Class X students of Hari Shree ( from Madhuvanthi and Desh ) brainstorm over it:

Subhash Chandra Bose was one of the most prominent leaders in the Indian independence movement and is a legendary figure in India today. He was an Indian revolutionary who led an Indian national political and military force against Britain.

Even though Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi differed in their ideologies, Gandhi called Bose the "Prince among the Patriots". Bose admired Gandhi, he called him "The Father of Our Nation" in a radio broadcast, in which he stated that "I am convinced that if we do desire freedom we must be prepared to wade through blood", a statement contradicting Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence. Thus, although they had the same goal, the two had become divided over the strategy which should be used to achieve Indian Independence.

Gandhi was strongly against industrialization, whilst Bose saw it a great opportunity to make India strong and self-sufficient. He was right because India couldn’t have entirely relied on the ‘charkha’ according to Gandhi. Nehru disagreed with Gandhi on this point as well.

When Netaji fled to Germany and offered Hitler an alliance. He boldly criticized the British during World War II, who allegedly fought for the freedom of the European nations under Nazi control, didn’t grant independence to its own colonies, including India. He was very mettlesome and vociferous unlike Gandhi.

His formation of Indian National Army and other military activities also worried the British as much as Gandhi did.

The British rulers genuinely acknowledged with serious concern, that Netaji was a most dynamic leader in all sections and religious groups of the country. They saw how Netaji's ideas always inspired younger generation to fight more strongly for freedom. He was willing to give up his idea of a religiously divided India, if Netaji led the nation. Subhash Chandra Bose believed that the Bhagavad Gita was a great source of inspiration for the struggle against the British. The interpretation of the India's ancient scriptures had appealed immensely to him. Whereas Gandhi ji just revered the religious scriptures but didn’t gain any inspirations from them.

He believed Gandhi’s policies would not obtain a fully independent India and even if it could, the nation would be weak from within. Bose advocated that the political instability of war-time in Britain should be taken advantage of rather than simply wait for the British to grant independence after the end of the war which were the views of Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru at the time.

He provided an influential leadership and kept the spirit of nationalism burning even during the slack period of national movement in India.

Gandhi himself wrote that Bose's "... patriotism is second to none", "He is prince among patriots" - a reference to Bose's empowerment of women, secularism and other democratic ideas. Netaji wanted independence at the earliest opportunity and if only he had more support and Indian followers, India would have gained independence much earlier.

It is unfortunate that Netaji has been deprived of his credits and rightful place in the records of Indian history and remains largely forgotten.

By Akshaya

X-Thangam.

During pre independence periods there were two types of revolt; people could follow any one of it. Satyagraha that was lead by Gandhi , in which non violence was practiced and the other lead by Subash Chandra Bose , who used force to gain independence and the motto was

“Give me blood, I will give you freedom”

Many practiced Satyagrah movement. They used non violence to gain independence. Initially by practicing non-violence our country lost many innocent live and great amount wealth also.

Jalianwallah bagh incident is one proof for such loss. An unjust law is itself a species of violence, which were imposed by the Britishers on the Indians. As the environment itself was filled with violence, freedom could only be gained by violence .So if I was there during the pre independence period I would have followed the way of Subash Chandra Bose’s as the Britishers were cruel and best way to deal them was by retaliating them with same . Bose’s effort was short lived, but it achieved a lot.

’’Give respect, take respect”

If we, Indians were not respected by the Britishers who did not even belong to our country, who did not even settle in India, who did not even treat the Indians as a part of the human race, why should we allow them to rule us? Why should we respect them?

I also adopted this method of revolting because there were many Indians who were ready to sacrifice their life for the sake for their country. I was one of them who could do anything to get freedom from the clutches country. Britishers treated us inferior to them.

They took advantage of our innocent brothers and sisters because they thought we were weak , we were coward , we will not fight back as we did not have any artillery to match their weapons. But they were wrong we had courage to reply for all their unlawful attacks By following the way of subash we proved them that we are not weak.

If we had followed the policy of non-violence, we could not have shown them that we were strong.

I was more inspired the mottos of Subash Chandra Bose and also because he was man of action. Even though Gandhiji’s method was more effective I thought violence would gain us freedom faster.

Subash Chandra Bose’s vision was very clear. He knew the weakness of the British government as they were not in good relationships with the other countries. In the other parts of the world British were losing their grounds. He took the advantage of this.

I wanted to join the azad hind fauz as its aim and its techniques were so much effective. Violence was easier to use than nonviolence.

There were many people who were Indians and who used violence against their own country .I was totally against them. Instead of going against us and using violence against they could have used it against the British forces I tried and made many Indians understand this. There were some who understood this helped us get more information about the British forces and about their artilleries. This made it easy for us to defeat the British forces.

By - Abhishek

During the freedom movement, the father of our nation, Gandhiji, strongly suggested peaceful means to get rid of the British. This was the most famous method and hence most people tend to remember only this one. There was another person who suggested using force to gain freedom; his name was Subash Chandra Bose. Both these men had made massive contributions for the pitiful people of their country. The methods, policies and contributions made by these two great men are still used. Even though their methods were different, they both and all the other Indians only wanted one thing, Swaraj, which meant self rule. They all agreed that the British had been masters at another person’s house long enough.

Subhas Chandra Bose was part of the Indian congress at first, but he was soon asked to leave because of his difference in opinion on how to attain freedom from Mahatma Gandhi’s. He believed that asking the British to leave would not help at all. He thought that no matter what happened they would not leave. He wanted to make them leave by using force. He was convinced that Gandhi’s method would not work. He then organised the All India Forward Bloc along with all who supported his ideologies. He also published the Forward Bloc newspaper, and there was a slogan on the newspaper that said “all power to Indian people”. He was put in jail for civil disobedience, but he escaped from there, in disguise. He then fled India to gain the alliance of the axis powers of the world war two to help him bring forth the Indian National Army. A large population of the army were Indian soldiers of the British army who were captured during the battle of Singapore by Japan. Other than Japan, he also went to Germany to attain their help for their battle for liberation against the British.

On the other hand, the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi believed in doing the exact opposite. He believed that India would attain freedom from her foreign rulers if they were asked to leave peacefully. He strongly believed and tried his best to enforce Satyagraha and Ahimsa. He wanted to show that everything didn’t have to be done by fighting and using brute force. He was the mastermind behind movements like the Non-cooperation movement and Civil disobedience movement, which turned out to be very useful and extremely effective. He wanted to appeal to the better nature of the British and try and reason with them that enough was enough and that it was time for them to leave. With Jawaharlal Nehru as his right hand, he soon led his country to her former beauty.

If I were to choose between Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose, I’d be in a dilemma as they both were great men fighting for an extraordinary cause with their own reasons and techniques to do it. I would take a neutral stance as both these men played a magnificent role in making India a free country, and if they hadn’t done what they did, India would have taken an even longer time to attain liberation.

By- Advaith Arun

Gandhi vs. Bose

Gandhiji was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. By employing non-violent means, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for freedom across the world. Satyagraha and ahimsa were Gandhiji’s principals. Subash Chandra Bose also known as Netaji was one of the most prominent Indian nationalist leaders who attempted to gain India's independence from British rule by force during the waning years of World War II with the help of the Axis powers.

Though Subash Bose was elected as the president of the Congress in 1938, he resigned from his post due to waning difference in opinion between Gandhi and himself. Gandhi stood for Ahimsa and non-violence. He believed in solving problems peacefully. Eventually all the leaders of his time realized that only peaceful methods can get freedom for Indian. Subash bose didn’t think much of ahimsa. He wanted to fight violently for freedom. Bose planned on attacking the British when they were weak, during the 1st World War. But Gandhiji did not approve of taking advantage of the position of the Britishers.

Both Gandhi and Bose served India in their own ways. It was their combined effort which bought India her freedom. Therefore if I had lived the period of the Indian Freedom Movement, I would have supported both Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose. Not only were their principals and ideologies different, but their attitudes of handling situations were also completely different.

The All India Forward Bloc was a nationalist political party under Bose. Bose declared that anyone who joined the party had to never turn their back to the British. They also had to sign a blood pledge first. The aim of the Forward block was to rally people from the congress to form an alternative party inside the congress itself. The party was definitely All India in nature as though it had its main stronghold in West Bengal, it was consequently established in Delhi, Bombay, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The Forward Bloc endorsed national unity and integrity. It helped in the spread of nationalism. Bose also set up panchayats who would later form an administration. The party spread awareness about the position of the Indians.

Gandhiji orchestrated a number of non-violent movements. The Non-Cooperation movement, The Civil disobedience movement and The Quit India Movement were non-violent but firm protests against British policies. The protesters were so staunch in their movement that the British were forced to make amendments. It is through policies such as these that Gandhiji got us our freedom.

Bose was arrested by the British but he escaped to Berlin and organized the Indian Legion of the Prisoners of War and the Indian Independence League. The Indian National Army OR Azad Hind Fauj was an armed force formed by Indian nationalists during World War II. The aim of the army was to secure Indian independence with Japanese assistance. The leadership of the INA was handed over to Subash Bose, who divided the INA into different wings.

Gandhiji, through peaceful methods got us freedom. After gaining independence from the British. Gandhi emphatically insisted on maintaining a united India. However Mountbatten's determination, Nehru and Patel's inability to deal with the Muslim League and lastly Jinnah's obstinacy, all Indian party leaders acquiesced to Jinnah's plan to divide India. Hindus were to remain in India whereas the Muslims had to leave India and travel to their new land Pakistan. The people were however not ready for this shift and thus started fighting against each other bringing about the communal riots between the Hindus and Muslims. Gandhi was shocked with the violence and went on a fast. He neither ate nor drank until the violence was stopped. Such was the respect and love he held that within a week the people stopped fighting just to keep him alive. This was the way Gandhi tackled situations. Peacefully, but effectively.

Gandhi’s peaceful methods and Bose’s rebellious nature inspired millions of Indians to fight for their rights. People respected their leaders and gave their full support to them. Gandhi and Bose are revered even in today’s world for their accomplishments.

- By Aishwarya Venkatesh

My Conviction on Gandhian Principles

Gandhiji said:” violent means will give violent freedom. That would be a menace to the world and to India herself”. Among Gandhi’s principles, Non-violence is the most prominent one; it is what the world relates Gandhi with.

If I had lived during the Indian Freedom Struggle, I would have supported Gandhi as his principles included the participation of the masses, without creating a bloodbath. His ideals of Non-Cooperation and Ahimsa ensured success in two ways: firstly, it didn’t instigate the British to send their troops and use force until they were sufficiently provoked. Secondly, the freedom movement (started for the people), reached even the remotest areas and people knew of Gandhi and his methods and began to protest against the British in their villages. Prior to this a person who wanted to do something for his country had to join the rebel forces or protest at his own risk; this didn’t give the people living in remote areas any scope to do something for their mother land.

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people”. – Gandhi

Gandhi realized the fact that the masses were too weak to challenge the military strength of the British and the Indian National Army was at a nascent stage. He saw a will in the minds of the people to overthrow the British and used it to unite us and made us work together as a nation.

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”. - Gandhi

Ahimsa or Non-Violence was Gandhi’s ultimate plan to oust the British. The masses were also looking for some peaceful way to show their resentment towards the British. After all what difference would it make to an orphan, a homeless person or the dead if means lead to destruction all around? This is why Gandhi included the masses in his work and always tried to increase their participation, in a peaceful way. He strongly opposed all tactics which included weapons of mass destruction as he knew the British would retaliate with a stronger zeal and cause greater harm to our people.

“Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man” – Gandhi.

Gandhiji strived to unite the Hindus and Muslims and all the other communities to achieve independence, as he thought that only by their combined efforts, independence could be ours.

Even when the communities were united, Gandhiji still opposed violence, when radical methods were suggested by many.

“I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent” – Gandhi.

