Nehru and Bose: The Patriotic Brothers-in-arms of Indian Freedom Struggle

“On this day, we must remember those who have made sacrifices and suffered for the cause of independence. It is needless for me to name all of them, but I cannot help mentioning Subhas Chandra Bose, who left this country and formed the Indian National Army abroad and fought bravely for the freedom of the country. He hoisted this flag in foreign countries, and when the day came for hoisting it on the Red Fort, he was not there to see his dream fulfilled. This should have been the day of his return, but alas, he is no longer in this world.”
— Red Fort, 16th August 1947

During the 1930s, apart from Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru were the leading lights of the Indian freedom struggle within the Congress. Temperamentally and naturally, they were distinctive personalities. Some later historians described them as a “comparison of incompatible things”, but that was not the case with them; they were “friends-in-arms” in every situation and under all circumstances. The comparison between Nehru and Bose is fascinating for many people, authors, and historians because the thread that bonded them reveals certain similarities while, at the same time, unfolding some dissimilarities between the two men. However, an Indian cannot deny that “India had been served at once by her two great sons”.

In November 1938, Tagore’s secretary, Anil Chanda, wrote to Nehru: “In his opinion (Tagore’s), and in the opinion of us all too, there are only two genuine ‘modernists’ in the Congress High Command—you and Bose.” Tagore viewed these two as the leaders of tomorrow who would guide India to new heights.

When Nehru and Bose appeared on the Indian political scene during the 1920s to participate in the freedom struggle, they appeared alike in many ways. Both were young and had the charm of youthfulness to attract the nationalist masses. There was no one who could fascinate the masses from different sections of society better than these two. Both were committed to complete independence and opposed Dominion Status; both believed in a socialist pattern of society in which equality must prevail. Both favoured centralized planning and believed in an industrialized India through investment in heavy industry. The Planning Commission of India, which was renamed NITI Aayog in 2014, owed its origins to Bose. After being elected Congress president in 1938, Bose appointed Jawaharlal Nehru as the chairman of the Congress's National Planning Committee. Senior leaders like Gandhiji and Sardar Patel had great faith in these two Young Turks. Nehru and Bose were very close ideological colleagues. Both were socialists, secular, progressive, and scientific in their outlook.

Later historians and political pundits never recognized the ‘Troika’ of Sardar Patel, Nehru, and Bose. Sardar Patel considered Nehru his younger brother, while Bose considered Nehru his elder brother. Bose often sought Nehru’s advice on different political situations, the day-to-day functioning of the Congress party, and India’s state of affairs. Our generation should draw inspiration from Bose’s school of secularism. Hindutva leaders from the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha attacked Bose incessantly when he spoke in favour of Muslims and sought to reserve jobs for them while he was elected to lead the Calcutta Corporation. Bose was aware of the tremendous injustice and backwardness faced by the Muslim community. At the same time, he vehemently criticized and opposed both Muslim and Hindu communal forces. When Pandit Nehru visited Japan in October 1957, he paid a visit to Renkoji Temple, where his younger brother, Netaji, is commemorated and whose mortal remains are believed to be preserved.

Robert Yadav, Sunil Kumar, Ganpat Ram