CONVERGENCE ANDDIVERGENCE Dr. Zeenat Zaidi
Principal, Govt. Degree College, B.B. Nagar, Bulandshahar Gandhi and Subhas- The only two leaders
who mattered in the last phase of India's freedom struggle- are regarded as North and South poles with Subhas representing the 'left' and Gandhi the 'Right' within the Congress organization.
One was the votary of Non-violence and Satyagraha the other was an exponent of active resistance and a man of action not ruling out violence for the attainment of Swaraj.1 The divergence was manifested in a number of ways in their mutual interaction, but the most important and open clash between them was in the sphere of politics because in their time the political battle against the British rule was a matter of supreme concern. There were acute differences between them over political strategy, economic thinking, cultural and social matters.
Subhas Bose resigned from the Indian Civil Service because he thought it
"impossible to serve two masters at the same time"2 and joined the Indian National Movement which under Gandhi's guidance entered a new phase of mass meetings, processions and demonstrations and the launching of the Non-Cooperation Movement that fired the spirit of Nationalism.
Immediately after his arrival Subhas sought an interview with the Mahatma as he was eager to get a clear idea about his programme and his movement. The meeting took place on 16 July 1921 in Bombay. There were three points on which Bose asked for clarifications. Firstly, how were the different activities being conducted under his leadership going to culminate in the last stage of the campaign; Secondly, how could the non-payment of taxes, civil disobedience or boycott of foreign goods force the government to grant India freedom? Thirdly, how could the Mahatma's promise of 'Swaraj within a year', as he was promising since the Nagpur Congress in 1920, be achieved?3
Bose was disillusioned by the strategy of Gandhi and failed to
understand how the Mahatma expected a change of heart on the part of British Government leading to an acceptance of India's demands. Subhas realised lack of clarity in the Mahatma's plan and the promise of Swaraj within a year as not only unwise but childish.4
This was a great disappointment for him because he was on the verge of plunging himself totally into the battle and developed doubts about the soundness of its Command-in Chiefs political strategy. According to Bose's estimation Gandhi lacked one of the essential qualities of leadership- a clear mind. His rebellion against Gandhi began at that point.5 This was the beginning of the ideological conflict between Gandhi and Subhas that forced them to remain in opposite camps and ultimately led Gandhi to isolate Subhas in the Congress. The conversation ended when the Mahatma advised Subhas to meet C.R. Das, the doyen of Calcutta. After meeting C.R. Das, Subhas found in him a leader after his own heart.6
However, the reservation on the Gandhian method and technique did not prompt Subhas to keep himself away from the mainstream national movement led by Gandhi. He acknowledged Gandhi's 'phenomenal services' and his role in converting the Congress from 'a talking body' into a 'living and fighting organisation'7 but at the same time he was apprehensive of the negative effects of the Gandhian techniques. Subhas joined the Non-Violent Non-Co-Operation Movement hunched by Gandhi. This was the first time that a mass movement was initiated in India and it fired the spirit of self reliance and fearlessness among the Indian men. Subhas Bose organised a 'hartal' (strike) on the visit of Prince of Wales in Calcutta which was a great success. It also marked his initiation in political imprisonment, when he was sentenced for six months. However, the great battle for freedom which began with so much hope, faith and fanfare was lost
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even before it took off. Immediately afterthe violent incident of Chauri-Chaura, Gandhi called for the suspension of the entire Non-Co-Operation movement. This sudden withdrawal of the movement was strongly resented by Subhas calling it a 'national calamity' and a 'Himalayan blunder'. Subhas regretted that too much responsibility was placed in one man and that the political issues should not be mixed up with ethical ones and use of diplomacy was necessary to deal with the British.8
Subhas realised that although Non-Co-Operation Movement was the beginning of mass mobilisation against the British rule in India, yet it was a passive act. He wanted a more positive, assertive and aggressive opposition.
Gandhi was a pacifist and a moderate while Bose was a radical and a fiery Leftist. Gandhi followed a path of non-co- operation and civil disobedience while Bose was in for uncompromising struggle and revolution. According to Vittal bhai Patel, "Bose spoke the mind of young India."
