Introducing Subhash

1897: Born on January 23 in Cuttack, Orissa, to Prabhabati and Janakinath Bose. Janakinath, an advocate,
was the first non-official Chairman of the Cuttack Municipality and a government pleader and public
prosecutor.
1902: Enrolls in the Baptist Mission School.
1902 - 1913: Subhas as a teenager comes under the influence of the teachings of Sri Ramakrishna and
Swami Vivekanada.
1913: Passes high school examination. Comes second in examination for entrance to Calcutta University,
which at that time included almost the entire north India and the eastern provinces of undivided India.
1914: Joins Presidency College, Calcutta, with philosophy as the major subject.
1915: He passed intermediate examination in first devision.
1916: Suspended from Presidency College for going on strike against manhandling of students by an
English professor. Appeals to the university for permission to study in some other college, but is refused.
A take to social service, organizes youth for physical, intellectual and moral advancement and campaigns
against untouchability.
1917: Gets admission in Scottish Church College, Calcutta.
1919: Sails for England after passing the B A examination with first class honours, to appear for the
Indian Civil Service (ICS) examination and also to take the Tripos in Moral Philosophy at the Cambridge
University.
1920: Joins Cambridge University and appears for the ICS Examination in August. Ranks fourth among
the successful candidates. Following a secret information, British authorities reduce his rank to fourth on
suspicion that he might resign from the ICS. Examination result would have ranked him first but his
marks are reduced in the viva.
1921: Withdraws his name from the list of probationers in the Indian Civil Service, as he can not
undermine his ideals and principles by becoming a member of the British Administrative Services. Passes
the Mental and Moral Sciences Tripos Examination from Cambridge but returns to India and plunges into
national struggle. Calls on Gandhi in Bombay. Makes his way to Calcutta to report to Deshbandhu
Chittaranajan Das. Offers Deshbandhu his services in three areas: a) Teaching at the National College, b)
Writing for the English edition of the newspaper Swaraj, and c) Conducting research for the Congress
party.
Gandhi's call for boycott and non-cooperation generates tremendous patriotic fervor. Netaji is put in
charge of publicity for the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee and the National Volunteer Corp and
also appointed Principal of the newly started National College, Calcutta.
Congress calls upon people to observe a total hurtle on the day of the Prince of Wales' landing in
Bombay, and is declared illegal by the government. The Congress Working Committee vests all its
powers in its president, Deshbandhu Chittaranajan Das, who in turn puts Netaji in charge of the
movement. Netaji is taken into custody along with Deshbandhu and other leaders and later sentenced to
six months' imprisonment.
1922: Gandhi suspends the Civil Disobedience movement after the Chauri Chaura incident while Netaji is
still in jail. Gandhi is arrested and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment on charges of sedition.
Devastating floods occur in the northern districts of Bengal. The Congress rises to the occasion and Netaji
heads the first batch of volunteers.
Two events - the session of the All India Trade Union Congress in Lahore at which Deshbandhu presided
and declared Swaraj as India's aim; and the Yong Men's Conference in Calcutta - serves as major
influence on Netaji's political career.
1923: He was elected as the president of all India youth congress; secretary of Bengal state congress and
editor of the paper ‘forward’ founded by deshbandhu.
1924: Swaraj Party wins a comfortable majority in the elections to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.
Deshbandhu is elected the first Mayor of Calcutta. Netaji is appointed Chief Executive Officer of the
Calcutta Corporation and provides a new direction to the city's administration.
1924: Netaji is arrested and sent to Rangoon to curtail the popularity of the Swaraj Party.
1925: Deshbandhu chittaranjan das passed away.
1927: Netaji along with Nehru, was elected as the general secretary of all India congress committee.
1928: The annual session of the Indian National Congress is held in Calcutta. Netaji emerges as the
principal spokesman of the younger and leftist forces in the national movement.
1929: Gandhi moves a resolution on complete independence at the historic Lahore session of the Indian
National Congress. Netaji urges that a positive program of action be adopted to enforce the national
demand and moves a resolution that the Congress should aim at setting up a parallel government in the
country and take up the task of organizing workers, peasants and youth. Resolution is defeated, and Netaji
is excluded from the Congress Working Committee.
