By Dipak Kurmi
Netaji Jayanti, officially designated as Parakram Diwas or Parakram Divas, occupies a distinctive place in India’s national consciousness as a solemn yet stirring commemoration of courage, sacrifice, and uncompromising nationalism. Celebrated annually on 23 January, the day marks the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the most complex, charismatic, and controversial figures of the Indian freedom struggle. Instituted by the Government of India in 2021 and first observed as Parakram Diwas on his 124th birth anniversary, the occasion seeks to honour not merely a historical personality but a spirit of valour that challenges complacency and moral comfort. The term “Parakram,” meaning valour or bravery, captures the essence of Bose’s life, defined by defiance against colonial authority and a relentless pursuit of freedom through means he believed history demanded.
Netaji Jayanti had been observed even before independence, with one of the earliest commemorations held in Rangoon nearly five months after his disappearance in 1945, reflecting the emotional grip he held over Indians far beyond the subcontinent. Over time, the observance became deeply rooted across India and acquired official recognition in several states. Today, it is an official holiday in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tripura, Assam, and Odisha, regions where Bose’s influence, political activity, and memory remain particularly strong. On this day, the Government of India formally pays tribute to Netaji, reaffirming his pivotal role in the independence movement and his enduring relevance in contemporary national discourse. The decision in January 2021 to observe the day as Parakram Divas followed demands from various quarters to name it Deshprem Divas or Deshanayak Divas, proposals supported by the Forward Bloc, members of Bose’s family, and political leaders including Mamata Banerjee. However, the central government announced on 19 January 2021 that it would be celebrated every year as Parakram Divas, a decision that provoked sharp reactions from the ruling Trinamool Congress, Left parties in West Bengal, and sections of Netaji’s family, reflecting how deeply Bose’s legacy continues to stir political and emotional debate.
Subhas Chandra Bose was born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack, in present-day Odisha, into a wealthy and influential Bengali family during the British Raj. His father, Janakinath Bose, was a successful lawyer and government pleader, loyal to the colonial administration, while his mother, Prabhabati Bose, provided a deeply spiritual and cultural foundation rooted in Hindu traditions. Bose’s early education was shaped by an Anglo-centric system at the Protestant European School in Cuttack, where English culture, history, and discipline were prioritised over Indian languages and traditions. Yet, at home, he absorbed Bengali language, religious stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and devotional songs, creating a lifelong tension between Western rationalism and Indian spirituality that profoundly influenced his worldview.
As Bose grew older, this tension evolved into a restless search for purpose. At Ravenshaw Collegiate School and later at Presidency College in Calcutta, he distinguished himself academically, particularly in philosophy, while also developing a strong sense of nationalist pride. His exposure to thinkers such as Kant, Hegel, and Bergson, combined with the influence of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Swami Vivekananda, shaped a mind that was both intensely reflective and action-oriented. An incident in 1916 involving a British professor at Presidency College led to his expulsion, an event that shocked his family but also reinforced his growing alienation from colonial authority. This period of upheaval marked a turning point, after which Bose increasingly gravitated toward political action.
In 1919, Bose travelled to England to appear for the Indian Civil Service examination, a path that promised prestige and power within the colonial system. He succeeded with distinction in the competitive examination, securing fourth position, but chose not to take the final exam in 1921. Citing nationalism as a higher calling, he resigned from the ICS, declaring that one could not serve the country fully while chained to colonial service. This decision, taken against his family’s wishes but with moral support from his mother, symbolised his willingness to sacrifice personal security for national ideals. Returning to India in 1921, he joined the freedom movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, though ideological differences between them emerged almost immediately.
Bose’s political career within the Congress was marked by rapid rise and repeated conflict. He worked closely with leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Chittaranjan Das, founded the newspaper Swaraj, became President of the Indian Youth Congress, and later served as Mayor of Calcutta. Yet his impatience with constitutional methods and his openness to socialism and authoritarian discipline increasingly put him at odds with Gandhi’s strict adherence to non-violence. Elected Congress President in 1938 and again in 1939, Bose faced resistance from the party’s high command, leading to his resignation and eventual ousting. In 1939, he founded the All India Forward Bloc to consolidate leftist and radical nationalist forces, reflecting his belief that India required a more aggressive strategy to break free from British rule.
The outbreak of the Second World War dramatically altered Bose’s path. After escaping British surveillance in 1941, he travelled via Afghanistan and the Soviet Union to Nazi Germany, seeking international support for India’s independence. In Berlin, he established the Free India Centre and raised the Indian Legion from Indian prisoners of war. His alliances with Nazi Germany and later Fascist Japan remain among the most controversial aspects of his legacy, raising profound ethical questions. While Bose denounced certain aspects of Nazi racial policy at times, his failure to openly criticise anti-Semitism and his willingness to collaborate with authoritarian regimes have cast a long shadow over his reputation. Nevertheless, his actions were driven by a single-minded belief that Britain’s enemies could become India’s opportunity.
In 1943, Bose moved to Japanese-occupied Southeast Asia, where he revitalised the Indian National Army, also known as the Azad Hind Fauj. As its supreme commander, he infused the force with discipline, purpose, and a powerful sense of national identity. He also became the founder-head of the Provisional Government of Free India, or Azad Hind Government, which was recognised by several Axis-aligned states and even issued its own currency, stamps, and civil codes. His iconic calls, including “Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom” and “Dilli Chalo,” became rallying cries that resonated deeply with Indians yearning for decisive action. Under his leadership, the INA fought alongside Japanese forces in campaigns in Burma and Northeast India, marking the first organised military challenge to British rule by Indians themselves.
Bose’s death on 18 August 1945 following a plane crash in Japanese-occupied Taiwan remains one of the most enduring mysteries in modern Indian history. Although official accounts confirm that he died from third-degree burns sustained in the crash, disbelief and conspiracy theories emerged almost immediately and persist to this day, particularly in Bengal. His ashes were taken to Tokyo and enshrined at the Renkōji Temple, where they remain. The Indian National Congress acknowledged his patriotism while distancing itself from his methods, encapsulating the ambivalence with which he has often been remembered. Yet among large sections of the Indian population, Bose endures as a heroic figure whose uncompromising nationalism offers a counterpoint to more conciliatory paths to independence.
Parakram Diwas, as it is observed today, reflects this layered and contested legacy. Beyond official ceremonies, the day serves as a reminder of Netaji’s extraordinary influence on India’s political imagination. His life inspires debates on means and ends, morality and pragmatism, democracy and authoritarianism. Memorials, institutions, roads, airports, universities, and islands across India bear his name, testifying to his lasting imprint on the nation’s landscape. In recent years, initiatives such as the renaming of islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, the inauguration of his statue at India Gate, and the declaration of national awards in his name underline the state’s effort to integrate his legacy into the broader narrative of nation-building.
Ultimately, Netaji Jayanti or Parakram Diwas is not merely an anniversary but an invitation to reflect on courage in its most demanding form. It asks uncomfortable questions about sacrifice, conviction, and the price of freedom, embodied in a leader who refused to accept half-measures or moral ease. As India remembers Subhas Chandra Bose every 23 January, the day stands as a testament to the enduring power of valour, reminding the nation that freedom was shaped not only by negotiation and patience but also by audacity, defiance, and an unyielding belief in India’s right to determine its own destiny.
(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