Gandhiji’s firm belief was that “In a gentle way, you can shake the world”. This belief of Gandhi was a firm foundation for him to follow the principles of Ahimsa – Non-violence in his lead for freedom struggle against the British. This he not only followed but also advocated to his followers till his death.

Even in present times, the relevance of AHIMSA is so in place, our society has managed to retain its balance compared to several others. This is my take to support Gandhiji’s principles had I lived during the time of Indian Freedom Movement.

-- Akansha Dhilip

X- Desh

There were many great heroes born at the time of the freedom movement. Each with their own method of attaining one goal - Independence for India. Some believed in non-violent means, whereas others did not.

“I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and Non-violence are as old as the hills. All I have done is to try experiments in both on as vast as a scale I could.”

-Mahatma Gandhi

It is clear from his words that he followed the path of ahimsa and non-violence for in his times he had preached these practices to his followers. To contradict his theory another great legend quoted:

“It is our duty to pay for our liberty with our own blood. The freedom that we shall win through our sacrifice and exertions, we shall be able to preserve with our own strength.”

-Subhash Chandra Bose

From his words it is clear that Subhash Bose or commonly called as Netaji believed in driving away the British through violence and waging wars.

Both Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. They were loved by the masses. But between themselves, these two icons of India's freedom movement shared a rather frosty relationship and history is replete with instances of trenchant differences between them.

Although Subhash Chandra was a follower of Gandhi during the initial days, the later part of the 1930s witnessed a growing radicalization of his thoughts and Bose became increasingly frustrated with the lack of momentum in the independence movement. As Bose started to assert his bold stance in various party forums, it led to a polarization in the Congress party ranks.

Bose found himself frequently at loggerheads with Gandhi and their differences often came out in the public. All these bickering reached a climax when Subhash Chandra Bose became Congress President for a second term in 1939 defeating Gandhi-nominated candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Unable to hide his displeasure, Mahatma commented "Subhash victory is my defeat." But this unhealthy environment within the party made Bose's task all the more difficult and soon he resigned from his post

Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi also disagreed over their visions for the post-Independence Indian state. Bose was influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union and he advocated for a socialist nation with an industrialized economy. Gandhi was opposed to the very concept of industrialization.

In spite of all the differences in ideologies, both these great men admired and respected each other. In 1942 Gandhi called Subhash Bose the "Prince among the Patriots" for his great love for the country. Bose too admired Gandhi and in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, he called Mahatma Gandhi "The Father of Our Nation."

The Second World War insured the weakening of the British hold over India and unleashed forces that the British could not control. Hitler by his actions in starting a World War in reality hastened Indian Independence. What if the war had not taken place? There is every chance that Indian’s would still be singing "God Save the Queen”. That is a sobering thought. Hitler will thus never be regarded with disdain in India. So, I wouldn’t have supported Subhash Bose or Gandhiji for they were not the sole cause for India to attain independence. Gandhiji’s ahimsa could not be completely relied on for the British were very powerful and in the mood of colonizing. Netaji’s plans for wars would only lead to the depletion of the Indian race for the British had heavier and powerful weapons and strategies. I wouldn’t have supported both of them and have stated the cause of independence was the World War II.

- AMRITHA CHANDRAMOULI

X-B DESH

The Indian independence movement includes a wide range of movements, organizations and philosophies which had the common aim to end the rule of the East India Company. Amongst thousands of freedom fighters two men with different ideologies stood out. Their names were Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose.

I take a neutral stance because both their methods helped us gain freedom. Gandhi’s Satyagraha won him the support of the masses. Subash Chandra Bose sought to revolutionary methods to win freedom.

Why support Gandhi?

Gandhiji movements played a very significant role in gaining freedom. His movements were met with positive response and people from all over the country joined him. We have no chance of knowing what would have happened if Gandhi wasn’t in the picture. So it was the effort of Gandhi and others that won us freedom from the British

Gandhi was highly disturbed by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre; Rowlatt act etc and this led him to launch the non-cooperation movement. This movement spread throughout the country and created extraordinary public upsurge. People from all sections of the society joined hands for this movement. This movement helped the congress to become a national party. The party had support from all sections of the society. The non-cooperation movement led to the formation of hindu-muslim unity. This was serious threat for the British government. People were no longer afraid of the British government’s tyranny and suppression. The Britishers lost the support of the Indians and they knew that we wanted them out of our country. Gandhiji then opposed the Simon commission because it didn’t constitute of a single Indian member. When the commission arrived in India, they faced boycott and lots of agitation from the people. So they made several reforms for the welfare of the country. The launch of the civil disobedience movement was in retaliation against the Britishers’ action; the Simon commission, the death of Lala Lajpat Rai and ignoring the eleven point demand of Gandhi. As a result Gandhiji launched the Civil disobedience Movement. After the Dandi March, states like Tamil-Nadu, Assam also broke the salt laws. A no tax movement took place in Gujarat. Police stations, railway stations, government buildings were burnt down. The impact of the movement: the British realized that Indians wanted nothing but freedom. They weren’t afraid of the British government any more. British government had to grant access to temples, public places etc. Terrorism also took a backseat and Gandhi proved that violence was not the key to everything. In 1942, the quit India movement was launched due to the failure of the Cripps Mission, disintegration of the British Empire, people were scared about the Japanese attacks. Gandhi then thought that this was the right time to start the movement. This movement was to end the British rule immediately. While giving a speech Gandhiji said that either we will free India or die in this attempt. This was popularly known as Do or Die. Though the movement was a failure it had a great impact on the people. The movement showed the British that it was no longer possible to rule over the Indians against their wishes. The British authority collapsed and the Indians developed political consciousness and they had become daring enough to question the authority of the British.

What about Subash Chandra Bose?

Popularly known as Netaji, Subash Chandra Bose was daring revolutionary. After his fall out with Gandhi, he quit the congress and went ahead to form the Forward Bloc. This party’s motive was to attain complete freedom and after attaining independence make changes in the Indian society. Subash Chandra Bose formed INA which came as a serious blow to the British. They received a lot of support and publicity from the masses. The INA was an inspiration to many and there were many uprisings across the country. The INA convinced the British that their rule in India was coming to an end.

So it is fair to say that both Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose contributed in the Indian independence movement. Their dedication and countless sacrifices won us freedom.

- By Ananya Shankar

Both Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. They were loved by the masses and feared by the Raj. While the aim of both Nethaji and Gandhiji was the same,there are two fundamental differences in the ideologies and approaches of these two great men.

Firstly, while Gandhiji advocated non-violence and talks with the British, Netaji was of the opinion that there should be no compromise with the British and that any and every means should be employed to free India. Nethaji strongly believed to get freedom at any cost

Secondly, they also disagreed over their visions for the post-Independence Indian state. Bose was influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union and he advocated a socialist nation with an industrialized economy. Gandhi was opposed to the very concept of industrialization.

Thirdly, Gandhiji, famous for his non-violence movement world over and regarded as the father of the nation in India is the true hero who not only earned the respect and applause for freeing India from the shackles of British Empire but was an integral part of the then formed Congress Government post 15^thAugust 1947.“Netaji” Subhash Chandra Bose, the terror for the then British Empire in India failed to earn love and respect among not only Indians but also among British allies, though has been able to acquire a strong follower base across Eastern India and some Anti-British super powers.

Had I lived in that era, I think I would have taken Gandhiji’s side. I have 3 reasons for this.

Firstly, I totally agree with Gandhiji’s view that the means DO NOT justify the end. Gandhiji believed in the virtue of upholding ideals at any cost. He believed in the intrinsic value of truth and non-violence. I feel that this view is more ethical than Nethaji’s “freedom at all costs” point of view.

Secondly, I strongly disapprove of Nethaji’s choice of aggression and violence as tools in his quest for freedom. He believed that Mahatma Gandhi's tactics of non-violence would never be sufficient to secure India's independence, and advocated a more aggressive resistance. Such aggression does not appeal to me. Violence beget violence. Love is always a superior tool than hatred. Hence, I prefer Gandhiji’s peaceful methods.

Thirdly, I find Gandhiji’s conviction inspiring. Not only did he believe in the right ideals and fight for a just cause through just means, this great man was even willing to give up his life for his morals, but never his morals for anything including his life.

- By Arvind Subramanian

The Indian Freedom Movement was a great turning point in the history of India. It marked the development of the spirit of freedom in Indians and the upcoming end of the British rule. Two of the greatest people who contributed for this movement are Mahatma Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose. Even though they fought for the same cause, ironically, there was a great difference in the way they fought. Gandhi fought passively in a peaceful way whereas, Bose fought in a violent, fearsome way. Both ways have their pros and cons; however, personally I prefer the way Bose fought.

Bose was a man of brawn and brain. He was one who challenged the British with his own stubbornness to give yield to dominance. He made this extremely apparent once. Bose was selected to go to England for higher studies after he wrote the Civil Services exam. However, Bose wanted to prove to the British that he was one with his homeland and refused the request. As Bose grew, so did his hatred towards the British. He resolved that he would bring freedom to India.

For someone to notice the state of a poor man, there must be a richer man for this demarcates the line of difference between them. Much the same way, the British did not recognize Gandhi due to his peaceful methods. It was only when Bose rose, with his pro-active measures and vehemence that the British tended to attend to the requests of the people who used more peaceful methods, like Gandhi. Gandhi was able to show the British that he did not like them ruling India though he did not do this in the extremities. Bose happened to know that one should fire with fire, he recognized that the British established their dominance through violence and hence he should be violent as well.

The British learned fear when Bose came up. Hence, they had him arrested and jailed. Bose knew that to win, he had to outsmart what he cannot get with aggression and get with aggression what he cannot outsmart. He used his intelligence and cunningness to escape from prison. He had a malwi visit him in prison. The malwi brought equipment to make Bose look like him. The malwi then traded clothes with Bose and made him where the disguise. After sometime, Bose came out dressed as the malwi and escaped.

Bose was highly developed in strategic thinking and taking advantage of the adversary’s weakness. During World War II, the British had to engage in the battle and were preoccupied in it. Bose recognized this as the right time to strike. He had already resigned from the post of congress leader and started the Forward Bloc. He gathered a group of Indian soldiers and formed the Indian National Army (INA). However, Bose realized that the manpower was not enough to win a battle against British. Hence, he decided that forming an alliance with the Axis Forces in World War II would gain him a potential advantage against the British. He tried to gain alliance with Adolf Hitler but to no avail. Hence, he formed an alliance with the Japan soldiers. He went to Singapore and added the Indian Prisoners of War to INA. However, the Allied Forces managed to win World War II and Bose lost to the British.

After the defeat, Bose was nowhere to be found. Some claimed to have seen him around the Himalayan region but Bose was declared dead as there was no evidence of such sightings. Bose managed to strengthen the spirits of Indians, which led to several more revolts weakening and frightening the British.

Bose was born in Bengal, a region which had already experienced several invasions and one of the first places captured by the British. Hence, he was already born with the spirit to fight. Gandhi however was born in a safer region, Gujarat. Gandhi was physically weak but mentally strong while Bose was strong in both aspects. Bose therefore was a born aggressive leader. In all these ways, it can be easily seen that Bose was a strong catalyst in the Freedom movement compared to Gandhi, who was too passive. From my view, Bose knew what he wanted and how to get it faster while Gandhi was unable to express the latter clearly to people. Due to the passiveness of Gandhian principles, the Indian independence was delayed. Moreover, Pakistan captured parts of Kashmir and Chinese captured parts of India after Independence as people had become docile and the government was weak kneed. Perhaps, if a greater number of people had followed Bose, the battle would have turned tides and we would have achieved independence faster. From all these, it is evident that if I were at that time I would have thought following Bose would be more successful than following Gandhi and would have supported him.

- By Ashwath Anbuchelvan

There is not one city in this world which does not have a road named after Mahatma Gandhi. Almost all the cities in this world either have a road named after Mahatma Gandhi, or a Library named after Mahatma Gandhi or Mahatma Gandhi’s Statue. Mahatma’s life was a message to the world.

