Glimpses of Netaji - 1

We are pleased to reproduce an article that late Colonel GS Dhillon originally sent to Shri KP Madhavan. It was published as the main piece in a 'souvenir' brought out in October 2003, the 60th year of the formation of the Azad Hind Govt. We are thankful to 'Netaji Study Circle' for granting us the permission to reproduce this inspiring article.

By Colonel Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon

Two questions which I am often asked about Netaji are, one about his personality and another about his life. The first question is, what was so exceptional in his ability which attracted and inspired those who came in touch with him? Whenever I am asked this question, I am reminded of the fable of "The Elephant and the blind men." Like one of those men I could not scan that great man Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in totality. So before saying what I could perceive, let the reader allow me to look at him through the eyes of those who had better vision than I.

SA Ayer, Minister for Publicity and Propaganda of Azad Hind Government had this to say in his book Unto him a witness. "The title of Supreme Commander, if it truly fitted any commander on the battlefields of Europe or Asia, fitted Netaji most superbly. He looked supreme, every inch of him. The way he talked and moved with the soldiers on or off the war front was one of supreme dignity and self-confidence.

The word personality assumed a meaning when Netaji, in his Supreme Commander\\'s Uniform, stepped on to the saluting base and faced the serried ranks of the INA. And yet, the uniform itself was the simplest in the world, no medals in a row, no shining leather belt or shoulder straps, nor a sword in its scabbard hanging from his waist, nor a horse ride. Whatever clothes he wore, he wore them smartly. Normally he wore khaki cotton clothes except when he visited Japan. There he had to use Khaki woollens as a protection against the severe cold weather. His forage cap with two tiny well polished brass buttons in the front sat majestically on his bright and broad forehead, the face beneath the cap of a rosy wheat complexion, now inscrutable. Immobile, dignified, now wreathed in a charming smile, now reminded one of the Bengal Tiger as when he roared an inspiring exhortation to soldiers or civilians at mammoth gatherings.

It was impossible to take one\\'s eyes of his face whenever he ascended the platform; he held one spellbound by its compelling magnetism …."

Now let me show another glimpse of Netaji\\'s creative qualities when he drafted the Proclamation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind. After a long busy day, a day just earlier to 21st October 1943, it was past midnight. This is what Ayer says:

"Then I witnessed a phenomenon. I had glimpse of the great man. He took hold of a bunch of quarter-sheets of blank paper, took pencil in hand and started writing, \\'After their first defeat in the hands of the British in 1757 in Bengal ….\\'

He did not lift his eyes from the paper in front of him, silently handed to me the first page as soon as he finished it, and I walked out of the room and sat at the type writer. Abid and Swami went to his room in turn and brought me the Proclamation manuscript, sheet after sheet, as Netaji finished it. What amazed me was that he never even once wanted to see any earlier pages that he had written. How he could remember every word that he had written in the preceding pages, how he could remember the sequence of the paragraphs? In the entire script there was not one word corrected or scored out, and the punctuation was complete.

That he wrote out the whole proclamation sheet after sheet without break and at one sitting was some measure of Netaji's clear thinking, remarkable memory and grasp and facile pem! The entire historic proclamation was written with the ease with which a brief letter could be penned."

The proclamation shows Netaji's extraordinary grasp of history.

Alexander Werth, one of the important Liaison Officers at the Free India Centre, in Chapter Four, "Planning for Revolution - 1941-1943", in the book, A Beacon Across Asia, edited by Sisir K Bose, Alexander Werth and SA Ayer (published by Orient Longman) has observed (page 127):

"Those who observed Bose during these years were all greatly impressed by the fact he succeeded so well in convincing all his co-workers-both Indian and German-about the great importance of the work they were doing and inspiring them with a sense of mission, common objectives and mutual co-operation. Whenever there were differences of opinion or misunderstanding or even quarrels amongst his colleagues, he showed his remarkable capacity of keeping the thread of all activities of his political, military and technical co-workers in his hands so that the over all control of the whole organisation remained with him. He was the driving spirit behind all activities of the Free India Center. He succeeded in doing so much inspite of the fact that the organisation that he built up was something between an official mission and a provisional government and no so fully recognized association of a group of exiles from India."

Earlier, after his arrival in Berlin, Netaji went under the name of Orlando Mazzota for quite some time. He intended to remain in anonymity till he could bring round the Axis Powers to declare that the Independence of India was among their war aims. He also did not wish the British to know about his whereabouts. Without going into details of how difficult his task was, let me quote HN Pandit's work - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from Kabul to Battle of Imphal (Sterling Publishers Limited - Page 38):

For the whole story we have to turn to the narration of MR Vyas who was one of the first four associates of Netaji in Germany when Bose was still known as Orlando Mazzotta.

