HPAS 2023 Mains GS-1 Question 4
Highlight the contribution of Rasbehari Bose in the Indian Freedom Struggle.
Solution:
Rasbehari Bose was a pivotal and tireless revolutionary whose contribution to the Indian freedom struggle spanned over three decades, connecting the early militant nationalists in India with the final armed struggle of the INA in Southeast Asia. His contributions can be highlighted in three distinct phases.
Phase 1: Early Revolutionary Activities in India (1908-1915)
During this phase, Bose was a master organizer of revolutionary activities in Bengal, Punjab, and the United Provinces.
- Delhi-Lahore Conspiracy Case (1912): Bose was the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on the Viceroy, **Lord Hardinge**, in Delhi. A bomb was thrown at the Viceroy’s procession in Chandni Chowk, an audacious act that shook the foundations of British authority.
- Organizing the Ghadar Mutiny (1915): He was a key link between the Ghadar Party revolutionaries (who had arrived from America) and Indian soldiers. He planned an ambitious, coordinated mutiny in multiple army cantonments (like Lahore, Ferozepur) on February 21, 1915, to overthrow British rule. The plot was leaked, and after a failed attempt, Bose was forced to flee India.
Phase 2: Revolutionary-in-Exile in Japan (1915-1941)
After a dramatic escape, Bose reached Japan in 1915. He spent the next 26 years building a base for the Indian freedom struggle from abroad.
- Securing Asylum & Pan-Asianism: He evaded British extradition attempts by integrating into Japanese society (marrying a Japanese woman, becoming a citizen). He tirelessly networked with Japanese journalists, politicians, and pan-Asianist groups, advocating for Indian independence.
- Propaganda and Writing: He continued his fight through writings and lectures, publishing books on India and exposing British colonial exploitation to a Japanese and international audience.
Phase 3: The Indian National Army (INA) (1941-1943)
Bose’s most significant contribution came during World War II. He seized the opportunity presented by Japan’s entry into the war to organize an armed liberation force.
Rasbehari Bose was the primary architect of the Indian National Army (INA). He laid the entire groundwork before handing it over to Subhas Chandra Bose.
- Organizing the Indian Independence League (IIL): Following the fall of Singapore in 1942, Bose convened the **Tokyo Conference** and later the **Bangkok Conference**. At Bangkok, he formally established the Indian Independence League (IIL) to unite all Indians in Southeast Asia for the freedom struggle.
- Founding the First INA: The conference resolved to form the ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ (INA). Bose persuaded the Japanese to hand over Indian Prisoners of War (POWs) and appointed Captain Mohan Singh as the commander. He established the INA as a formal army of liberation.
- Passing the Mantle: When the first INA faltered, Bose did not give up. Recognizing the need for a more dynamic leader, he invited **Subhas Chandra Bose** to Southeast Asia. In July 1943, in a historic ceremony at Singapore, Rasbehari Bose selflessly handed over the complete leadership of the IIL and the INA to Subhas Chandra Bose, who then re-energized it for its final march.
Conclusion
Rasbehari Bose’s contribution was unique. He was a revolutionary of indomitable will who began his fight with bombs in Delhi and ended it by creating a modern army in Singapore. He was the crucial, unbroken link who carried the militant nationalist torch from 1912 to 1943, ultimately creating the INA, the platform upon which Subhas Chandra Bose launched his final, famous assault on the British Empire.
Concise Model Answer (150-Word Limit)
Rasbehari Bose was a pivotal revolutionary whose contribution spanned two phases: militant nationalism in India and organizing the INA from Japan.
1. Early Revolutionary in India (pre-1915):
- He was the mastermind behind the Delhi Conspiracy Case (1912), an attempt to assassinate Viceroy Hardinge.
- He was a key organizer of the planned Ghadar Mutiny in 1915, aiming to trigger an all-India revolt in army cantonments.
2. Architect of the INA in Japan (1915-1943):
- After fleeing to Japan, he spent decades promoting pan-Asianism and advocating for Indian independence.
- During WWII, he seized the opportunity to form the Indian Independence League (IIL) at the Bangkok Conference (1942).
- He founded the first Indian National Army (INA) from Indian POWs. In 1943, he selflessly handed over the entire organization’s leadership to Subhas Chandra Bose, providing the platform for the final armed struggle.