In my opinion Mahatma Gandhi is a true leader of all times. The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority and he influenced people through his actions. Undoubtedly the icons of India’s freedom movement Mahatma and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose dedicated their entire lives to the cause of Indian freedom. They were unconditionally and equally loved by the people and the British feared them, but Gandhiji stood out through his self -collected indomitable spirit while Netaji’s driving attitude through the testing times of India’s freedom movement did not bring the desired results.

Netaji who was an ardent devotee and follower of Mahatma, imbibed his spirits but in the late 1930’s the nation actually witnesses the icy relationship and the difference of opinion between them. While Netaji was impulsive, Mahatma was premeditated. Netaji felt disappointingly unsuccessful because he could not feel and see the impulse in the independence movement led by Mahatma. Netaji felt aggressiveness in every vertical was the only way to bring desired results. The paradigm shift in thought process between the two led to polarization in the congress. Netaji failed to understand Mahatma’s assertiveness and resigned from the post OF Congress President . If only Mahatma and Netaji worked on their differences and had a synergy ,India could have achieved a lot more. Netaji admired Mahatma in Private and criticized him in public, had it been the other way around it would have been great for India.

Netaji being convinced with the success of the five year plan in the Soviet Union had the right decision at the wrong situation and advocated for a socialist nation with an industrialized economy. Gandhiji opposed this and since then the nation witnessed the frosty relation exhibited by Netaji towards Mahatma. The civil disobedience which Gandhiji exhibited was the right approach to all problems. The British actually feared Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha- Dandi March and Non Cooperation & Non - violence movement alongside he worked hard to alleviate poverty, liberate women and put an end to caste discrimination, with the ultimate objective being self-rule for India. Gandhiji attended the London Round Table Conference on Indian constitutional reform immediately after he was released from the prison, this shook the British. In 1946, he negotiated with the Cabinet Mission which recommended the new constitutional structure. After independence (1947), he tried to stop the Hindu-Muslim conflict in Bengal; in a nut shell he was firing from all cylinders to see India a democratic Sovereign and a secular country. Only when Gandhiji started the Quit India Movement in 1942 the British realized firmly they had no choice but to leave India, but before they decided to leave , they decided to give India a permanent problem by dividing India and Pakistan. Gandhiji was deeply grieved that India was divided by the British into India and Pakistan. We are witnessing every moment what Gandhiji feared long back that if India and Pakistan were divided there would be a constant war between them. He was a visionary and had we understood his intellectual and political forecast, we would have fore earned.

He led a simple life and wore only khadi clothes; he renounced everything for the sake of betterment of India and people of India. He motivated the people to use the charkha to make cloth every day. The people in India loved him and called him Bapu. He is indeed the Father of the Nation. Although, he is no longer with us, his ideas and his writings are an important part of our lives which continue to inspire us to be motivated and influence us on the right path. Mahatma Gandhi lived and died for the welfare of his countrymen. He wanted us to be Indian first and Indian last.

Globalization has an undesired impact on our economy which Gandhiji was against it from the get go. I completely endorse the fact what Historians have stated “If only we had listened to Gandhi and not let India- Pakistan partition, Hindustan would have been the most developed country in the world.

- By Avinash Ram

If I had lived in the period of Gandhiji and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose,I would have definitely followed Gandhiji’s principles and methods in the freedom struggle.

This is because ,Subash Chandra bose adapted the method of HIMSA(OR VIOLENCE) while, Gandhiji followed the method of AHIMSA(OR NON-VIOLENCE).This made Subash Chandra Bose attempt to defeat the Britishers by means of war.

Due to the superiority in the British force, the Indian force lost wars and faced many economical losses along with loss of many lives too. This was one of the disadvantages of Subash Chandra Bose’s methods.

Subash Chandra Bose believed that, “If a person slaps you once ,slap him back twice”.

This policy failed to get support from the masses. This was one more disadvantage in the methods of Bose. At the same time Ghandhiji believed that-no matter how much the opponent attacks ,one must stay patient and must not react in a violent way.

Gandhiji’s attempt towards freedom struggle was more consistent and determined than the methods of Subash Chandra Bose. This was one more advantage in Gandhiji’s methods.

Gandhiji believed in Christianity with the same faith that he had in Hinduism. He was brutally honest and very patient and determined in order to achieve his goal (Independence of India).

He was insulted and humiliated in many ways by the British. He was even pushed out of a train. But all this did not make Gandhiji any weak.

Apart from all this Gandhiji , also followed many other movements that helped in freedom struggle.

They were:

Non Co-operation movement: It was a movement of non-violent protests that were made to make the Indians aware of the unfair attitude of the Britishers. In this movement, British goods werence movement boycotted, books were burnt etc.

Civil disobedience movement: This movement delt with the abolition of salt tax, land revenue and other unfair acts of the British. This was more effective than the non co-operation movement.

A very important movement was that of salt Sathyagraha where Gandhi undertook the Dandi march as a protest against salt tax.

Quit India movement : This was one more movement that was carried out by Gandhiji .This movement was even more intense and effective than the Non co-operation movement and the Civil disobedience movement. This movement forced the Britishers to quit India and leave. The quote “Do or Die ” was followed.

All these movements followed by Gandhiji made his mode of freedom struggle more effective than Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s methods of freedom struggle.

One more reason was that, Mahathma Gandhi did not have any criminal records of assassinating British officials whereas, there were criminal records on Subash Bose for the violent movements he carried.

This is the reason why I would have supported Gandhiji ‘s methods of freedom struggle over Subash Bose’s methods of freedom struggle.

On the whole, both Gandhiji and Netaji Subash Chandra Bose were capable freedom fighters who just differed in their methods to achieve freedom for their country. But their love and patriotism towards the country was no less.

- By Balasubramanian S

Both Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were extremely dedicated to the cause of freedom. They were looked up to, by the masses and feared by the British. But these two icons of India believed in completely different ideologies and stood by different principles. The foremost point of difference between the two was that Gandhji believed in attaining freedom through non-violent means by showing displeasure through countrywide movements, protests and negotiations with the British. He was strongly against bloodshed but instead advocated resistance to show the true power of the Indians. On the other hand, Subhash Chadra Bose inspired people towards a radical militant temper. He believed that Indians were in no way inferior to the British in terms of military strength and believed that war was the only way to get rid of the British from the Indian subcontinent. He believed in violence. Also, Bose demanded for the complete freedom of India unlike Gandhiji who wanted independence in phases through dominion status. This was maybe one of the reasons why the British were compassionate about Gandhiji and his ways as he could not harm them in anyway whereas Bose was branded as a rebel against ‘Her Majesty’. Gandhiji’s political moves and negotiations were very clever as he steadily achieved his goal. It may be argued that Gandhiji did not earn India the deserved freedom, but he was undoubtedly successful in receiving free India as a gift from the British.

In my opinion, supporting Gandhiji in the Indian freedom movement would be a wiser thing to do. He opposed the violent way to achieve freedom and I think he is right in his approach because the British had extended their empire so much so that it was like the sun never set in their kingdom. On top of that they had an extremely well trained band of army, naval and air forces. Harsh, but true – the British were far more superior to the Indians in terms of military strength and the very thought of waging war against them would be a waste of time and energy. India was lacking in that aspect and Gandhiji knew that. He played to their strengths and invented Satyagraha and ahimsa to disturb their mind set and to win over the British psychologically. He taught the Indians the true art of resistance, courage and sacrifice. His wise words touched many hearts all over the country and by the time he implemented his plans, he had thousands of followers. Subhash Chandra Bose had failed to earn as much respect and love as Gandhiji did, not only by the Indians, but also the British allies.

This definitely doesn’t mean that Subhash Chandra Bose had no role to play in the Indian freedom movement but just means that Gandhiji was greater than him as he carried the freedom struggle to the masses and involved most of the Indian residents, pleading them to fight for what is rightfully theirs. No one can doubt Gandhijis sincerity, genuineness and spiritual greatness. There is a reason why he is called ‘The father of our nation’.

- By Deeksha

Two extreme polar approaches characterized India’s struggle for freedom. One is the passive, non-violent approach of Mohandas.K.Gandhi.The other is the active armed resistance of Subhash Chandra Bose.

Gandhi believed in a passive approach in order to achieve freedom. He took to non-cooperation, non-violence and civil disobedience as his means to protest against the doings of the British. When Gandhi came to India, the country was deeply divided. The kings ruled their kingdoms by making suitable arrangements with the British. The western educated elite Indians took care of themselves by working under the British. The masses were impoverish and uneducated. They had none to help them, lead them, and save them from their plight. Furthermore, the country was divided on the lines of culture, language and religion. It was nearly an impossible task to create a sense of unity among such diverse groups and lead a revolution against the British. The weak and poor masses were in no position to participate in an armed rebellion.

Considering the condition of the Indian society in those days, Gandhiji perhaps felt that a compliant and non-violent form of revolution was more practically realizable.

On the other hand, Subhash Bose was in pursuit of a free India at its earliest. He believed in the use of weaponry against the British and with conflicts arising between him and the congress, he was forced to quit. After being kept under house arrest by the British, Bose escaped from India to Afghanistan, which was en route to Russia. He planned to seek help at Russia and after disguising himself he made his way via Kabul to the borders of the Soviet Union. With a disappointing result at Russia, Bose approached the axis powers at Germany where he sought the help of Adolf Hitler. He realized that even if Hitler agreed to help him, he had no real intentions of helping. On being denied help by Hitler, he left in a Japanese submarine for the east. With the help of the Japanese, he took shelter at Singapore. Here, he was helped by the Indian Independence League which evolved into the Indian National Army or Azad hind fauj. Bose’ army consisted of soldiers of the Indian British army who had been taken in as prisoners of war by the Japanese after the battle of Singapore. With the creation of the Indian national army, the British army at India began to get weaker. Bose’ strategies also incited the Royal Indian Navy mutiny where Indian sailors began to revolt against the British.

Gandhi succeeded in awakening the country and creating a sense of unity. His work highlighted village reform which was essential at that time. He supported a people-friendly economy and moved away from the western capitalist model. Though all these were positive trends in India, they weren’t sufficiently strong factors to compel the British to leave India. The non-violent resistance offered by the Gandhian movement could not have melted the hearts of the hard-hearted British rulers. They left India because after the World War II the situation became so bad that it was practically impossible for the British to rule India.

The ideal of non-violence when imposed universally is bound to fail. Barring rare exceptions, in most people there is an inherent tendency towards violence, either latent or exposed. When these tendencies are properly channelized by proper training, individuals with crude natures evolve into fine heroes. Here lies the merit of Bose’ approach. He wanted Indians to stand up to the British heroically and not just be bulldozed by them defenselessly. He exhorted Indians with these words-

“Give me blood and I will give you freedom”

If contemporary India imbibed the spirit of Bose characterized by the qualities of heroism, dynamism, and a manly struggle towards a lofty goal, we would progress much faster as a nation and occupy our rightful place on the world’s stage in the 21^st century.

- By Dyuti Chakravarthy

In the 1930s India was under the British rule for about 200 years. The British were looting our natural resources and were showing no signs of leaving India. They broke the country into various factions, by tactfully following the Divide and Rule policy.

Indian National Congress (INC) representing majority Indians was opposing to the British policies and was fighting for the independence and betterment of India. INC which was initially demanding Self-Governance, demanded “Poorna Swaraj” or “Complete Independence” by 1930s. During this time, two prominent leaders, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose – with totally different ideologies - were the rising stars amongst the many leaders growing in the country and in the INC.

“Mahatma” Gandhi, known for “Ahimsa”, “Truth” and “Satyagraha” had huge followers and many leaders in India accepted his principles and his leadership. His movement was recognized world over and he regarded as the “Father of the Nation” in India earned the respect and applause for freeing India from the shackles of British Rule

Subash Chandra Bose, prominently known as “Netaji”, was a terror to the then British Empire in India. He, however, failed to muster and earn love and respect not only amongst a majority of Indians but also amongst British allies. This was because of his nature of “not trying to please all”, and being “politically incorrect” in his approach.

