Indian Freedom Movement - Great Betrayals

Silver - The spy who did the unspeakable

Silver – this was the name of Bhagatram Talwar who helped Netaji cross Indian and Afghan border. Documents unclassified in the 90’s revealed that Bhagataram, an active member of the communist Kirti Kishan Party, was a quintuple agent during the work, working closely with Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond. He also worked as a Russian, German, and Italian agent but most likely his allegiance lied with Russia, the communist heaven, even at the cost of his country’s interest. Since Russia was an ally of the British, he and his party therefore actively helped the British by providing confidential information about Netaji Subhas Bose in Germany and other Indian revolutionaries and provided false information to Bose through German agents.

Why did Silver help Netaaji cross the border? Reason was simple. At that time when Netaji crossed the border Russia was still an ally of Hitler. In fact Russia had attacked Poland and the Balkan countries and had shared the spoils with Germany, and Stalin had even greater ambitions. Russia buried Finland and Lapland destroying their faint resistance. The aim for both the power mongers were to get absolute control over the resources in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Baltic Sea region – the oil and gas fields, the coal mines and other natural resources that were aplenty. When Hitler, perceiving danger attacked Russia the allegiance of the Communist Party and its wing in the North West Frontier and Punjab, Kirti Kishan Party changed. And Silver, despite the fact that his brother was hanged by British, worked with them to betray his own countrymen, in order to help Russian alliance win the war.

Before Netaji left India there was a grand plan that he hatched with his chief supporters in Bengal, Hemchandra Ghosh’s Bengal Volunteers (BV), to wage a direct rebellion in the North West Frontiers and in Afghanistan with the help of the local tribal chiefs. Bhagatram had considerable influence in the Pashtun speaking areas and enlisting his help, BV leaders tried to make the tribal chiefs prepare for a rebellion against British in the event German and Indian soldiers march to Afghanistan. However after Russia was attacked BV suddenly sensed a lull in their efforts. Bhagatram had sunk without a trace and one by one every leaders of BV of whom Bhagatram knew a lot by now, were compromised to the British. Thus Sharat Chandra Bose, Hemchandra Ghosh, Satya Gupta, Bhupendra Kishore Rakshit Roy, Jyotish Guha and all other front line leaders were arrested, Satya Gupta and Jyotish Guha were subjected to unimaginable torture by British military to reveal the plan of Subhas and Jyotish died in the process. Uttamchand, who had given shelter to Netaji in Kabul, was arrested and send to an Afghan prison his thirty year old radio business was destroyed in one day. All the information about the BV activities and their link to Subhas Bose were known to only one person – Bhagatram. But Bhagataram was at that time untraceable only to surface after the war. All throughout the war he was working as an undercover agent of the British under the direction of his party from the day Russia sided with Britain in the war. Nobody suspected Bhagatram until 1990 when the war information became classified by Britain. And the papers revealed his secret – how the so called aide of Netaji compromised India’s efforts for gain

The curious case of a misguided political party

Communist party had changed their allegiance and colour very fast right after Hitler declared war against Russia. In fact so fast was their change in strategy that there may be some suspicion in some quarters as to whether the ideological basis of their newfound love for Britain was fabricated and the real basis was probably more materialistic. This political party openly declared a “people’s war” and sided with British administration and Government in condemning the war efforts of Subhas Chandra Bose and also revolutionary activities that would undermine the people’s war against the “Fascists” in India. British Government repaid their debts. All the interned leaders of that party were freed and were given royal treatment. Point to be noted here is that Russian, a co-signee of the Atlantic Charter did not even press for Indian independence as part of the charter. Instead Russia had actively taken part in forcefully occupying several hapless smaller nations and at that time that political party did not have any problem with the Fascists, nor did they have any sympathy for the Nations that were swallowed by Russia.

Therefore the party thought and declared that to “Help Russia was our supreme objective” without any consideration of Indian independence. Is there any other instance of any such political part anywhere in the world who would forego their national interest just for supporting another country’s war efforts? Gandhiji pushed the resolution of Quit India Movement in Congress Working Committee on 14^th July  1942 and it was generally accepted despite opposition from few key leaders. The top leaders of Congress were arrested soon after and the movement, which was an uncoordinated set of activities led by second wrung leaders aided by socialist party, was crushed most ruthlessly. However the “people’s war” advocates completely opposed any movement to disturb the war effort and destabilizing the allies and therefore sided with the British Government. This particular political party was also ideologically opposed to Subhas Chandra Bose whom they supported during his early days of political career esp. during his president ship of Congress. They even went to the extent of calling him Quisling of India endorsing the official stand of the British.  Muslim League and Hindu Mahasabha led by Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Veer Savarkar also opposed Quit India Movement for vested communal and other interests. To be fair to Syama Prasad he possibly wanted to protect the united Bengal province under Fazlul Haq of whose Government his party was a stakeholder and he was naturally apprehensive of the designs of Muslim League to take over the Muslim majority areas of Bengal with tacit support from Congress and open support from British in the event of a revolution against the latter. But the same cannot be said of the communists. According to Communist Party’s official press release, “The groups which make up the fifth block are the Forward Block, the party of the traitor Bose,… must be treated by every honest Indian as the worst enemy of the nation and driven out of political life and exterminated.”  P.C Joshi pledged unconditional support to the Government of India and army to fight Subhash Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fauz. Joshi’s letters also revealed that the communist party of India received financial assistance from British in return for the favour and also had a secret pact with Muslim League.

Today of course communism is almost irrelevant in India and the world and Russia is no longer held in awe and reverence by the surviving lot.

