Netaji's Birthday

Today is the Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a man who has earned my deep admiration.  Subhah Bose was the real NETAJI, vindicated by the fact that he was the Commander-in-Chief of an entire Army called Azad Hind Fauz ( Independent Indian Army) with no tangible military experience. It requires solid leadership qualities. A highly motivational and charismatic speaker, his famous speech "Give me blood, I will give you freedom" is so simple yet so profound inspires millions. It still gives me goose bumps. Netaji was academically brilliant who topped Civil Services. But rather than joining the coveted Civil Service for his reluctance to serve under the British he chose the path to travel globally, lived in dense forests and raised an army, fighting the enemy almost single handed. Such depth of patriotism is unfathomable these days. My thousand salute to the  man who unfortunately never got the reward and recognition he duly deserved by the country for which he made ultimate sacrifices. 

Now, A tale of two NETAJIs. In pre independence time people fondly addressed Subhah Chandra Bose as NETAJI which means " Dear Leader". He earned the sobriquet. The term Netaji (leader) is very loosely used these days to depict any politician from small timers to big fishes. Any KUJI NETA (sundry leader) is a Netaji these days, the more ubiquitous being Mulayam Singh Yadav the UP politician who is addressed the same. Sadly the similarities between them ends there.  Netaji said decades ago " Give me blood; I will give you freedom ". Our modern Netaji Bhaiyya said earlier "there is no need to change anti-rape laws as boys commit mistakes for which they shouldn't be hanged". Tragedy this comes from a politician of a state which has produced stalwarts like Lal Bahadur Shastri and J L Arya ( the Allahad High Court Judge whose verdict against Indira Gandhi forced the later to impose emergency in 1974).

In Odia we say KAHI RANI KAHI MEHENTRANI (Where stands the Queen and where stands the Toilet Cleaner). In Hindi they say KAHA RAJA BHOJ AUR KAHA GANGU TELI. Meaning of the proverbs in both languages is quite obvious. The term NETAJI has been diluted and downgraded beyond repair regressed over time. Hoping to be proved wrong, our generation could fade away remembering Subhas Bose as the last NETAJI of our time, a la the Royal Bengal tiger.