Netaji has always been an enigma for me. What we know about him is half-cooked knowledge that has been propagated by many historians who have derived secondary data about this mysterious hero. However, to read it from someone who is up close to Netaji’s life not only through relations but done extensive research is essential for a reader in me. And hence I grabbed Netaji by Krishna Bose.

The author and Netaji

To have an idea about how the book provides eclectic information about the unsung hero, we should know the author. An English professor with proficiency in the language, Netaji’s brother’s daughter-in-law; when she decided to write about the majestic person in her family, she is guaranteed to do extensive research. 

Krishna Bose (1930-2020) was a Member of Parliament for three terms, elected to the Lok Sabha from West Bengal. From 1999 to 2004, she chaired the parliamentary standing committee on external affairs. In her professional life, she was a professor of English Literature. In December 1955, Krishna (nee Chaudhuri) married Dr. Sisir Kumar Bose (1920-2000), the son of Netaji’s older brother and lifelong confidant Sarat Chandra Bose. Aged twenty, Sisir was Netaji’s chief aide in his daring escape from India in 1941 and drove the escape car from the family’s mansion on Kolkata’s Elgin Road. Krishna helped Sisir build the Netaji Research Bureau at Netaji Bhawan from 1957 onwards. After Sisir’s death, she served as NRB chairperson for twenty years, until her death in 2020.

Netaji for the masses

Krishna Bose has been connected with the masses through her  Bengali articles. The articles have been divided into 7 parts. The first part is about the women in Netaji’s life. His mother Prabhabati Bose, his teacher C.R. Das’s wife whom he lovingly calls ‘ma’, Basanti Debi, Bivavati Bose, his older brother’s wife, and Emolies Schenkl his wife. Netaji’s relationships with the World leaders have four articles that throw light on his relationship with Jawaharlal Nehru, Rabindranath Tagore, Adolf Hitler, and Eamon de Valera.

The next part Azad Hind, Netaji’s epic struggle in Europe and Asia is a single article that is a priceless, firsthand witness account of Abid Hasan. This is something that we can never replace. The next part of Netaji’s Soldiers is a tribute to the brilliant heroes who have been forgotten in the pages of history. Once we get engaged in the book, we forget the fact that we are reading a real story of a real hero. Because his life is more endearing than any fictional hero. 

The post is a part of BlogchatterA2z 2023

The author has gone to an end to visiting the places mentioned in the articles and acquired first-hand information from the people related to each instance. The mystery behind the Disappearance of Netaji, who accompanied him – The book is has a plethora of authentic information about Netaji.