Bose found himself frequently at loggerheads with Gandhi and their differences often came out in the public. All these bickering reached a climax when Subash Chandra Bose became Congress President for a second term in 1939 defeating Gandhi-nominated candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Unable to hide his displeasure, Mahatma Gandhi commented "Subash's victory is my defeat." But this unhealthy environment within the party made Bose’s tasks all the more difficult and soon he resigned from his post.

The point of difference between Gandhi and Netaji arose not only from their ideologies – violence or non-violence, but also from Netaji’s demand for complete freedom of India from the British which was unacceptable to them, in contrast to Gandhi’s diplomatic efforts to slowly bring Independence to India in phases by first bringing “Self Governance” and then for a Full and Free Independent India.

The British were happy and comfortable in dealing with Gandhi as he did not present them to be a great danger whereas Netaji, branded as a rebel against ‘Her Majesty’, was busy making friends with Her Majesty’s enemies - the Germans, Italians and Japanese. Netaji was also raising a strong army – Indian National Army (INA). INA was formed from Prisoners of War amongst the Indian soldiers; mainly from the Gorkha and the Sikh regiments, who had fought for the British against the Japanese in Singapore.

There were marked differences between Subash Chandra Bose and Gandhi over their visions in the formation of the post-Independence Indian state. Bose was immensely influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union. He thus advocated for a socialistic pattern of Society with an industrialized economy. Gandhi has opposed to the very concept of industrialization as he was a staunch advocate of developing rural economy “Gram Rajya”.

In spite of all the differences in ideologies, both these great men admired and respected each other. In 1942 Gandhi called Subash Bose the "Prince among the Patriots" for his great love for the country. Bose too admired Gandhi and in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, he called Mahatma Gandhi "The Father of Our Nation."

Many citizens during that time, were aware of the sacrifices and heroic efforts of Subash Chandra Bose and admired him. Freedom Fighters like Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh were followers of Netaji’s ideologies and their sacrifices are held in great esteem even today.

Though I respect The Mahatma for his ideologies, my support will always be with Netaji for he comes across as a man of action – a person who took steps to change things rather than waiting for change to happen.

I also believe that while Non-Violence is a great tool to maintain peace, a show of brute strength is required to bring fear to the minds of our suppressors.

Lord Clement Atlee, the British Prime Minister responsible for conceding independence to India, also stated that Gandhi’s influence on the British leaving India was minimal, the principal reason being the erosion of loyalty to the British Crown among the Indian Army and Navy personnel as a result of the military activities of Netaji.

Hence it is sad that while we remember various leaders by celebrating their birth/death days no such honour is given to Netaji – the man who brought freedom within our reach.

- By Harish

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was also known as Mahatma Gandhi. He was a preeminent leader of the Indian nationalism during the British rule in India. He followed the principle of non violence, civil rights and freedom across the world. He freed our country India from the clutches of the British . All of this was done by his historical reformation movements , his principles and all his solutions to problems. He sometimes used to ignore the British and continue with his work. Mahatma Gandhi made many movements like :-

(i)Khilafat movement-

In 1919 Gandhi, with his weak position in Congress, decided to broaden his base by

increasing his appeal to Muslims. The opportunity came from the Khilafat movement a worldwide protest by Muslims against the collapsing status of the Caliph, the leader of their religion.

(ii) Non Cooperation:

With Congress now behind him in 1920, Gandhi had the base to employ non-cooperation, non-violence and peaceful resistance as his "weapons" in the struggle against the British Raj. His wide popularity among both Hindus and Muslims made his leadership possible; he even convinced the extreme faction of Muslims to support peaceful non-cooperation. The spark that ignited a national protest was overwhelming anger at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (or Amritsar massacre) of hundreds of peaceful civilians by British troops in Punjab. Many Britons celebrated the action as needed to prevent another violent uprising similar to the Rebellion of 1857, an attitude that caused

many Indian leaders to decide the Raj was controlled by their enemies. Gandhi criticised both the actions of the British Raj and the retaliatory violence of Indians.

(iii) Salt March-

The British did not respond. On 31 December 1929, the flag of India was unfurled in Lahore. 26 January 1930 was celebrated as India's Independence Day by the Indian National Congress meeting in Lahore. This day was commemorated by almost every other Indian organisation. Gandhi then launched a new Satyagraha against the tax on salt in March 1930. This was highlighted by the famous Salt March to Dandi from 12 March to 6 April, where he marched 388 kilometres from Ahmedabad to Dandi, Gujarat to make salt himself. Thousands of Indians joined him on this march to the sea. This campaign was one of his most successful at upsetting British

hold on India; Britain responded by imprisoning over 60,000 people.

Gandhi stayed out of active politics and, as such, the limelight for most of the 1920s. He focused instead on resolving the wedge between the Swaraj Party and the Indian National Congress, and expanding initiatives against untouchability, alcoholism, ignorance and poverty. He returned to the fore in 1928. In the preceding year, the British government had appointed a new constitutional reform commission under Sir John Simon, which did not include any Indian as its member. The result was a boycott of the commission by Indian political parties. Gandhi pushed through a resolution at the Calcutta Congress in December 1928 calling on the British government to grant India dominion status or face a new campaign of non-cooperation with complete independence for the country as its goal. Gandhi had not only moderated the

views of younger men like Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, who sought a demand for immediate independence, but also reduced his own call to a one year wait, instead of two.

Doing all of these movements he with the help of the citizens where able to free India. I would have supported Gandhi.

- By Jayashree V V

Both Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. They were loved by the masses and feared by the Raj. But between themselves, these two icons of India's freedom movement shared a rather frosty relationship and history is replete with instances of trenchant differences between them.

Although Subhash Chandra was a follower of Gandhi during the initial days, the later part of the 1930s witnessed a growing radicalization of his thoughts and Bose became increasingly frustrated with the lack of momentum in the independence movement. As Bose started to assert his bold stance in various party forums, it led to a polarization in the Congress party ranks.

Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi also disagreed over their visions for the post-Independence Indian state. Bose was influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union and he advocated for a socialist nation with an industrialized economy. Gandhi was opposed to the very concept of industrialization.

In spite of all the differences in ideologies, both these great men admired and respected each other. In 1942 Gandhi called Subhash Bose the "Prince among the Patriots" for his great love for the country. Bose too admired Gandhi and in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, he called Mahatma Gandhi "The Father of Our Nation."

I personally prefer Mahatma Gandhi mainly because of his of his methods of non-violence though Subash Bose’s way sounds cooler. If a more extreme method for independence like war (Subash Bose’s idea) had been followed it would have left India in a mess and put much more danger to civilians’ lives.

The evolution of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi into the 'Mahatma ' of our times very much hinges on the principles that were the guiding light of his life. Till his last breath, Gandhiji unflinchingly adhered to these philosophies often referred by the collective term 'Gandhism'. Over the years the thoughts and the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi have inspired generations across the world and they have often been the bedrock of civil rights movements waged against oppressive regimes

Truth
Truth or 'Satya' was the sovereign principle of Mahatma Gandhi's life. The Mahatma's life was an eternal conquest to discover truth and his journey to that end was marked by experiments on himself and learning from his own mistakes. Fittingly his autobiography was titled 'My Experiments with Truth.' Gandhi strictly maintained that the concept of truth is above and beyond of all other considerations and one must unfailingly embrace truth throughout one's life.

Satyagraha
Gandhiji pioneered the term Satyagraha which literally translates to 'an endeavor for truth.' In the context of Indian freedom movement, Satyagraha meant the resistance to the British oppression through mass civil obedience. The tenets of Truth or Satya and nonviolence were pivotal to the Satyagraha movement and Gandhi ensured that the millions of Indians seeking an end to British rule adhered to these basic principles stesdfastly.

Nonviolence
The principle of nonviolence or Ahimsa has been integral to many Indian religions and Mahatma Gandhi espoused for total nonviolence in the Indian freedom struggle. He was determined to purge the Satyagraha movement of any violent elements and incidents of violence by Satyagrahis in Chauri Chaura, Uttar Pradesh led him to call off the civil disobedience movement. Gandhi's adoption of vegetarianism is often regarded a manifestation of his faith in the principles of nonviolence.

Khadi
Khadi, an unassuming piece of handspun and hand-woven cloth, embodies the simplicity synonymous with Mahatma Gandhi's persona. After renouncing the western attire of his advocacy days in South Africa, Gandhi embraced the practice of weaving his own clothes from thread he himself spun and encouraged others to follow suit. Mahatma used the adoption of Khadi as a subtle economic tool against the British industrial might and also as a means of generating rural employment in India.

All these methods meant less danger to the people.

It paid off.

- Kamesh

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on the 2^nd of October, 1969, in Porbandar, India. He studied law in London, England, but in 1893 went to South Africa, where he spent 20 years opposing discrimination in legislation against Indians.

Gandhi became the stalwart of the Indian independence movement, organizing boycotts against British institutions in peaceful forms of civil disobedience. He is most well-known for his policy of Ahimsa or non-violence.

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the world blind”.

He became one of the most influential political and spiritual leaders of the colonial and post-colonial period. The ideology of Satyagraha, advocated by him, remains one of the most potent philosophies in freedom struggles throughout the world today. He was shot dead in 1948 by Nathuram Godse, a religious fanatic.

Even after his death, Gandhi's commitment to non-violence and his belief in simple living--making his own clothes, eating a vegetarian diet, and using fasts for self-purification as well as a means of protest -- have been a beacon of hope for oppressed and discriminated people throughout the world.

BOSE

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on the 23^rd of January, 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa, to Janaki Nath Bose and Prabhavati Devi. His father was a famous lawyer and his mother was a religious lady.

Right from his childhood he was a bright student and was a topper in the matriculation examination from the whole of Calcutta province. He graduated from the Scottish Church College in Kolkata, West Bengal with a First Class degree in Philosophy. Influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, he was known for his patriotic zeal as a student. He then went to England to pursue his dream as a civil servant. He later came back to India.

He worked as the leader of the Bengal Congress and eventually the Indian National Congress. He promoted industrialization and fought for the end of the British rule over the country. His politics came into conflict with the ideas offered by Mahatma Gandhi and Bose later allied himself with Japan to create the Indian National Army. His death and cause of death have not yet been confirmed.

Among the fourteen siblings, he was the ninth child. He went to England to accomplish his parents' desire to appear in the Indian Civil Services.

Who I would have supported had I lived during the Indian Freedom Movement

Both Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were great leaders, devoted to the cause of Indian independence.. Revered by the people and feared for their influence by the British, they are arguably India’s greatest heroes. However, Subhas Chandra Bose’ revolutionary approach to obtaining freedom was far more successful in stirring fear in the hearts of the British. His radical ideas and beliefs were much bolder and portrayed a stronger will.

Although he was frequently featured in arguments with Gandhi, he voluntarily quit the Congress, for he knew that it was up to him to create his own army. Furthermore, Bose’ ideas of a socialist India where everyone would be equal, with an industrialized and developed economy, were more in pace with the world then. Gandhi’s vision of India was much more primitive and ancient. Gandhi was opposed to the idea of industrialization itself.

- By Karthik Sriram

If I had lived during the period of the Indian freedom movement I would have supported Gandhiji and his methods of attaining freedom for India and its people from the British regime.

I believe I would have done this for the following reasons;

Subhash Chandra Bose method of fighting against the British physically would have not have yielded the desired result as at that particular time the British were far superior in military strength possessing modern weapons like the Enfield rifle. Subhash Chandra Bose’s violent methods would have got most of us killed. In his desperation to build an army to fight the British he had asked Adolf Hitler’s help, which though tactically might have been the right move to disengage India from British hold but would have been strategically disastrous had later Germans refused to vacate.