The clueless bunch of peaceniks

Between 1939 and 1942, after Subhas Chandra Bose was driven out of Congress presidency and from the party in possibly the worst possible way, Congress remained a bunch of indecisive, clueless body of peace lovers whose only pleasure in life was to indulge in the politics of prayers and petitions. Without exception almost all political leaders belonging to the pro Gandhi camp were guilty of ill treatment of Subhas Chandra Bose, including Gandhiji’s protégé Nehru whom Subhas respected and trusted for being a forward looking elite. Subhas was driven out of Congress as he had demanded that world war provided an opportunity to demand total independence. Peaceniks claimed that it was not morally right was British was fighting a war. What was Jawaharlal’s motive in denouncing Subhas was not clear, however he persisted in completely and staunchly opposing him in Tripuri Congress. The Gandhi brigade of Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Rajgopalachary, had at first taken a decision of supporting British in their war effort. They were still day dreaming that by being nice and friendly to British, we would get independence in return after the war. Gandhiji himself was much disturbed during battle of Britain. He said that he did not want independence by taking advantage of a demolished Britain. Noble gesture, but such policies are irrelevant in war time as Sri Krishna unequivocally told Arjuna. Gandhiji knew Gita by heart, only he did not understand Sri Krishna too well. Congress had forgotten the betrayal of British twenty years back when in return for the war time support what India got was the massacre in Jallianwala Bagh and atrocities on its people. They also had underestimated the extent of Winston Churchill’s imperialism and racism. But Gandhiji perhaps had a change in heart. He demanded that Congress go for a movement to oust British from India. At first, none of his coterie responded favourably. But Gandhiji persisted. At this juncture, under President Roosevelt’s pressure Churchill had to send Stafford Cripps for a peace mission, to ensure and enlist support of Indian political class. Jawaharlal Nehru was the only person who was positively disposed to the proposals of Cripps. Gandhiji rejected it and called it a Post Dated Cheque on a Crushing Bank. Gandhiji had learnt from his “Himalayan Blunders”. He understood now the British cunningness and duplicity. Although under persistence from Gandhiji’s Quit India resolution was adopted, Congress leaders were still ambivalent about the outcome. In any case they were interned and had no connection with masses until 1945.

Gandhiji’s initial position of opposition to Subhas’s decision to take advantage of world war was ideological. He thought that by trying to take advantage of British’s defeats during the war, India would be violating the principles of non violent and would be joining the Axis forces by default. His stand was, India can be no party to such an imperialist war. While Nehru and other Congress leaders had heartily supported this stand they did not have any idea or vision as to how to get independence for India. Only Subhas had a concrete and a decisive plan and only he took action, at enormous personal cost and sacrifice.

Nehru had went a step ahead and said that India should offer not only sympathy but unconditional support to Britain. He said, “We do not approach the problem with a view to take advantage of the British difficulties.” Like the Communists, he conveniently forgot his purpose and goal and the interests of India. He even went on saying in 1940 that “launching a civil disobedience campaign at a time when Britain is engaged in life and death struggle would be an act derogatory to India’s honor.” Seriously! When India is looking forward for independence, her undisputed leader and future prime minister is too concerned about her “honor” to claim her independence. However not everybody was in sync with him. Abul Kalam Azad, surprising was candid enough to say that, “Indians have the right to take up sword if they have no alternative.”

While Nehru had denounced Subhas and even declared to fight him if he stepped into India with Japanese soldiers, Gandhiji had said, “If the Japanese ever come to India they would come not as our enemy but as the enemy of the British.” It’s surprising that Nehru and other Congress leaders did not realize this simple truth, or that they did not want to. Sardar Patel had a change of heart too. He supported heartily the resolution of Quit India, being disgusted with the inaction and long passivity. But Gandhiji paved the path for final struggle when he put forward his ultimatum to the Congress leadership. He declared, “I cannot wait any longer for India’s freedom…If I wait any longer God will punish me. This the last struggle of my life.” Congress had to accept the resolution, Gandhiji still was the undisputed leader, atleast until the so called failure of Quite India. Nehru however did not forgive him. He said in Discovery of India in the context of the decision to launch a struggle for freedom movement - “Gandhiji’s approach also seemed to ignore international considerations and appeared to be based on a narrow view of nationalism.”

In fact Nehru, the undisputed leader of Congress had summed up the attitude of the peaceniks - “The way Subhas Bose has chosen is naturally wrong, I cannot accept but must oppose”. This statement was widely broadcasted gleefully by the British in the All India Radio.

Dr. R.C Mazumdar further went on stating in his magnum opus, “History of the Freedom Movement of India”, that Nehru seemed to live in an ideal world of his own creation which had no relation to actual facts.”

And yet, he became the prime minster and victors write the history in their favor. Heroes are only there to sacrifice everything and thus provide a strong foundation which the opportunists can leverage.

Quit India Movement could have been a failure but the masses rose in uprising in many places in India with a ferocity that was hitherto unknown to the British. Although with brute force they were able to finally subjugate the uprising but they knew one thing, that their days in India were numbered. So ideally Congress could claim no credit for whatever little was achieved during Quit India Movement. In fact the radio broadcasts of Subhas Chandra Bose and Rashbehari Bose, the active leadership of socialist party leaders and the general anger of the unorganized masses played a significant role in the movement. The local heroes largely remain unsung and unrecognized. Their names are not even mentioned in the history books, but they were the ones who had fought inch by inch and their determination and courage won the day in frightening the administration who had no option but to play the sinister game of divide and rule.

A lot of pain was expressed by noted historian Dr. Ramesh Chandra Mazumdar when he said in 1966 – “What I have not been able to forget to this day that the name of Subhas Chandra Bose was not mentioned even once. This I think was not accidental. It was sought to be conveyed that independence has been achieved through nonviolence and that Netaji and I.N.A had not contributed anything at all to it.”