TN Guv sparks row, gives more credit to Netaji than Gandhi for India’s freedom
RN Ravi says the freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi became a ‘non-event’ after 1942, and it’s because of Subhas Chandra Bose that India became free in 1947
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi has waded into another controversy by attributing more credit to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose than Mahatma Gandhi for helping India get freedom from British rule in 1947.
Speaking at the Anna University in Chennai to commemorate the 127th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose, Ravi said, “India’s national freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi became a non-event after 1942, and if Netaji had not been there, India would not have become free in 1947.”
He went on to say, “It is presented that Netaji led Indian National Army forces and after that he disappeared. But that does not end there. If you look at the consequences of what Netaji did, then you realise the contributions of this great man. Because after the second world war began, the non-cooperation movement by INC had fizzled out.”
The Tamil Nadu governor also said that after the 1942 event, “we were all busy fighting among ourselves”. He said that the Britishers were enjoying the division among the Indians, and that there was no worthwhile resistance to British rule after 1942.
He was also appreciative of Netaji’s vision in having a woman battalion during the second world war, while it took independent India seven decades to induct women in combat roles in the Indian army.
Ravi said that as a result of Netaji’s military alliances with foreign powers, the Indian soldiers in the British army revolted in February 1946, and the Indian Air Force went on strike. The British realised that they were not safe in India, and in March 1946, they announced that they would leave India in the next 15 months.
He concluded by saying that the consequences of what Netaji did was far more important and we have to reclaim our proud legacy of his contribution to our motherland Bharat.