Gandhiji fought against the British psychologically and intellectually using his knowledge of British law in a non-violent manner providing India the moral high in the eyes of other nations. Gandhiji was a man of good values and high morals giving him superior judgement thus making him more reliable to gain independence from the British. Gandhiji economic blockade against the British by urging Indians to wear home spun INDIAN clothes than wearing British clothes and organising the Dhandi march in order to bring India salt from its ocean rather than buying it from the British shows his political acumen to hit the British where it would hurt. He even led by example wearing home spun himself. Gandhiji belief in the virtue “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind” wouldn’t let him harm any person irrespective of whether that person is a friend or foe prevented Indians from harming English soldiers thereby not provoking the British Government. Even after the Jalianwallabagh massacre he didn’t retort to any violent means though he was angry and frustrated shaming the British in the eyes of the world. Gandhiji was just, as when Indians committed crimes like killing or assaulting British soldiers he would fast thus bringing the errant Indians under control and led a nation on the path of non-violence. Gandhiji while being a complete pacifist he was also rebellious; he once refused to pay a fine of Rs.100 to get out of jail subsequently forcing the government to bail him out of jail for no money. British tried to separate India by taking advantage over the many religions Gandhiji fought it with his secular vision. He seems to have had a quiver full of arrows.

Gandhi’s vision of independence I believe was shaped by what India was; he made numerous visits to the peasants who were going through harsh times to listen to their problems; he travelled length and breadth of the country to connect with the common man; he understood India and truly believed India as the land of agricultural and even resembled the common man. In my mind, this is the kind of leader that I would have liked to follow; a symbol of hope for million Indians at that time and the father of a nation indeed.

- By Nikhil Vijayanambi

It is impossible to say how I would have reacted or who I would have supported between the radically opposing principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose if I were living during the freedom struggle, but assuming I did, I only want to clarify the side I would have chosen based on facts ascertained over the years after the goal they both sought out was achieved – Indian Independence from the British.

On one hand, Gandhiji was a moderate leader who played a pivotal role in the freedom struggle using Non-Violent Civil disobedience, promoting self-sufficiency across the country, opposing industrialization and undertaking fasts as a means of political mobilization. He envisioned India as a democracy, believed in truth and non-violence, lived modestly and wore traditional Indian dhoti and shawl woven by him.

On the other hand, Subhash Chandra Bose was a leader who was willing to turn to the Axis Powers to achieve Purna Swaraj (total independence) of the country by force. With Japanese support, he organised the Indian National Army (INA), and came from Japan to as far as Burma thus unsettling the British Rule until they were finally defeated. Since being ousted early from the Indian National Congress, he has always had differences with their moderate measures and believed in a socialist nation, and was a strong supporter of industrialization.

Most of Mahatma Gandhi’s movements like protesting the Dandi March(salt tax), the Non-Co-operation Movement, the Civil Disobedience and the Quit India movements, albeit very powerful were very long drawn out movements which took considerable time to get any tangible response from the British. But it was a combination of all these movements that finally led to the British resigning from India. Bose took a more radical stance and in a period of 4 years from 1941 to 1945, he was able to travel, make relations with powerful governments, form an entire army and destabilize the British rule in India. While Bose could not gather as much popular support from the Indian Masses for his movements, but he was equally pivotal in accelerating push for Indian Independence.

I would personally lean equally on both sides as I feel that the two leaders were both necessary to bring about the quick removal of British rule from India. Maybe if Bose would have lived earlier it is even possible that his action based measures coupled with Gandhi’s Quit India movements could have brought about Independence even a few years earlier. But having said that, both the leaders were focused on one common goal and despite their difference, they even appreciated each other. In 1942, Gandhi called Subhash Bose the "Prince among the Patriots" for his great love for the country. Bose too admired Gandhi and in a radio broadcast from Rangoon in 1944, he called Mahatma Gandhi "The Father of Our Nation." Hence it can be seen the two leaders themselves accepted the necessity of the other’s existence for Indian Independence, even though they were not in agreement on the means the other adopted to achieve this end.

While all of us know Gandhiji as the forerunner of the Indian Freedom Struggle, Clement Attlee, the British Prime Minister during whose rule India became independent, mentioned that INA activities of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (which weakened the Indian Army – the very foundation of the British Empire in India) and the Royal Indian Navy mutiny in 1946 were major reasons that made the British realise that they were no longer in a position to rule India.

Taking all the above mentioned considerations into effect I would like to conclude that I cannot lean on either one of these two great leaders, as it was impossible for both of them to achieve their end goal without the existence of the other.

-By Poojita Sundararajan

I would choose to support Gandhiji. I have various reasons for choosing Gandhiji over Bose. History shows us that peace and love always triumphs.

To understand why I choose Gandhi over Subash Chandra Bose, we must know a bit of their history. Gandhiji was a moderate, who protested non violently against the various exploitations of the British. He was a part of the Indian National Congress (INC) . So was Bose. In fact Bose was elected president twice, by the INC. Although Subash Chandra was a follower of Gandhi during the initial days, the later part of the 1930s witnessed a growing radicalization of his thoughts and Bose became increasingly frustrated with the lack of momentum in the independence movement. Both had different ideas and thoughts which resulted them spitting up. Bose moved on and formed his own army, the Indian National Army (INA).

In my opinion, Gandhiji was a true patriot who loved his country. Not that Subash Chandra Bose was not. Gandhiji , as we all know, he believed in Non Violence. He bore all the sufferings of the people and protested silently against the cruelty of the British. Bose decided to be violent. He made people join his army and fight for freedom. There was a lose of human life and the people who were captured by the British were antagonized. Whereas Gandhi’s idea was slow, but effective and not many were killed by the British. This is why I would have been on Gandhiji’s side if I belonged to that time period. This is why I think he was better than Bose, for the kind of person he was.

Besides, it was Gandhi who brought us freedom, not Bose. Bose and his army entered India along with the Japanese troops. Gandhi was popular amongst most of the people in the country. Also, his methods were unique and different. His silent protests, and non violent actions definitely had an impact on the British. History tells us , that the British listened to the Moderates and did not tolerate the Revolutionaries. So, I am pretty sure that I would have supported Gandhi as I would definitely know who would get us our rightful freedom.

Also, Subash Chandra Bose was a fascist. Fascists believe that political violence, war, and Imperialism as a means to achieve national rejuvenation and asserts that nations and races deemed "superior" should attain living space by displacing ones deemed "weak" or "inferior". This means that all people belonging to the middle class and the lower classes would be further ill-treated. Gandhiji, on the other hand believed in equality for all people regardless of their cast, creed religion and such things. I believe that fascism is not suitable for this nation or a large number of people would be jobless and poor. This is yet another reason as to why I would support Gandhiji , and not Bose.

These are one of the few reasons why I choose Gandhiji over Bose. He had various , non violent ideas, and cleverly got us independence. Although, Bose was also a true patriot, he was violent and fascist, and I don’t think it would have done any good to the country.

By : Prasanthy.

Gandhi is today known as the father of our nation. He was a calm man, and believed that every problem had a solution that can be attained by peaceful means. He intended to use the concepts of “ahimsa” (non-violence) and “sathya” (truth) to win India her independence from the clutches of the British. He definitely had the right principles, but did it help in the long run is the question.

Subhash Chandra Bose too was keen on gaining independence. Initially he was with the Indian national congress, but soon he drew away. He had his own plans in mind. He wanted immediate freedom for his nation and was ready to go to any means to attain it. He did not agree with the congress when they said things should be done more slowly and carefully. He went on to start the INA. The Indian National Army.

Bose decided that using violence for a noble purpose was not wrong. But Gandhi disagreed. Personally, I would take a neutral stance.

It was rumoured that soon after his release from prison Bose fled to Germany to make an alliance with Hitler. This was a risky move. His initial thought was that since the British and the Nazis were already waging war against each other, Hitler was sure to extend a helping hand to India. He thought wrong. Hitler at that time was planning a truce with the British. Had Bose been able to talk to Hitler, he could have possibly turned them against India as well; since they were ready to form alliances with the British. I agree that “fire can only be fought with fire”, but Bose chose the wrong approach.

I approve of his choice to form the INA. The aim of the army was to secure Indian independence with Japanese assistance. This might have been successful had they not been double-crossed. A confidant of Bose betrayed the army; the British were forewarned. Yet they persisted. It was only in 1945, the INA was surrounded by the allied forces of the British. At this point, many of the soldiers, including the Japanese surrendered. That was the end of the INA.

Gandhi strictly followed Ahimsa and Sathya. This was both a good and a bad approach.

Gandhi succeeded in bringing together the Indians living in South Africa by setting up the Natal Indian congress. This ensured he had external support. He took the time and patience to travel the length and breadth of the country in order to understand the problems of people of different castes. He had immense faith in the masses and believed by working together they could bring down the British.

His policy of non-violence had its positives and its negatives. Gandhi was a noble man, when he had given his word that he would never resort to violent means, it was taken for granted. This made him a vulnerable target for the British. But during the course of time, the people grew attached to Gandhi. Any harm that he was put through, the general public would retaliate. The British did not know what to make of this. Slowly enough through small movement such as the non-cooperation movements they were able to talk things over with the British, and finally won their independence. I feel this independence could have been attained sooner with the help of arms.

To conclude, I say both Gandhi and Bose had the insights to make true leaders for their country. Had they co-operated, india would have been a free nation in much less than 2oo years.

- By Sruthi R

If I had lived in the time of the Indian Freedom Movement than I would have supported Gandhi as opposed to Subhash Chandra Bose. The reason being that Gandhi’s ideas of achieving independence were more peaceful as opposed to Subash Chandra Bose whose ideas were more extreme. However, it is still a tough decision to make as both these men are dedicated to the emancipation of their motherland.

Subash Chandra Bose believed in the industrialization of India which he believed was the only way to make India a self-sufficient and strong country. I disagree with this idea as it meant India’s fight for independence would turn into a fill fledged war because with introduction of more powerful weapons would give Indians the mindset that they were strong enough to defeat the British in a war and this would only lead to the same failure that occurred due to the result of the Revolt of 1857. Subash Chandra Bose believed that in order to gain Independence it must be taken by force and I’m against violence. After he fled India and went Germany in 1941, he made an alliance with the Axis powers. With the help of the Japanese, he formed the Indian National Army (INA) and invaded India during World War 2. However, his attempt ended in failure. This was not a smart thing to do as the Axis powers were not only aggressive but very dangerous. The INA depended too much on the support of the Japanese; this could turn Bose into a puppet. Also, if India was to gain their independence it would be through an Allied defeat in the Second World War which is too high of a price to be paid.

Gandhi believed in gaining India’s freedom through non-violence. Gandhi was also open towards all religions which I think is ideal for making a united country. Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, and increasing economic self-reliance. Gandhi led Indians in protesting the national salt tax with the Dandi Salt March in 1930, and later in demanding the British to immediately Quit India in 1942, during World War 2. Gandhi was open to all castes and urged poorer people to support India in its freedom movement. He lived modestly and wore the traditional Indian clothes which he also made by himself. This shows the simple and peaceful life Gandhi lived.

Gandhi is an ideal man who believed in non-violence. Subash Chandra Bose believed that force was the only way to gain India its independence. Gandhi was open to all religions and castes. Subash Chandra Bose though not known to be against any religion showed did not get along with the British at all. Gandhi united the Indians together in order to gain independence. Subash Chandra Bose made an alliance with the unstable Axis powers which could have led to severe consequences if India were to gain independence with the help of the Axis powers. Therefore, it can be concluded Gandhi’s ideas were more peaceful while Subash Chandra Bose’s ideas were more extreme. In the end Gandhi is the best choice because of he seeks to gain India its freedom through non-violence.

- By Shyam Rajendran

Why Gandhiji?

