Subhas Bose – differences

with Gandhi
Class 10 History
Background – rift with Gandhi
• Subhas Bose had been one of the younger and dynamic leaders of the
Congress
• He believed in socialistic ideas and had a lot of support from many
younger leaders of Congress
• But Gandhi and his close followers were not very supportive of him
• In 1938 at the Haripura Congress, Bose was elected President of the
Congress
• In 1939 he again was elected even though the Gandhian group put up
another candidate against him – Pattabhi Sitaramayya
Major differences
• 1. Bose believed in socialism and was not tied to non-violence
• - this went against the beliefs of Gandhi
• 2. Bose believed that outside help was necessary to obtain freedom
• -- as the war came nearer Bose believed that “England’s necessity is
India’s opportunity”
• --Gandhi did not want to destroy the war effort
• 3. Bose believed in tact and diplomacy while Gandhi tried to be open
and and frank when dealing with opponents
Events leading to resignation of Bose
• 1. Gandhi saw his own defeat when Subhas Bose was re-elected.
• 2. Consequently 13 members of the Congress Working Committee
resigned in protest
• 3. Bose was asked to make a Working Committee according to
Gandhi’s wishes
• 4. Even some of Bose’s supporters now came out in support of
Gandhi
• 5. This made Bose’s position very difficult so he resigned from the
Presidentship of the Congress
The Forward Bloc – Aims and Objectives

• Subhas Bose now formed his own party within the Congress called the
FORWARD BLOC
• The immediate objective of the Forward Bloc was the liberation of India
with the support of workers, peasants and the youth
• The Forward Bloc aimed at establishing a Socialist State in India through
the following measures
• (a) Reorganization of industry and agriculture on socialist lines
• (b) Abolition of the zamindari system
• (c) Creation of a new monetary and credit system
• (d) Freedom of worship’
• (e) Linguistic and cultural freedom for all
Bose expelled from the Congress - 1939
• When World War 2 broke out Bose wanted to start a people’s
movement against the British
• But Gandhi and his followers did not want to endanger the war effort
as they were also against Fascism and Nazism
• So the Congress party declared that Bose had to take permission
before he could start a movement
• They expelled Bose and banned him from holding office in the
Congress for three years
The Great Escape January 1941
• In 1940 Bose was arrested by the British authorities
• He went on a hunger strike in jail
• He was released and kept under house arrest
• In January 1941 – he made a daring escape from his home
• Travelling through Afghanistan and Russia – he reached Germany
• His policy: “My enemy’s enemy is my friend”
• So he wanted to get support from Hitler to found an army which would liberate India
• While in Germany he frequently urged his countrymen on the radio to take up the
struggle against the British
• Bose spent 1941-43 in Germany but was disappointed at the lack of support
Bose recovering from his hunger strike at
home
Bose met Hitler but was disappointed with
his lack of support – spent 1941-43 in
Germany