Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to be celebrated as Parakram Diwas

Birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose to be celebrated as Parakram Diwas

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I – Modern History

In news 

• Government of India has decided to celebrate birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the 23rd day of January every year as ‘PARAKRAM DIWAS’.

Key takeaways

• Government of India has decided to celebrate the 125th Birth Anniversary year of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a befitting manner at national and international level, beginning from 23rd January 2021.
• A High Level Committee, headed by the Prime Minister has been constituted for deciding the programs, and to supervise and guide the commemoration.
• Objective: To remember Netaji’s indomitable spirit and selfless service to the nation and to inspire people of the country, especially the youth, to act with fortitude in the face of adversity as Netaji did.

Important value additions

• Subhash Chandra Bose was twice elected President of the Indian National Congress, (1938-Haripur and 1939-Tripuri).
• Owing to political differences, he resigned from the Congress Presidentship in 1939 and organised the All India Forward Bloc a faction within the Congress in Bengal.
• In Calcutta, Bose organised mass protests and was arrested. 
• He was later put under house arrest from where he escaped. 
• He went to Germany via Afghanistan.
• However, in 1943 Bose lost hope that Germany could be of any help in gaining India’s independence. 
• He then turned to Asia where he finally came at the helm of the Indian National Army (INA).
• INA found support among expatriate Indians and Bose formed the Azad Hind government which came to produce its own currency, postage stamps, court and civil code. 
• It was recognised by Axis states.
• During the final two years of the war, Bose with considerable Japanese backing- led the forces of the Indian National Army into battle against the British.
• The I.N.A. was essentially non-communal, with Muslims quite prominent among its officers and ranks, and it also introduced the innovation of a women’s detachment named after the Rani of Jhansi.