Remembering revolutionary leader Rash Behari Bose on his death anniversary

Rash Behari Bose born on 25 May 1886 was an Indian revolutionary leader against the British Raj. He was one of the key organisers of the Ghadar Mutiny and founded the First Indian National Army during World War 2 based on the militarization policy of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

He founded the Japanese branch of the Hindu Mahasabha in 1938 under the inspiration of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar who was the president of Hindu Mahasabha, India.

The Indian National Army(INA) was formed in 1942 under Rash Behari Bose which he later handed over as the Indian National Army to Subhas Chandra Bose. Rash Behari Bose remained the Supreme Advisor of INA led by Subhash Chandra Bose.

Here is a brief history of life and time of Rash Behari Bose:

• Rash Behari Bose was born on 25 May 1886 in a Bengali Kayastha family. He was born in his native village named Subaldaha situated in Purba Bardhaman district, West Bengal, India.

• Revolutionary leader Rash Behari Bose played a key role in India’s struggle for Independence.

• He died on 21 January 1945 in Tokyo, Japan of tuberculosis.

• He was interested in revolutionary activities from early on in his life, he left Bengal to shun the Alipore bomb case trials in (1908). At Dehradun, he worked as a head clerk at the Forest Research Institute.

• He secretly got involved with the revolutionaries of Bengal and came across eminent revolutionary members of the Arya Samaj in the United Provinces (currently Uttar Pradesh) and Punjab.

• Bose played a key role in the Delhi Conspiracy Case (attempted assassination of the British Viceroy, Lord Hardinge), the Banaras Conspiracy Case and the Ghadr Conspiracy at Lahore.

• On December 23, 1912, a bomb was thrown at Lord Hardinge during a ceremonial procession of transferring the capital from Calcutta to New Delhi. Bose was the mastermind behind the attack.

• After the assassination attempt of Lord Hardinge and the failed Ghadar mutiny in 1915, Rash Behari was forced to go into hiding.

• Bose played a pivotal role in establishing the Indian Independence League. After Bose went into hiding in Japan, he established the Indian Independence League in 1942.

• Bose later handed over the command to Subhash Chandra Bose, Later it became to be known as the Indian National Army or the Azad Hind Fauj.

• In Japan, Rash Behari Bose married Toshiko Soma of the Soma family, who gave him shelter during his hiding days.

• Bose worked in their Nakamuraya bakery to create the (now much esteemed) Indian curry. The curry is popularly known as Nakamuraya curry.

• In the year 1943, the Japanese government honoured him with the highest title given to a foreigner – The Second Order of Merit of the Rising Sun.

• On 26 December 1967, the Posts and Telegraphs Department of India issued a special postage stamp in honour of Rash Behari Bose.

(with sources inputs)