Netaji Remembered
Posted : January 24, 2006 at 6:29 am [IST]
I am not going for last few days for my morning walk, which is the only prescription to keep my heart pumping. But over exuberance of walking along Central Park of Salt Lake for first two-three days after coming from Noida made me sick. I never had so bad cold. Today, I walked on my roof. The air was at least less polluted.
I saw some decoration coming up in our CJ Block Park. Suddenly I remembered it is 23rd January today- Netaji birthday. I asked Bharati if there is any function in the park today. She didn’t know, but almost at the same time I heard Mr.Sen, my neighbour next door talking to someone. And from my drawing room itself on the second floor, I asked if there is any celebration of Netaji birthday. He confirmed and invited me also to join the function.
When I reached in the park, 5-6 elderly people including Mr. Sen were trying to make an arrangement for hoisting the national flag. Where have all the residents of the block gone on this holiday? Why is not even a single young face here? Where are the ladies? Natural questions came to my mind. Younger generation attends only those functions that they organize in their own way.
Each block in Salt Lake has an office building in the park. This building was constructed in centenary year of Netaji Subhash Bose. There is a covered stage too that serves for keeping deities during Puja festivals or alternatively can function as stage for cultural functions. And a bust of Netaji is also there. I was trying to take photograph. Suddenly, I heard some scuffle. An elderly gentleman was annoyed that even on this day the place has been put on rent fro some marriage. He went away after expressing his resentment, but then some wise gentleman could pacify him and bring him in.
Finally, this group of 10-12 persons began the function with national anthem. The same old man was asked to hoist the flag. By now he was happy. He gave a pretty good talk too very lucidly narrating the whole story of Netaji. Subhash Chandra Bose went for ICS examination in England. He did excellently well in examination, returned to India but never joined the government job. Instead he became CEO of Calcutta Municipality under the famous C R Das. He joined Congress, and got elected its President too. But Mahatma Gandhi didn’t like him. He started his own party Forward Block. He was under house prison from where he escaped through a well laid famous plan and went to Kabul. Rest is history. He moved to Japan with German’s help. And from Japan he came to Singapore where he established Azad Hind Fauz. His way for independence was different. He wanted to fight Britain’s might militarily. His army came up to Imphal in NE India, but it had to surrender because of shortage of ration. He left for unknown destination. The nation could not get him back. The end of his life became a mystery and myth for India, and particularly Bengalis. I don’t know if he could have own the independent through his route. But he was certainly different and his leadership was exemplary.
I was excited to know from the old man that he had seen him. You can see my old man in the photograph with specs. DD Kolkata had a 24- hours programme on the different aspects of Netazi’s life.
But for me, the question still remains, why the young men are not joining the older generation in Salt Lake to make these functions more useful. Why does the younger generation appear to be disenchanted with our history and particularly those leaders on whose sacrifices the nation became independent? Is it the same thing as getting manifested every now and then with stories where the older parents are being left out from the mainstream of the family life?
- Indra
Category: Religious/Social issues |
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