Icon war in Bengal similar to campaign around Bose ahead of 2019 LS polls

A fortnight ago, BJP massively campaigned around Vivekananda's birth centenary, prompting TMC to quip that his land would never allow BJP's 'hate politics'

In a repeat of legacy war over Netaji months before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls between BJP and Congress, politics has again heated up over the powerful symbolism of nationalism -- Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose -- ahead of the 2021 West Bengal polls.

However, this time it is BJP versus the Trinamool Congress.

In January 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Bose museum at Red Fort to mark Netaji's birth anniversary', this time he will visit Kolkata to address 'Parakram Diwas' celebrations in Kolkata on Netaji's birth anniversary on January 23.

Read | PM Modi in Kolkata for Bose's birth anniversary celebrations, to also visit Assam

The plan this year bears an uncanny resemblance to the 2019 pitch ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Starting from the run up to 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Modi government has been alleging that freedom fighter icons other than those from the Nehru-Gandhi family were ignored, claiming that icons such as Bose, Sardar Patel, Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and others, got their due only after the Modi government came to power.

In 2016, the Modi government had declassified 100 files related to Bose and then inducted Netaji’s grand-nephew Chandra Kumar Bose in the party. Chandra Kumar Bose did not appear too enthused with the idea of "Parakram Divas" this time and tweeted that Netaji’s birthday on 23 January is celebrated as DeshPremDivas across the country by people from all religions, caste & creed and that "Govt sponsorship is not required." Bose was last year dropped from the post of Vice President in the state unit.

A fortnight ago, BJP massively campaigned around the 158th birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda, prompting TMC to quip that Swami Vivekananda's land will never allow BJP's 'hate politics' to triumph.

Earlier Modi promised a 'Sonar Bangla' if BJP came to power and addressed centenary celebrations of Viswa Bharati while Amit Shah had lunch at a Baul singer's residence. As the BJP beat the campaign drum around 'Gurudev' Rabindranath Tagore, Mamata Banerjee reacted saying Tagore's Bengal would not allow hate politics to overpower secularism.

Also Read | TMC, Forward Bloc criticise Centre's decision to observe Netaji's birthday as 'Parakram Diwas'

TMC also accused the BJP of insulting icons of Bengal such as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. The Congress had, in the past, accused the BJP of 'usurping' freedom struggle icons belonging to Congress.

The symbol of 'Netaji', is however, too powerful to ignore and hence Bengal's ruling party has also joined in the popular sentiments with its MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy demanding that a book chronicling the history of Azad Hind Fauj (INA) and compiled by the history division of the defence ministry decades ago should be made public as it says Netaji did not die in a plane crash.

Roy also claimed that the Prime Minister's Office and the defence ministry have several files on Netaji and his exploits lying with them, which are still under wraps. "Both the Congress and the BJP are indifferent to the legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose," he said. There was also a demand from the TMC to declare January 23 as a national holiday.

On the BJP's menu are programmes across the country including building a memorial in the honour of around 26,000 martyred members of the INA and including "Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja" the regimental quick march of INA in the Beating Retreat ceremony. Modi will release a commemorative coin and postage stamp.

On Tuesday, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had announced a detailed plan including inauguration of an exhibition by Modi in West Bengal capital to mark the occasion and felicitate prominent members of the Indian National Army (INA), formed by Bose, and their family members. Going big the government also formed an 85-member high-level committee headed by PM Modi to plan year-round programmes to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Bose.

As the election campaign heats for the state, indications are that there will be substantial politics around symbolism.