A myth propounded by history-killers and aged freedom-fighter manuals is the enmity between pre-Independence leaders in India.

Subhash Chandra Bose and Mohandas Gandhi shared a healthy and principled relationship despite their opposing ideas on the relevance of violence. In effect, they were comrades in freeing India from British imperialism. Yet, it is not hard to come across learned men and women who speak of them as ‘almost-enemies’. These learned individuals are teachers, historians and journalists. They have never been able to guide me to the source of their exclamations on the Subhash-Mohandas relationship.
“I read it in a book” or “It is well-known”.

One such source had informed me that “Subhash and Gandhi had a fight over the means to achieve independence for India. Subhash was pragmatic and Gandhi backed out of his plans”.

I realised later that in all probability, their followers may have verbally fought and opposed one another. Subhash and Mohandas disagreed but never fought and this knowledgeable person was only bringing out his biases.

Marketers espouse fights between Bhagat Singh and Mohandas Gandhi in movies to promote a false sense of patriotism and increase ticket sales.

Shyam Benegal’s movie “Bose-The Forgotten Hero”, however, did not portray any imagined acrimony between the national leaders. Their opinion differed but they held one another in the highest regard.

Subhash would stop any activity and listen to Mohandas talk on radio and ‘The Indian National Army’, headed by Subhash, revered the services of Bhagat Singh and Mohandas Gandhi to the cause of an independent nation.

It was Subhash who first addressed Mohandas Gandhi as “The Father of the Nation” from Rangoon in 1944. He also gave full support to Mohandas’s call to “Quit India” and “Do or Die”

And though Mohandas was averse to Subhash’s violent battle, he said of him that “…He was Indian first and last. What is more, he fired all under him with the same zeal so that they forgot in his presence all distinctions and acted as one man.”

The comradeship between them is very relevant now as India goes to vote in the coming elections. At a time when name-calling and insulting have become the backbone of Indian politics, Subhash and Mohandas are a reminder of the crux of democracy and of India; unity in diversity.

Theirs is a case of employing opposing ideology for a common cause, a better India. All the brouhaha about voting for change and youth-power would assuredly fail if these leaders stand for elections today. One of them would win but the country would not lose. I imagine that post-elections, Subhash and Mohandas would meet and healthily disagree over the affairs of the nation.

Selected Stories from Outside YI
* Lalit Modi combines elections and IPL…