Cherishing memories of Netaji on his b’day

Cuttack: Born January 23, 1897 in Cuttack, Subhas Chandra Bose is remembered by citizens of his birthplace not just for being a revolutionary par excellence but also for the master strategist and an extremely brilliant individual that he was.
At a time when the British, in an attempt to keep Indians off the Imperial Civil Services, had reduced the upper age limit for the prestigious and extremely tough examination to 19, Netaji cracked it in his first attempt but surprisingly chose not to join the service as he believed in serving the country rather than working for those who were enslaving it.
According to historian Prof Harekrushna Behera, Netaji was not just a great revolutionary but also a very brave soul. “Forming the Indian National Army and inspiring millions to join it in the fight against imperialism took a lot of guts. Netaji did what nobody had ever thought of,” he said, adding youngsters of today despite being aware of the romanticism surrounding Netaji would do well to learn a lesson or two from his brilliant academic record, which is too good to be true,” Behera said.
Dr Premakanta Mohanty a retired academician and resident of Link Road, said Netaji’s heroics have been forgotten by the present generation. “The present generation feels Netaji was a macho character in an era when non-violence was at its peak. They are not aware of the fact that Netaji was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi and never abhorred non-violence,” Mohanty said.
Sambit Patra, a student, however chose to counter Mohanty’s view, saying Netaji is one of the few leaders who are still very much remembered by the present generation. “As a student of history, I feel that the present generation should learn qualities like grit, determination and sense of sacrifice from the legend. We feel proud to be born in the same city which produced such a great leader,” Patra said.
“Netaji’s ideals should become a part of every youngster’s life,” said Shyamali Sinha, a schoolteacher.PNN

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