"It seems an emissary of the Foreign Office went to Badgastein (where Bose was staying) with the German Government's request for co-operation. Subhas thanked the German Government for the proposal and added that the collaboration would have to be based on a very well defined agreement. His terms were:

For all purpose of negotiation, India should be regarded as a completely sovereign state of which he would be the representative until such time as the Indian people could finally constitute their own Government on their own soil.

While India remained subjugation, he (Netaji) should have facilities for a separate free establishment of his own with the status of a diplomatic representative attached to the Head of a sovereign state.

For the finances of such a set up, the German Government should advance an interest free loan which would be repayable by India after the termination of hostilities.

The loan so granted must be without any condition and the expenditure for the same must be subject to diplomatic immunity.

Any broadcasts, any publications or any publicity to be carried on by the establishment so contemplated, must not be subject to any German censorship even though the same may have to be carried on from territories of Germany under her occupation.

Recruitment to any National Army to be raised would be made solely by Indians or representatives duly approved by the head of the state, ie Subhas Chandra Bose. The oath of allegiance by the members of the Army would be to Subhas Chandra Bose who as the Head of the Sovereign State of India, would also be the Commander -in-chief of all India armed forces.

Though apparent from above, still it must be specially agreed that the Indian forces, whileoperating in any joint sub-command, must not be deployed on any front other than against the British or other troops under the British command subject to any unforeseen military entanglements.

While the free India establishment and its forces would support all anti British actions, it would not ipso facto consider itself at war with the other allies of Great Britain.

The Nazis were flabbergasted to see the terms. Were these conditions of a powerless one-man state for co-operation with the Reich? The man must be cut to size. The task was assigned to one of Ribbentrop\\'s senior officers who came to meet Bose in the Foreign Office with an SS Colonel accompanying him in the mission. The following account of the conversation which took place has been given by Vyas:

"Your Excellency", Ribbentrop\\'s officer began, "While we realise on many questions, don\\'t you think that after your having come here, there could be no activity of any kind unless the German government voluntarily agrees to it?"

Subhas Chandra Bose replied: "Do you mean that you could put me in prison if I do not agree to work on your terms?"

"Certainly not, Your Excellency", the SS Colonel interposed, "but you would be incapacitated and will have to remain inactive."

Bose: "If I wanted to remain inactive I would have remained in a British prison. But this war provides a unique chance for my country to be free. So I would rather go else where or even to India and fight from there, come what may."

The Foreign Office representative commented sarcastically, "But Your Excellency, even for leaving Germany, you will require our permission, isn\\'t it?"

Apparently the officer bargained for more than he could afford, because the reply that came stunned him. : "Sir, I have heard a lot about your Gestapo. Probably the gentleman here is a representative of that body. But believe me, the British CID in India is no less efficient and ruthless. And if I have failed them and escaped, I shall do the same here. I have not come here to live the life of an exile. Gentleman, I think we shall leave it at that."

The meeting came to an end abruptly.

This happened in the second half of October 1941. For two days nothing happened. Then Ribbentrop (the Minister for Foreign affairs) had a meeting with Subhas Chandra Bose in a very friendly way. Shortly afterwards an official communication arrived that fuehrer (Hitler) had approved the civil parts of Netaji\\'s terms from points 1 to 5. The decision on the military points too followed in due course of time with some minor modifications. Vyas says that although there was tough bargaining in the beginning, once the agreement was signed, the Germans honored it in letter and spirit.

The Free India Center with the status of a diplomatic mission was established with its office in Lichtensteiner Allee, opposite to the Spanish Embassy in Berlin\\'s diplomatic enclave. After having lived in various hotels, Subhas Chandra Bose was allotted a villa in the Charlottenburg area of Berlin. Before the out break of the war, this house was occupied by the military attaché to the American Embassy.

The work of the Free India Center began with a few Indian Volunteers, mainly students. To start with, they were MR Vyas, NG Gunpulay, NG Swamy, Habib-ur-Rehman, Abid Hassan Safrani and one or two more. It can be said that more than a diplomatic mission, the Free India Center worked like the secretariat of a Government to be free. India movement came to be called Azad Hind, with its emblem of Tricolour with the springing tiger and Jana Gana Mana adopted Hindi words Subh Sukh Chain Ki Barkha Barse - without any alteration in the tune. Jai Hind was adopted as the greetings amongst the Indian nationals. It gave us a special identity as members of one nation irrespective of many religions and races. Our leader Subhas Chandra Bose was addressed by the members of the Azad Hind as Netaji. This title owes its introduction to the members of the Azad Hind Free India Centre. In Hindustani, \\'Neta\\' means leader, the suffix \\'Ji\\' is a common word of respect and courtesy used among equals and among the high and low alike. It sounds of closeness between the person addressed and the addresser in contrast to words like Hazoor, Sahib, Janab, Nawab-e-Aala, Janab-e-Aali, Sahib Bahadur, Shriman, Sarkar, Alijab, Hukum, etc. The word Netaji became so popular that it immediately reminds one of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. There have been 'netas', many of them will come and go but Netaji will remain only one and one only Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

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