From Parakram to progress: Netaji’s enduring vision

On the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the nation bows in remembrance of a life that burned with courage, sacrifice and an unyielding passion for freedom.

- CP RADHAKRISHNAN

From a young age, Netaji displayed a rare moral intensity—renouncing personal comfort, worldly ambition and even a prestigious career in the Indian Civil Service to dedicate himself entirely to India’s liberation. For him, freedom was a sacred duty that demanded discipline, fearlessness and the willingness to sacrifice everything.

A profound insight into Netaji’s personality comes from a message written in 1939 by the great son of Bharat, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. In a remarkable tribute, Gurudev hailed Subhas Chandra Bose as Deshnayak—the leader of the nation. Gurudev observed that in troubled times, a country needs the strong hand of an inspired and valiant leader, one who can rise above adversity and lead with vigour. In Netaji, he saw that rare fusion of courage, vision and moral force.

Netaji’s journey was marked by difficult choices and lonely resolve. When conventional paths appeared inadequate to achieve independence, he charted his own course, transforming the freedom struggle into an international movement through the Indian National Army. He asserted with conviction, “There is no power on earth that can deprive us of our birthright of liberty any longer.” This belief found concrete expression in the INA.

Netaji’s clarion call—“Give me blood, and I will give you freedom”—and his assertion that “Freedom is not given; it is taken,” reflected his unwavering faith that liberty must be earned through struggle and supreme sacrifice.