He has created a league of soldiers, whom the earth fears and whose intentions are unknown to even the heavens. Who are they? Us Indians. Let the new generation’s motto be INQUILAB. And we are here to bring true revolution, hitherto unknown. Borrowing Ram Prasad Bismil’s words, “Waqt aane dey, waqt aane dey tujhe bataa denge ay Aasmaan. Hum abhi se kya batayen, kya hamare dil mein hai...” Translated to “Let the time come, we shall let it be known to the skies what is in our heart.”

A person who left a ludicrous Civil Service career after bagging the second spot in the entrance examination, risked his life, braved the chill of Europe and heat of World War-II, joined hands with alien forces whose ideologies he never accepted, only to bring back the dawn of independence to his motherland, was often tagged as ‘fascist’, ‘power-hungry’, ‘Tojo’s pet dog’ and even ‘terrorist’. The person whose cry “Give me blood, I will give you freedom” got the adrenaline of the masses pumping.

He was often criticised for his policies. And so few know today that he was a Socialist by heart, but he only shook hands with Hitler and Tojo as he was a believer in ‘REALPOLITIK’. He was willing to rub shoulders with people whose ideologies he never accepted, only to fight a common enemy namely Great Britain and bring independence as early as possible, rather than in slow steps as was proposed. Yes, he was not literally successful in his efforts, owing to his untimely death (disputed). However, his spirit and his ideologies live on. Borrowing Bismil’s words again “Haath jin mein ho junoon katt te nahi talwar se...Sar jo uth jaate hain woh jhukte nahi lalkaar se.” Translated into “Determined hands can not be severed by swords, albeit heads which are held high can not bow to war cries.”

And in the brink of a new era, on the auspicious occasion of his 124th Birth Anniversary, when our beloved motherland is again in the shackles of terrorism, poverty, unemployment, corruption, war, etc., we are perhaps again feeling the need of a REAL LEADER, A NETAJI. Let us pray to t=he Lord to send us a leader like him again. Or may someone amongst us rise up the ranks to be a new NETAJI. Till then, JAI HIND !!!

Saptadip Saha