Gandhiji and Subhash Chandra Bose were both great Indian leaders. They both played key roles in the freedom movement. Though both of them admired each other for their love and dedication towards the country, they differed in their ideologies. Gandhiji preferred a non-violent and non-cooperative approach to freedom whereas Bose preferred a more aggressive and radical approach. Bose was very impatient with the slow process of ahimsa. He even formed the Indian National Army during the World War II aligning with the Axis powers particularly the Japanese and the Germans. He thought this was the fastest way to win over the British, exploiting their involvement in the war. Gandhiji disapproved of this idea for he felt it was immoral. Aligning with Axis powers was a bad idea for all Hitler wanted was Bose’s army. He did not want to help Bose in ousting the British from India. Bose’s strategy was to enlist the help of any enemy of the British, however good or bad they may be. This would have resulted in another foreign country invasion of India, which would have further complicated the freedom struggle.

If I were alive during the freedom movement I would have supported Gandhiji’s ideology in driving the British out of India through focused means of ahimsa, involving all Indians. He firmly believed that 100,000 Englishmen could not control 350 million Indians. He had a mass appeal and could unite the country, involving people from all walks of life. His sincerity, austerity, authenticity coupled with total selflessness drew stalwarts like Nehru, Sardar Patel and Maulana Azad towards his methods. His simple and effective Satyagraha movements included the use of khadi and other Indian materials than the use of British-made linen, surrendering of titles given to Indians by the British, quitting their government jobs and the refusal to pay taxes. Though, the British took him lightly initially, they repeatedly imprisoned him to cut him from the public eye. He understood the problems faced by the common man and based all of his movements to reduce their plight.

Gandhiji was generations ahead in terms of socialistic thinking: be it empowering of women, disapproval of untouchability, eradication of poverty through self-help means and religious equality. Though he stayed away from the political limelight, his mass movement principles such as ahimsa and Satyagraha inspired leaders in other countries. Examples include Martin Luther King Jr. of the United States of America, who fought for equal rights for the blacks and Nelson Mandela of South Africa (in the later part of his life) who ended apartheid.

He was not only persistent but also persuasive. These qualities immensely helped during the Quit India movement by the leaders of the lower ranks taking responsibility when all senior leaders were jailed by the British. Unable to rule the non-cooperative India under the moral leadership of Gandhiji, the British finally relented despite creating a division among the Hindus and Muslims. Though he was against the partition of India and Pakistan, he had to face the reality in the interests of the people.

Gandhiji was a forward thinker starting from his success in South Africa. He proved that patience and persistence would yield results beneficial for all. He provided the nation the moral leadership that remains unparalleled to date. He identified himself with the most common man. No wonder why we call him the Father of our nation. As Albert Einstein succinctly put it: “Generations to come, it may well be, will scarce believe that such a man as this one ever in flesh and blood walked upon this Earth.”

- By Shreya Kandasamy

History Internals – Bose or Gandhi

The question is if I were part of the Indian Freedom Struggle, whom would I have supported, Subhash Chandra Bose or Mahatma Gandhi. Well, this is kind of a hard choice because both leaders did very well in their own fields but if I choose one I would have definitely supported Gandhi.

There are a number of reasons stating why I would have supported Gandhi but I would like to start with this one. No matter what anyone says or whom anyone supports, the outcome is the most important thing and Gandhi was the man who managed to rid us of the British rein in India. It may have been slow, it may have been painful but it was because of him and his excellent strategies that we are now a free and democratic nation. There also quite a number of other reasons that lead me to support Gandhi.

If you want to form alliances with other countries, you should form alliances with countries that were against or under the British rule. That is exactly what Bose did; he formed alliances with Japan and Germany. If he did so, then why did his plan of attack backfire? Why was he not successful? Well there is only one explanation and that is that the countries with which Bose tried to form an alliance were very ruthless on their own and they were already doing inhuman things to people of their own nation. They were not only enemies of the British; they were enemies of the world. So they would even be willing to kill people of their own allied country for their own benefits. This was the mistake that Bose made. Gandhi on the other hand decided to go with alternative of being patient and non- violent.

Gandhi knew that it would not be easy to stay peaceful for a long time but he knew that it would pay no matter what hardships came along. Gandhi’s policy of Non-Cooperation was also a great idea and was a huge success until the unfortunate Chauri-Chaura incident in Uttar Pradesh.

Gandhi was put in jail for numerous political offences that he committed such as the famous Dandi Salt March which was to protest against the heavy taxes on salt. Gandhiji followed by many Indian youths walked 388 kilometers from Ahmedabad to Dandi to make salt by himself. This was also known as the Salt Satyagraha. This was one of the most successful campaigns in upsetting the British hold on India. The British reacted by imprisoning 60,000 people.

The non-cooperation movement was also very famous and very effective in upsetting the British. It included boycott of British goods such as clothes, sewing machines etc. he insisted that everyone make their own cloth with a spinning wheel instead of buying British made textiles. And he stuck to his word and for the rest of his life; he only wore a simple white cloth dhoti which he made on his own. But the Non-Cooperation movement came to an abrupt end because of the incident that took place in Chauri-Chaura, a town in Uttar Pradesh. There was a sudden violent clash which brought the movement to an end because after that Gandhi called of the movement.

This is another reason why I support Gandhi; it is because he had the support of the masses which was very helpful because the masses encouraged him to start these very effective movements. And another reason is that all or at least most of Gandhi’s plans were very effective whereas most of Bose’s ideas and plans to rid India of the British rule were flawed and ended up in failure. A few of which were the ‘All India Forward Bloc’ and the ‘The Indian National Army or the Azad Hind Fauj’. And Bose went missing in the middle of the struggle so his alleged death was a big blow to all the organizations that he started. Gandhi’s plans were just more strategic and well thought out because he knew what the British’s reactions would be and he knew when he would be put in jail.

In 1942 Gandhi launched the ‘Quit India movement’ which he intended to be a non-violent movement. This time, Gandhi was determined to get rid of the British once and for all. But sadly afterward, all the Congress leaders including Gandhi were imprisoned. At this point, Gandhi called of the struggle and more than 100,000 political prisoners were released including all the congress leaders.

In 1947, the British finally gave up and left India and India was split. All the Muslims went to the newly formed Pakistan and all the Hindus stayed in India. So Gandhi’s non-violent strategies finally paid off and all the fasting and suffering had not gone in vain. But this happiness was followed by Gandhi’s tragic assassination in 1948 by Nathuram Godse.

Just as Subhash Chandra Bose had once referred to him and just as we all refer to him today, Gandhi was and always will be the ‘Father of Our Nation’.

Santosh.N

10 ‘A’ Madhuvanthi

The Indian Freedom Movement was started for one common aim that every Indian shared, to gain freedom from the torture of the British rule. During the time of the British rule, the Indians were discriminated, harassed and put to shame. Out of the freedom fighters that emerged to salvage something for the country, Subhash Chandra Bose and Gandhi were the most influential ones. Both had a different mindset and approach towards tackling the British to gain freedom. In this write up I will justify whom I would have supported during the Freedom Movement.

I feel I would have supported Gandhi as his philosophy of non-violence and Satyagraha really caught the attention of the local Indians and British civilians as well. Gandhiji’s first major achievement was the Champaran agitation and Kheda Satyagraha in 1918. With these movements he gained the confidence of the villagers who were given a meager compensation that left them in tatters economically. Through this he gained thousands of supporters who called him ‘Bapu’ with love and assisted him. Gandhiji clearly exhibits his patient approach and the respect he really has for the British civilians by preferring to tackle their injustice through words rather than hands.

Though Subhash Chandra Bose was a close follower of Gandhi, he was against Gandhi’s ideology of gaining independence through non violence. Bose advocated the approach that the political instability of war-time Britain should be taken advantage of rather than simply wait for the British to grant independence after the end of the war. He founded Indian National Army to overthrow British Empire from India and came to acquire legendary status among Indian masses. His approach was criticized by many. Gandhi expressing his disagreement with Bose also commented saying that Subhash’s victory was his defeat. Subhash’s approach didn’t impress me that much as he even used the help of the Axis Powers to overthrow the British which was clearly not necessary.

Gandhi also started the Non-Cooperation Movement which intended to show the British that they were no longer accepted in their country and that the Indians wanted freedom. Non-cooperation and peaceful resistant were Gandhi’s weapons in fight against injustice against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of civilians by British troops in Punjab. Gandhi not only criticized the brutal act of British forced but also the Indian act of retaliation. The focal point of this movement was obtaining complete self-government and control of Indian institutions and political, individual and spiritual independence. He also conducted the Salt March from Ahmedabad to Dandi, 400 kilometers to act against the salt tax in 1930. The Salt Satyagraha was a result of British government’s refusal to grant India dominion status and to free thousands of innocent people imprisoned in jails all over the country.

These activities of Gandhi have impressed me and he has thought me a lot in life. He shows through his acts in a clear way that freedom need not be attained through brutal force but can also be achieved by non-violence and patience. Even if his ideology caused him to be imprisoned, he stuck to his game and never once thought of hurting the British through physical violence.

- By Sharan S

If I lived in the period of the Indian Freedom Movement I would have supported both Gandhiji and Subash Chandra Bose. Although their aim of getting an independence from the British was the same, their methods of achieving it were very different-

Gandhiji so believed in truth and non-violence. With these two factors came the most powerful weapon of Gandhiji, Satyagraha. Sathyagraha is a practice of non-violent resistance. Gandhi regarded Satyagraha as the ‘weapon of the strong’ and a ‘sovereign remedy to the powerful British Government’. This weapon proved successful to many problems faced by the Indians. It solved the Rowlatt Act and the Kilafat Movement. During the Kilafat Movement Gandhiji introduced the non-cooperation movement. Gandhiji made the congress support the Kilafat movement because he felt that this would build unity between the Hindus and the Muslims.

Gandhiji understood the behavior of the masses that is he knew how the people would react. He had faith in the masses and so he had the support of the people. Majority of the Indians supported Gandhi. Thus there was a huge rise in nationalism. Gandhi was stubborn and strong on his word. He discouraged cowardice. He also said that he would prefer violence over cowardice.

Thus, his methods partially made the British to move out of India. This was the way Gandhi helped India gain freedom. Subash Chandra Bose was also responsible for the freedom of India in his own ways-

Subash Bose was made the president of the Congress against the word of Gandhiji. Bose resigned because he wanted the Congress on the wishes of Gandhi. He walked out of the Congress and formed the Forward Bloc whose objective was to organize the leftwing sections within the Congress in order to create an alternative leadership inside the Congress. It wanted to achieve complete independence in the immediate future. He started a movement in Ramgarh under the slogan ’all power to Indian people’. Because of this movement, the British arrested Bose. Bose went on a hunger-strike which spoilt his health. So, he was put under house arrest. Somehow, Bose managed to escape from India. He went to Berlin and organized the Indian Legion of prisoners of Africa. The Germans started giving training to the Indian Legion. He was a good orator. His patriotic speeches inspired the countless Indians.

During the Second World War the Japan forces have captured Singapore. A large number of Indian soldiers were captured as prisoners of war. They handed over to Captain Rashbeheri Bose. He in turn handed them over to Subash Chandra Bose. He formed the Indian National Army and with the support of the Japan forces he entered Burma. They reached Imphal. The INA trial was successful initially but it was weakened as the Allied countries had started to gain power. So, they marched back to Burma. The INA and the subsequent events made the British realize that their rule in India is coming to an end. This was one reason as to why the British left India

In my opinion, the freedom that India is enjoying is due to the indirect teamwork by Gandhiji and Subash Chandra Bose. Both of them had respect for each other. Even though they had severe differences in several issues, they never hated each other. India’s independence would not have been possible without either of them.

THUS JUSTIFIED.

- By Shaharica

If you had lived in the period of the Indian Freedom Movement, whom would you have supported, Gandhiji or Subash Chandrabose? Justify why you would support either of them. You may take a neutral stance or refrain from supporting either, provided your stance is convincing enough.

JUSTIFICATION:

During the Indian freedom movement, there were many great heroes and freedom fighters and each of them had a different way of approach to achieve the goal. Subash Chandra Bose (affectionately called “Netaji”) and Gandhiji were the two most renowned legendary personalities who were gigantic in their political moral and ethical stature. They were the two worthy sons of mother India.

