How the Netaji statue is an overdue correction of history

To simplify brutally, the Indian independence was won by a combination of violence and non violence. On non-violence, the iconic movement of Mahatma Gandhi famously unified the nation and mesmerized the world. On violence, the contribution was equally significant and Netaji is the shining icon of armed resistance, under-narrated for way too long.

Distressingly, the spectacular role of Netaji in securing our freedom has been diverted unnecessarily by the zillions of conspiracy theories pertaining to his after-life. Whether he was the Old Monk residing in UP or not is a matter of academic and theatrical interest, as no serious retrospective action is possible against the alleged perpetrators. But what must be consciously highlighted to emerging generations is the surrogate unification of occupied India under Azad Hind Fauj colors, secular and democratic, and the default Fascist alliances must be sensibly delinked from this recognition.

Notably aligned to Netaji’s global exploits is the Bombay Naval Mutiny of 1946, where the chutzpah to resist was inspired consciously by the exploits of this brave army. In a holistic sense, decades of ad hoc armed struggle hallmarked by legends like Bhagat Singh, Udham Singh, Khudiram Bose and Bagha Jatin found a structured identity under Netaji’s leadership, truly integrated and sincerely strategic. Quite suddenly, the symbolic skirmishes were transformed to a military mechanism, complementing stoutly the undeniable impact of non-violent activists, to present a pace cum spin attack to the crumbling Imperial batting order.

But, rather tragically, the textbook heroes of 1947 are JL Nehru and his cogent accomplices, well trained in political deception by the slippery masters. Quite like a corporate succession plan, they were recruited to ensure continuity of British political and economic interests, the lengthy luxurious prison terms a necessary eyewash for the undereducated natives. As a result, the primary collateral damage was to undermine Netaji’s role in inspiring the nation, ably supported by Clement Attlee’s think tank deeply threatened by his possible comeback, physically or even emotionally.

You may well wonder how a statue is significant in the largest scheme of things, to restore this much-needed equilibrium in freedom history. Across the civilized world, from Dhaka to Djibouti, the visual representation of key characters offers both a necessary recognition and a timely reminder of the nation’s political star cast. Exactly why, after every revolution, from the overthrow of communist leaders to the decimation of Saddam Hussein, the very first act of empowered masses is to dramatically remove the public statues, lest accurate realities be mired in visual confusion.

So when Netaji occupies pole position in the Kartavya Path, every observer, whether domestic or foreign, child or adult is suitably nudged subliminally or even conversationally. This will lead to aggressive Google Searches by curious youngsters, a desecration of Nehruvian hogwash for the senior taxpayers and possibly provoke a learned rethink of petty provoked narratives. As a valuable addendum, it will also invoke further research on our ‘violent’ freedom struggle, a list of admirable martyrs extending way beyond the biopic shortlist or even the Kala Pani tally of sufferers. Currently, Gandhian non-violence, for all its undeniable glories, is occupying an unfair share of newsprint which must be duly corrected.

On Netaji’s candidature, the sacrifices and resilience are truly legendary as he led a solitary life with a stringent mission, with no room for personal whims and fancies. Unlike say Rishi Aurobindo, who became a saint, Veer Savarkar, who embraced peace, and even Rashbehari Bose, choosing a peaceful second inning in Japan while evangelizing the perfect chicken curry ( do check references). All of the above had equally promising starts as leaders of the ‘violent’ freedom struggle, but chose to pursue alternate paths, unlike the do-or-die stalwart who we all duly revere.

As mentioned earlier, we now need to terminally suspend the ‘comeback’ theory, for such dramatics are unintentionally camouflaging Netaji’s iconicity, and what works as timeless intrigue for Russian princess Anastasia surely does not apply to one of the greatest world leaders of the 20th century. The statue, most certainly, deserves to be celebrated and history duly corrected, both in textbooks as well as the collective imagination.