Netaji-inspired rebellion in Army fetched freedom, Gandhi's post 1942 struggle a 'non-event': TN Guv Ravi

Chennai: India wouldn’t have secured independence from the British in 1947 if not for the rebellion by Indians within the Navy and Air Force who were “inspired” by Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s call for an armed struggle as the non-cooperation movement spearheaded by the Indian National Congress “fizzled out” after 1942, Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi claimed on Tuesday.

From 1942 to 1946, Ravi said while addressing a meeting to commemorate the birth anniversary of Bose, there was no “worthwhile resistance” to the British rule in India and it was only the fear of “resistance by the Indian men” in the then Navy and Air Force that prompted Britishers to announce that they will leave the country by 1947.

Contending that Netaji Bose has not been “adequately projected and understood” in the country, Ravi heaped praise on his vision to have a woman battalion in the Indian National Army headed by him, while noting that it took seven decades for an independent India to do the same. He also regretted that not much is spoken about people from Tamil Nadu who had served in Netaji’s army and efforts should be taken to bring their lives to the public domain.

“…if Netaji was not there, India would not have become free in 1947 because when the second World War began in 1942, the non-cooperation movement by the Indian National Congress fizzled out. If you look at the history of the national freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, it was a non-event after 1942. Nothing happened as we were busy fighting ourselves,” he said.

The Muslim League under the leadership of Mohammed Ali Jinnah was fighting for a separate homeland and there was no worthwhile resistance to the British role in India after 1942. “We kept saying we will not cooperate with you. But the fact is that on the ground, the British had no problem. They would have continued for many more years but for Netaji,” he said.

Six months after the Indian National Army was disbanded in September 1945, Indians in the British Navy revolted in February 1946 and took control of all the 21 ships of the British.

“They were so scared and it didn’t end with that. The British realized that it was not safe for them to be in India. Out of fear, in March 1946, they said they were leaving India in the next 15 months. And that inspiration for that came from Netaji and this aspect has not been researched or even talked about much,” Ravi added.

He also said he delved into archival data from February and March, 1946 when he was working with the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and was amazed to see the dispatches sent from India to Britain.

“Every day brought a frightening report. The Central Intelligence, as it was called in those days, reported that nothing can be said for with certainty and anything can happen in India. They got so panicked that they said they will make India free in two months,” Ravi added.