If I had to support and choose between them with respect to the Indian freedom movement, I would corroborate Subash Chandra Bose because he seems more rational to my perspective. I found him to be the most dynamic and influential political leader and his ideas inspire the younger generation to fight strongly for freedom.

Gandhiji’s unflinching patriotism, firmness in character and love for truth made him emphasize more on non-violence and peace, which sounded like “impossible” according to me. Whereas Netaji was a firebrand nationalist and he had his saga. Therefore Netaji’s strong revolutionary urge for the emancipation of our motherland made him critical of many Gandhiji’s techniques because Gandhiji’s techniques were not fast acquiring.

For example, if a group of people entered my house and dominated, I would definitely react in some way or the other rather than remaining passive. Similarly, I would retaliate the same way for my nation. Therefore, Bose was younger and more agile. He could inspire millions to get into direct action. Gandhiji’s ideology was hard and masses found it hard to comprehend and follow.

If ahimsa was Ghandhiji’s gift to the world, Netaji’s was complete independence or “Purna Swaraj”- “Give me blood and I will give you freedom” and Gandhiji was considering only a dominion status for India, whereas Netaji seems like the one who was advocating complete independence.

In Gandhiji’s struggle, eradicating the British rule was just a small part of the struggle. For most part, Gandhiji fought the landowners in Champaran, for women rights, for minority rights, for village economies and self-respect.

Gandhiji had the notion that removing British is not the hardest challenge India had and he was not raging for independence until 1942. On the contrary, it was an absorbing challenge for Bose.

Subash Chandra Bose was also man of swift action- considering this timeline:

1.Escape from his house arrest - January '41

2.Gathering support - Germany ' 42

3.Gathering Support - Japan '43

4.INA 40,000 strong - '43

5.Battle at Chittagong - '44

He formed an army from scratch, made battle plans and an official British Indian army in less than 4 years. Looking at Bose also from a philosophical point of view, he was not involved in harming any civilians like the other revolutionaries who advocated armed struggle. He did things the right way, the long way-

1.Formation of Azad Hind (independent India) and its declaration.

2.Formation of a provincial government to represent this entity (in Singapore)

3.Formation of an army for this government- INA was the real Indian Army (there was a British Indian Army at that time).

4.Declaring war on the British government in India and then marching to Delhi via Burma.

Netaji was against negotiating with British and the partition of the Indian map, which Gandhiji actually did. The Azad Hind Fauj had completely dealt with the internal communal differences. There was one and only place for all religions in the society. This is very significant because India is one of the most religious and cast-divided societies in the world.

Thus, I would say Subash Chandrabose was a much better leader with respect to the Indian freedom movement since he was young and agile and his approach to achieve the goal was very practical.

-SHANMITHA MAHESH (X-A MADHUVANTI)

Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose were two freedom fighters who played a vital role in obtaining independence for India. Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose helped in the freedom movement but they both used completely different methods and strategies to fight for freedom. Mahatma followed a policy of ahimsa, or non violence, whereas Subhash Bose used violent methods to quench the thirst of the Indians in gaining freedom. Both methods had advantages and disadvantages.

Mahatma Gandhi is also known as the ‘Father of the nation’, for struggling on behalf of our country to obtain freedom. He used ahimsa or non violence to obtain independence. His method of non violence caught the hearts of many people and they were all inspired by his ways. He amazed the masses by fasting for many days , so that independence would be obtained. He started the Indian National Congress, which demanded independence. Mahatma Gandhi and his supporters did not use any method of violence; they did not use weapons or hurt any foreigner in any way. Instead, they tried to anger the foreigners by boycotting foreign made clothes, that is, burning up all the British made textiles and refusing to obey to the orders and commands of the British. Mahatma Gandhi’s only goal was to obtain independence without involving violence. According to me, Mahatma Gandhi’s method of ahimsa was a brilliant way to achieve independence. However, achieving your goal without using any violence, takes a very long time to succeed. One who needs to succeed by ahimsa, must have a lot of patience. It is a very slow and long process. This is the only disadvantage I found in Mahatma Gandhi’s method. Other than that, his method was perfect, as it did not involve loss of lives and bloodshed. Mahatma Gandhi encouraged the people to fight for freedom, using ahimsa. He gave up everything, just for the independence of his country. His followers, using Mahatma Gandhi’s policy of ahimsa, fought together to obtain freedom. This brought all of them together. They all had only one main goal- Freedom. They were all united and there was no chaos and hatred amongst them. Rise of nationalism was also seen at this time. I completely support Mahatma Gandhi’s policy as it was not violent and it was a very peaceful method which did not involve any arms and at one point, some of the British started pitying the Indians, seeing them strive for independence. If Mahatma Gandhi had used violence, it would have angered and agitated the Britishers even more, and they would have been oppressed even more.

On the other hand, Subhash Chandra Bose was a very important national leader who was determined to obtain freedom for India by force, and violent methods. He founded the Indian National Army which consisted of Indian soldiers and British soldiers who had been captured in the battle of Singapore. He used the help of many foreign countries to obtain ideas for gaining independence, using violence. His method involved violence, resulting in the loss of lives of both British as well as Indian people. It created a sense of chaos and fear among the people. Though Subhash Chandra Bose’s method involved force and violence, it was actually good in a few ways. It showed that the Indians were not scared of the British and that they too had a voice to fight back. He tried to prove to the British that they were also capable of fighting back.

I support both Mahatma Gandhi’s and Subhash Chandra Bose’s methods in obtaining freedom. Though both these movements have both positives and negative impacts, both the movements did help in obtaining freedom for our nation. If it weren’t for these two brilliant leaders, it would have been very difficult to achieve independence, and I cannot imagine the plight of our nation.

- By Subikhsha

Both, Father of Nation-Gandhiji and Subash Chandra Bose(Netaji) were very much dedicated to the indian freedom movement. They gained huge support from the Indian mass,and were equally feared by the British. But both of them had taken two different paths ; Netaji took the road of violence,and Gandhiji walked on the path of non violence.Although their aim was similar,their views were not.

If I was present when Gandhiji and Netaji were at the scene of struggle for Indian Independence,I would have supported Gandhiji.I always support non-violence,and I

prefer solving disputes peacefully, rather than pouring oil into the fire. Subash Chandra Bose, during the late 30's,had started making views of how to tangle the British using arms and ammunition.And what was the result? Subash Chandra Bose was kicked out from the Indian National Congress,and was under house arrest by the British government,after which he escaped to Japan.However,with Gandhiji's 32 years of Indian freedom struggle,with a lot of patience,Gandhiji spent 7 years(included in the 32 years) of his life in prison.Why did'nt Subash bose do the same? Why did he escape? Well,there are only two answers to this question.Either he was desperate to earn independence for India, or he lacked patience even though he had thousands of supporters in his own country.Unlike Gandhiji,Subash Bose took help of the axis countries,while all the other Indian leaders including Gandhi decided to stay “non-alligned” from the other

World War countries.

I was amazed when I first came to know in detail,what Gandhiji's Satyagraha was. Gandhiji was keen to convert the wrong doers,unlike Netaji,who intended to punish them.Moreover,Netaji's Jai Hind army was not succesful in chasing the British out of

our country.They were totally dependent on the Japanese.

But Gandhiji adopted the unique new method of 'Non Violence' to drive out The British from India. He used tools like 'Salt Satyagraha', 'Non Cooperation Movement ', 'Quit India Movement',and not to forget,the most popular of all-'Civil Disobediance movement” , which ultimately compelled the British to leave India. His methods has a lasting effect, which is appreciated all over the World.

Gandhiji had a vision for Independent India. He and the other important political leaders,planned for the future of Indian Governance. Hence,I would have supported Gandhiji with all my heart.Unfortunately,he was assasinated by Nathuram Godse in 1948.

JAI HIND!

-Tejas Rao,

10 “Madhuvanti”

Mahatma Gandhi or Subash Chandra Bose?

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi or simply Gandhiji was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism during the time India was ruled by Great Britain. His protests towards the British were strongly based on his principle of ‘Ahimsa’ or nonviolence. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights and freedom across the world. His principle of peaceful protests was the key factor that ended the British rule in India that had lasted for almost two centuries.

Subhash Chandra Bose, also known as Netaji, was one of the most prominent Indian nationalist leaders who attempted to gain India's independence from British rule by force during the waning years of World War II with the help of the Axis powers.

Both Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi were infallibly dedicated to the cause of Indian freedom. Subash Chandra Bose, who was initially a supporter of Gandhi, changed his opinion over the years as he believed that there was a lack in momentum in the independence movement.

If I had lived in the period of the Indian freedom movement, I would have probably supported Gandhiji for the following reasons.

Mahatma Gandhi’s path towards attaining freedom was quite different from the path and ideologies of Subhash Chandra Bose. Gandhiji hoped to attain freedom through calculated phases that would abolish not only the control of the British over India, but also the social evils and malpractices that took place in India. In the Mahatma’s struggle, eliminating British control over India was a small part. He knew it was not a difficult task. Before doing so, He first helped the people eliminate the social evils put forth by Indians and individual difficulties faced by them. Gandhi fought the landowners in Champaran, for women rights, for minority rights, for village economies and self-respect. However, Bose’s only motive was to free his motherland from the clutches of the British. He did not receive the support of the people as he was not involved in their affairs and people did not look up to him as their savior as he had not helped the people of India in overcoming their difficulties in any manner.

Bose believed that India’s independence could only be achieved by war. He had once stated "I am convinced that if we do desire freedom we must be prepared to wade through blood". His famous motto was: "Give me blood and I will give you freedom". The path of violence had already been employed in the early years of India’s struggle with the British and it had clearly failed. The Mahatma knew that this path was not going to work and hence came up with his policy of nonviolence. The British were far too superior with respect to machinery and skill of war. Gandhiji knew that waging a war against the British would only cost India more lives. However Bose, ignoring the previous failures; strongly believed that war was the last hope for Indians in achieving independence. This only infuriated the British and this was seen as an insult to “Her Majesty” the Queen of The United Kingdom. However Gandhi wanted independence in phases through dominion status. Truly, this is probably one of the reasons the British and a major section of the world powers were compassionate about Gandhiji and his ways, as he could not harm them in anyway.

Gandhiji used tools like Salt Agitation or Salt Satyagrah, Non Cooperation Movement and the Quit India Movement. He declared 26^th January as the Independence Day or Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) even when India was under the control of the British. He refused to wear British made clothes or support British made items in any manner. The people followed his way of protest as it was peaceful and did not lead to any bloodshed. He also went on hunger strikes or fasts to make his point. He was so loved by the people of India that even the Muslims would cease acts of violence so that he would eat again and remain with the Indian people. Such acts made Gandhiji’s motive clear to the British without causing bloodshed.

He hoped to achieve independence by taking the help of Indians only. He helped the people of India and proposed the idea of nonviolent protests, which greatly appealed to the people. Netaji however was busy supporting the Japanese hoping to acquire their support in the Indian freedom struggle. Many people viewed this as a way of triggering the British forces against India. Bose was accused of 'collaborating' with the Axis, after he fled to Germany in 1941 and offered Hitler an alliance. What he did not realize was that he needed supporters and volunteers in India to win the Indian freedom struggle. Independence could be achieved only when India was united for a common purpose. He only focused on acquiring the support from foreign countries, which was again risky as the world was in a state of war then. This could have also lead to the clash in powers resulting in destruction and disaster for Indians. Gandhiji focused on uniting India on the grounds of religion, purpose etcetera. There was no animosity between the Hindus and the Muslims thanks to Gandhiji, which the British hoped in creating, as it would leave India disunited and weak.

Both are great heroes and deserve the highest pedestal in India. Though it is not arguable on who had the greatest love for their motherland, I would side with the Mahatma on who was a better leader for India and would support him if I had lived in the period of the Indian freedom movement.