1930: Netaji forms the Congress Democratic Party to promote his militant program but is arrested on
return to Calcutta and sentenced to a year's rigorous imprisonment. Elected Mayor of Calcutta while in
prison. He is arrested again after a brief period and lodged in a small jail in the Central Provinces. His
health deteriorates rapidly. Gets shifted from place to place ostensibly for medical diagnosis and
treatment - first to Madras, then to Bhowali and to Lucknow. Sister-in-law Bivabati negotiates with the
government in Delhi to send him to Europe for treatment.
1931: On 23rd march, Shaheed bhagat Singh was hanged. This was probably the point when Netaji parted
ways with Gandhi.
1932-1936: He met reputed personalities like Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, D. Valera in Ireland
and Roma Rolland in France.
1934: Sails for Europe. Reaches Vienna. As health improves, takes upon himself the role of unofficial
ambassador of Indian nationalism. Establishes and develops contacts among political and intellectual
circles, and corresponds with many European scholars and writers. Establishes the Austria-India Society
in Vienna; associated with the formation of Czechoslovak Indian Association. By year end, receives news
of his father's critical condition. Leaves for India in haste but arrives a day late. He is confined to his
Elgin Road House on arrival in Calcutta.
1935: Returns to Europe to resume medical treatment and work for India from outside. The Indian
Struggle, his book - essentially a historical narrative - published in London. The British Government bans
it in India.
1936: Plans to return to India to attend the Lucknow session of the Congress. Is being taken into custody
on arrival in Bombay and later transferred to Kurseong, near Darjeeling.
1936-1937: He was later released in March and started for Europe wherein he published ‘Indian struggle’.
1937: Gets elected as Congress president while in London. Returns home.
1939: Re-elected Congress president. Members of the Congress Working Committee resign. Due to
differences within the Congress, Netaji resigns as president and announces the formation of the Forward
Bloc within the Congress. Removed from the presidentship of the Bengal Provincial Congress
Committee, and debarred from holding any elective office in the Congress for three years.
1940: Gets detained at the Presidency Jail, Calcutta; goes on a hunger strike. Is released unconditionally
as his health deteriorates..
1941: Placed under strict surveillance at his Eligin in roadhouse. Makes a dramatic escape and finally
arrives in Berlin.
1941: On 7th January 1941, he escaped and reached Germany via Afghanistan and Russia.
1941: On 9th April 1941, he submitted a memorandum to the Germany government, which outlined a plan
for co-operation between the axis powers and India.
1941-42: Establishes Free India Center in Rome and Paris. Hears about the success of the Japanese
against the British, which ended in the fall of Singapore. A conference of Indians in East Asia is held in
Bangkok It resolves to set up an Indian National Army and Netaji is invited to East Asia.
1942: He formed the first Indian legion to fight the Imperial powers.
1943: He started for Japan by submarine (This was the only man to man transfer between submarines
during the IInd world war. He reached Tokyo in June. Welcomed by Prime Minister Hikedi Tojo of the
local government and Rash Bihari Bose. He delivered the speech on air in Tokyo. Netaji plans to organise
the Indian National Army to generate the true spirit of Swaraj and ultimately win complete independence
for India. Reviews the forces of Azad Hind Fauz As its Supreme Commander on 21 October 1943. He
gave them the 'Dilli Chalo' slogan. Proclaims the Provisional Government of Azad Hind, which gets
recognition from nine countries including Japan, Germany and Italy. Inaugurates the Rani Jhansi
Regiment of the Azad Hind Fauz. In December 1943 the ceremonial transfer of the Andaman & Nicobar
Islands took placed (and were subsequently renamed as Shaheed and Swaraj).
1944: The INA crosses the Arakan Front on February 4 and reaches Indian soil on March 18. The
liberation force is halted within three miles of Imphal. With no air cover, they are unable to move into the
Assamese territory. The British forces, reinforced by air, manage to stop their march. The INA retreats.
1945: Germany surrenders to the Allied Forces and signs the Armistice.Japan officially announces its
surrender (August 15). Netaji boards a plane to Saigoan for Japan. (August 17). Radio Tokyo announces
Netaji's death in air crash. (August 22)