The Three Questions of Subhas Bose
After resigning from ICS, where he had initially decided not to join after qualifying with the 4th rank, Bose chose to join India’s freedom fight.
M.K.Gandhi had become the supreme leader, some say dictator, of the Indian National Congress, which was a body of people with diverse philosophies. Gandhi at the end of 2020 had promised independence in one year.
On July 21st, 1921, Subhas Bose went to see Gandhi and asked him three questions:
a. How were the different activities conducted by Congress going to culminate in the last stage of the campaign, namely the non-payment of taxes?
b. Second, how could mere non-payment of taxes or civil disobedience force the government to retire from the field and leave us with our freedom?
c. Third: how could the Mahatma promise Swaraj (home rule) within one year as he had been doing ever since the Nagpur Congress?[i]
Bose writes that the reply to the first question satisfied him. However, Mahatma's responses to the other two questions were not convincing.[ii]
Further, Bose said on Gandhiji's replies,’ Either he did not want to give out all his secrets prematurely, or he did not have a clear conception of tactics whereby the hands of the government could be forced.[iii]
He felt unsatisfied that Gandhiji’s reliance on non-violence and campaign to boycott British Goods might not be enough. ‘Giving the leader the benefit of the doubt, Bose tried to believe that there must be a lack of comprehension on his own part. His reason, however, told him that there was “a deplorable lack of clarity” in Gandhi’s political strategy.
Bose had realized at that stage itself that Gandhi’s strategy will not lead to freedom and he then pursued his own course which led to India’s freedom.
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[i] Bose, Struggle, P54
[ii] Bose, Struggle, P54
[iii] Bose, Struggle P 54