Done by,

Varsha Sunil Kumar

There were many great people who audaciously and courageously wrestled against the British for our country’s complete freedom. Each of the great fighters had their own line of attack. Among them, Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose participated with the most amounts of dedication and loyalty for the country.

But, if I had to support one of them, I would choose Subhash Chandra Bose because his ideas and thoughts appear more satisfying than those of Mahatma Gandhi’s. Gandhiji’s never-ending nationalism made him laid more stress on following only “Ahimsa” or “Non-violence”, whereas; Subhash Chandra Bose wanted to fight against the British, i.e., achieve independence through violence and aggression. But, to my perception, Gandhiji’s ideas seem very illogical as it is not viable to attain independence by just being silent and staying out of any violent behaviour. Such ideas of Gandhiji were tough to follow and nothing big could possibly be accomplished.

Bose’s principles actually helped and his famous slogan – “Give me blood and I will give you freedom”- motivated the people to boldly battle the British. Gandhiji was only bearing in mind about a Dominion status for India while Bose also laid emphasis on attaining “Complete Independence” or “Purna Swaraj”. The Champaran agitation in 1918 was one of Gandhi`s first steps to achieve Indian independence. Mahatma Gandhi went to Champaran (Bihar) in 1917 at the request of the poor peasants to enquire about the situation as they were compelled by British indigo planters to grow indigo on 15% of their land and part with the whole crop for rent. Gandhiji also gave importance to women’s rights and minority rights.

But, Bose’s activities were far more obliging and hasty than Gandhiji’s ideas. Though Gandhiji worked hard to attain independence, his principles weren’t effective enough unlike Bose’s. Bose proved that he is a true patriot and conveyed through his actions that he will surely make India an independent country. He managed to escape from his house arrest, he was able to get immense support from Germany and Japan, he battled at Chittagong, etc.

In his call to freedom, Subhash Chandra Bose encouraged full participation of the Indian Masses to strive for independence. Bose instigated the theory of the "National Planning Committee" in 1938. His correspondence discloses that despite his clear dislike for British suppression, he was deeply amazed by their meticulous and systematic approach and their steadfastly disciplinarian stance towards life. The contrast between Gandhiji and Bose is captured in Bose’s saying - "If people slap you once, slap them twice".

Though Bose wanted violence, battles and conflicts; he never went wrong in his movements and did not cause any difficulty to anyone unnecessarily. He was the reason for the formation of the Indian National Army (INA) and Azad Hind Fauj. The Azad Hind Fauj considered the internal public dissimilarities. Bose also formed an army of his own and waged wars against the British Government in India. Bose was influenced by the success of the five-year plans in the Soviet Union and he advocated for a socialist nation with an industrialized economy, though this idea was opposed by Gandhiji.

Bose was completely in opposition to the ideology of harmonizing with the British and agreeing to their desire of dividing India. But, Gandhiji’s views were contradicting, i.e., he agreed to their idea. Therefore, Bose’s principles seem more favouring while those Gandhiji’s don’t and Gandhiji just says a “Yes” to whatever the British says just to avoid the conflict that would come up if he said a “No”. But Bose fearlessly says no to something that doesn’t seem right to him.

Hereby, I conclude saying that Subhash Chandra Bose was a better thinker and a better leader compared to Mahatma Gandhi as his ideas found more acceptance and significance and were more sensible during the Indian Freedom Movement.

NAME: M.VASANTHI.

CLASS: X-MADHUVANTI.

Mahatma Gandhi and Subhash Chandra Bose played very important roles in getting freedom for our nation. If I had lived during the time in which India was under the British control and were struggling for their freedom, I, as a young lad, would have supported Subhash Chandra Bose. Both of them had different styles but both of them had the same goal. Subhash Chandra Bose used violent means while Gandhiji had a more peaceful character. People who are young tend to take up arms and that is what I would have done as I was inspired by Subhash Chandra Bose.
             The Indian National Congress was led by Mahatma Gandhi and Netaji was a part of the party. Netaji was very irritated by the slow progress of the party. He was frustrated by the peaceful policies followed by Gandhiji and Nehruji. Unlike Gandhiji, he didn’t wait for the British to grant them freedom. He wanted freedom for our country as soon as he could and wanted to take action against the British. There was a time when Netaji was the President of the party, but was forced to resign as there was a rift in the party. He turned towards the Axis Powers for help like Japan and Germany.
              My main reason to support Subhash Chandra Bose is that he didn’t want to wait for the British to grant our independence. He knew that British had nothing to worry about the peaceful and soft revolts made by the followers of Mahatma Gandhi and that that they wouldn’t take them seriously. The British took advantage of this. The British believed that nothing could hurt them and used cruel means to hurt the Indians. Subhash Chandra Bose took action against them in violent means which was rightfully feared by the British. I believe that if Netaji had not died in the plane crash, we could have gotten our freedom way before we actually did.
             Another reason was that his love for the country was not limited to the skies. He was ready to do anything to see his country free form the British, even if he had sacrifice his life. Even though he did not like the British, he was impressed by their systematic and disciplined outlook to life. He travelled to Europe and was impressed by the methods used by political leaders in places like Germany and thought that these could be used to help his country get independence from the British.
            Netaji’s love for the country is only matched by his hatred towards the British. We can only imagine how much it would have hurt him when the British came over to our land and plundered everything that they could have and how much they had insulted us in our homeland.
             In short, if I was living during the time where India was still under the British rule, I would have supported Netaji simply because of his aggressive nature and his love and desperation to see his country free form the chains of the British.

- By Velkarthick Anand

Indian history as we all know is famous throughout the world. It is very rich and also very vast. India’s history just like other countries has different phases. One of the most important parts of Indian history is the struggle to get freedom from the British. Various methods were taken up by different people to ensure that the country gets freedom, and these people were called as freedom fighters. Two important people in this freedom struggle who’s ideologies were different by a big margin were Subash Chandra Bose (Netaji) and Mahatma Gandhi.

On one hand Gandhi preached “satyagraha”, a philosophy and practice of non-violence. He didn’t retaliate against the British in fierce or harsh manner. On the other hand Subash Chandra Bose encouraged fighting back at the British and also created an army. Bose believed in the complete political and economic liberation of the Indian people and also suggested the use of force (reason for creating the INA). Bose was elected twice as the president of the Indian National Congress, but resigned due to the ideological conflicts with Gandhi and established a separate political party called as the All Indian Forward Bloc.

If I was there, back in the days of the Indian freedom struggle movement fighting for my motherland’s freedom, I would have joined Gandhi’s side for various reasons. First of all Bose planned to use force to drive away the British. As we know the British were extremely superior to us when it came to combat and warfare. They had more advanced weaponry and this could have proved fatal for us if we challenged them in any aggressive manner.

On the other hand Gandhi saw to it that all the disputes were solved by negotiations. He followed his philosophy of satyagraha which included the elements of truth and non-violence. Gandhi, unlike Bose, tried to solve the problems from the root of the cause. He revived back the cottage industries, spinning of the wheel, etc. Gandhi knew that if we had to get freedom from the British then the whole of India will have to stand together and be united. Everyone should cooperate with each other and be fearless.

Subash Chandra Bose upon hearing Gandhi’s remedy of satyagraha only thought that it was cowardly and that following no-violence is just showing the British that we are scared. But Gandhi made people understand that just because we are following non-violence doesn’t make us cowards. He had once said that, “I do believe that where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advice violence”. I would say that he didn’t want anyone to be a coward or fear the British because India was their motherland and they had all the right to claim what is theirs.

I wouldn’t say that Bose is wrong but the path in which he tried to reach his goal was, from my point of view, would not have been very effective because we could have been easily overpowered by the British. Of course, the human casualties will be there as well. Therefore I would have followed Mahatma Gandhi if I were to struggle to get my motherland freedom. Gandhi’s way was very inspiring and provoked the needed nationalism from people of all walks of life.

But if we look at it from today’s point of view the whole thing changes since there has been a drastic change in everything, from technology to the mindset of the people. If one gets slapped I’m pretty sure that one will not show his other cheek!!

- By Venkat Praveen

Mahatma Gandhi or Subash Chandra Bose?

Both Mohandhas Karamchand Gandhi and Subash Chandra Bose were great leaders of their time, with the same magnetic and inspiring personality, and both fighting for the same goals, albeit in very different ways with different ideas and ideals. Gandhi advocated for peace and non-violence to get the British out of India, while Bose decided to use force of arms, though it was for the same end goal. But despite their different methods, both of them garnered many followers, lots of whom followed for the men who led them as compared to the ideas themselves.

Subash Chandra Bose started to boycott the English from the moment he passed his civil services exam, and resigned from his post. He then returned to India, where he met C R Das, whom he regarded as his teacher. He speedily advanced through the ranks of the nationalist movements, but was arrested in 1925. Upon his release, he joined the Indian national congress, but was again imprisoned in 1930, although he was released early due to poor health. He then spent the 1930’s travelling through Europe. On his return he was name the president of the Indian national congress, but his policies of using force clashed with Gandhi’s ways of peace, and he resigned as president in 1939. He then set up the Forward Bloc, a left-wing political party, but as a result was kicked out of Congress then arrested by the British.

He escaped from prison and travelled to Germany, where he set up an army made up of Indian war prisoners, called the India legion. He then took over charge of the Indian Independence League, and the Indian national army, consisting of Indian prisoners of war in Japan. With the aid of the Japanese, they marched on India, but the monsoon heavily disabled and delayed them, to the extent that by the time they arrived, they were not only low on supplies, but had also been surrounded by Allied forces, forcing them to surrender.

Mahatma Gandhi, on the other hand, first appeared on the political scene when he campaigned for the rights of the Indian community in South Africa, where he had been called to work as a lawyer. After uniting the Indians there as Indians rather than Muslims and Hindus, as well as securing them a higher place in the society, he returned to India in 1915, after 27 years and joined the Indian national congress. He had thought that working with the Indians in South Africa would have been enough to understand all Indians, but he had not foreseen the true diversity of India. He spent a while running the gamut, from north to south, in an attempt to better learn about Indian society, he plunged headfirst into the political scene. One of his first major moves was actually one of his most controversial, in that it went against his policy of ahimsa and recruited Indians to the army for the First World War.

After this Gandhi had two of his most important successes, Champaran and Kheda, in which he helped different sections of the community gain rights, and by doing so he gained followers and greater standing in Congress. After gaining the support of the Muslims and with the backing of Congress, he started the Non-cooperation movement. In this he encouraged Indians to boycott anything British, from textiles and goods to schools and law courts. He also encouraged people to give up British titles, and he gave up his war medal. However, despite the fact that it was supposed to be a peaceful movement, it had two violent moments, namely the Janiawalla bagh incident ( where hundreds of peaceful Indians were killed), and the Chauri Chaura incident ( where Indian protestors killed British policemen).after the latter, Gandhi halted the movement.

Gandhi’s next major move was when he, along with the INC (Indian National Congress), declared Indian independence on 26^th January 1930. He then undertook the salt Satyagraha, in which he along with thousands of other Indians marched from Ahmedabad to Dandi in protest against the new salt tax. His final trump card was the Quit India movement, which caused the British to finally realise that they would have to give the Indians their independence, and sent the cabinet mission in 1946 to help with the smooth transition before finally granting independence in 1947. Thus, in the end it was actually Gandhi’s way that gave independence.

If I were actually alive when both of these men were at the height of their power, I would have found it extremely hard to decide, as both men are great leader with absolute faith in their ideas. I conclude by saying that both of them were great leaders, and that whichever side I had joined, I would not have been disappointed.

- By Vishnu Thirumalai

Mahatma Gandhi:

• Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was also known as Mahatma Gandhi. He was a preeminent leader of the Indian nationalism during the British rule in India. He followed the principle of non violence, civil rights and freedom across the world. He freed our country India from the clutches of the British . All of this was done by his historical reformation movements , his principles and all his solutions to problems. He sometimes used to ignore the British and continue with his work. Mahatma Gandhi made many movements like :-