Subhas along with Jawaharlal Nehru emerged as a leader of the younger generation with a new outlook, ideas and attitudes which were in conflict with Gandhi. He differed with Gandhi on the issue of isolation of India, leadership as a whole, mixing of politics and religion and to keep abreast of the times. Subhas stood for the leftist or the socialist ideology which he developed during his stay in the Mandalay Jail. He developed his own ideas on political, economic, social and cultural issues in a coherent and systematic way. On his release from the Jail, Subhas began to express his views on a wide variety of subjects in his public speeches and openly questioned some of the basic tenets of Gandhism.
This was a comprehensive criticism of Gandhi's social and economic ideas from a modernist angle.9
Mahatma Gandhi announced his second Non-Violent Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930 and inaugurated the same by defying the Salt Law. It was suspended by the Gandhi- Irwin Pact. However, when Gandhi returned empty-handed from London
Round Table Conference, he relaunched it. Subhas was all praises for the spirit of defiance inflamed by the Civil Disobedience Movement but he regarded it as inadequate to end the British Rule.
He was convinced that political strategy demanded strengthening of the mass movement. Subhas even called for foreign collaboration and establishment of a parallel government. He wanted to launch a new party 'Samayavadi Sangh1 within the Congress for liberation of the Motherland. But before he could materialize his programme he was arrested and forced to live in exile in Europe. When the Civil Disobedience Movement was finally suspended after the relaunching in 1933 and Subhas was in Europe he described it as "a calamity of first magnitude".10
Gandhi, after the mid-thirties was fully aware of the rising popularity of Subhas and the Left-Wing, hence using his superb tactics to neutralize the opposition, he decided to make Subhas as the Congress President at Haripura in 1938.11 This was the zenith of Subhas's popularity but Gandhi was wrong in his estimate of containing Bose like Jawaharlal Nehru. The ideological divergence between Gandhi and Subhas that began at the very first meeting was now complete. During Subhas's tenure the most important contribution was the creation of National Planning Board under the Chairmanship of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Regarding the fact that one year \vas inadequate to push his policies, Subhas Bose sought a second term at Tripuri in 1939. Despite open opposition from Gandhi, Subhas won and he wanted to take advantage of the international situation and give ultimatum to the British Government to grant Swaraj to India immediately. But Gandhi did not agree. Subhas's reelection was declared by Gandhi as his 'personal defeat' and the breach was complete, Subhas was cornered in such a way that only two options were left to split the Congress or resign and he decided to resign and form his own organization of Forward Bloc.12
Inspite of his differences with Gandhi, Bose always accepted Gandhi as India's greatest leader. Though he
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conformed Gandhi and differed fromGandhian ways on several occasions, criticized him but his admiration and reverence for the Mahatma remained highest till the end of his life. He never challenged the leadership of Gandhi for personal ambition to be his rival as his only ambition was the liberation of his motherland – which he made very clear through his escape from India. His exploits under the Azad Hind Fauj created a great impression on the Mahatma.13 He admired his courage, resourcefulness and leadership and called him 'Netaji'. Bose also paid eloquent tributes to Gandhi calling him, 'Father of the Nation', and asking for his blessings in his war.
Gandhi declared that Subhas was like a son to him.14
REFERENCES
1. A.R. Desai, Social background of Indian Nationalism, p. 283.
2. Homer. A. Jack, ed., The Gandhi Reader, p.
203.
3. S. Bose, The Indian Struggle, p. 53-4.
4. Ibid., p. 58.
5. Ibid., p. 59.
6. Ibid., p. 60.
7. Ibid., p. 357.
8. Subhas C. Chatterjee, Subhas Chandra Bose : Man, Mission and Means, p. 53.
9. All India Youth Congress, Calcutta, December 25, 1928.
10. Ibid.
11. All India Bharat Naujawan Sabha, March 27, 1931, as quoted in the Selected Speeches of Subhas Chandra Bose with biographical introduction by S.A. Ayer.
12. Pratikshan (a Bengali fortnightly), 15 August special number, 1988, p. 24.
13. Indian Struggle, p. 364.
14. Ibid., p. 357.
