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An Austrian's views on Bose

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI OCT. 5. Why is Subhas Chandra Bose being kept alive by a section of the intelligentia, including politicians, intellectuals and some of his close family members? A probe into this fascinating issue of "life after death'' of one of the country's most revered freedom fighters has been conducted by the veteran Austrian political scientist, Anton Pelinka, who got attracted to the "Bose enigma'' after a chance encounter with a Sikh gentleman and an ex-member of Netaji's British legion who served in the Austrian embassy here three decades ago.

And what has resulted from his incisive and insightful research is a thought-provoking book : "Democracy Indian Style - Subhas Chandra Bose and the Creation of India's Political Culture'' which was released by the former Prime Minister, Inder Kumar Gujral, this past week. "The Bose myth is a kind of an anti-Nehruvian myth fuelled by those who believe that India would have done better had he been alive,'' said Dr. Pelinka.

While the Leftists would have us believe that India would have done better in fighting poverty had Bose been alive, the rightists argue that the country's role in global politics would have been stronger.

The Austrian political scientist, who has done considerable research on Bose especially the phase of his life when he made Vienna his base and tried to garner support against the British, feels that India today is more Bose's India with respect to foreign policy than Gandhi's.

"You cannot imagine Gandhi's India with a nuclear bomb,'' he pointed out, adding that Bose believed that a nation has to be strong militarily if it has to have a voice in world politics.

With respect to industrialisation, the Austrian professor argues that India is a mix of Gandhi, Nehru and Bose. And as regards the practice of secularism, it is exactly as Bose demonstrated in the composition of the Indian National Army. "Apart from giving a feminist touch to the INA, Subhas inducted men of varying religious backgrounds into his army. And in terms of dealing with linguistic diversity, he demonstrated a skill par excellence,'' Dr. Pelinka stated.

Arguing that Bose was a necessary anti-thesis to Mahatma Gandhi, the Professor said the beginning of conflict between the two was the question of non-violence.

"In some of his writings in Vienna, he even wrote that he was ashamed of Gandhi,'' said the Austrian professor, adding: "Subhas used to say that the British would never respect us if we exclude violence from the very beginning.''

Bose was right in terms of analysing the complex nature of world politics but where he went wrong was in his simplistic assumption that the British would lose World War II and that Germany and Italy would win.

"He wanted to be on the side of the victors and so, he garnered the support of Hitler and Mussolini. His basic approach was an enemy's enemy is a friend.''

However, Prof. Pelinka argues that there never was a complete break between Gandhi and Bose. "In fact, I see Bose more as a realist and I am sure he would have adapted to the necessities of post-1947 India, had he been alive. And he would have played a second fiddle to Nehru or functioned as a strong leader of the opposition.''

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