TEAR DROPS TO NETHAJI AND INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY

SALUTING INDIA's MARTYRS and NETHAJI

TEAR DROPS TO NETHAJI AND INDIAN NATIONAL ARMY

Sunlit sky wears the garb of night

To bid adieu to imperialism freedom sneaked

Era of colonialism-ended divide to rule failed

As Indians woke to hail the rays of light

Partition uproot millions, casteism divide trillions

Poverty haunts villages, floods cause ravages

Diseases stalk our land, yet we love our Homeland

To overcome division and unify our kinsmen

Lives of millions lost and Nethaji is a hero lost

Nethaji's eyes filled with tender light

To see eyes dimmed with tears emit delight

Teardrops ignite historical change

Fearless leader could clearly gauge

Narrow selfish German nationalism and trace

Its philosophy of supremacy of race

Stands for glorification of white race

Yet for tact sought Hitler's embrace.

Charles de Gaulle too faced humiliation

But victory graced his coalition

Bose met tragic end because axis lost War

Otherwise both leaders were at par.

Synthesis of National Socialism and communism

Thus spoke Bose on the tenets of his Socialism

At Tokyo University foresaw conflict between theses

And anti thesis resolving in higher synthesis.

Millions fought amidst infinite sacrifice

And Subhas Bose became living edifice.

10 th June 1943

Charles de Gaulle crossed the channel of English

To unfurl Free French flag with help of British

Bose in submarine reached Japan's shores

To enlist Tojo's support became his chores

Before Tokyo press he thus thundered

"Enemy with drawn sword be fought with sword

Non violence with armed struggle be replaced

Only by baptism of fire Indians can displace

Enemy and shall qualify for freedom on Earth".

Support to Indian cause was in no dearth.

2 nd July 1943

Two thousands thronged at Singapore

To glimpse Nethaji of many a lore

Liberation movement came under his charge,

Renamed Indian National army looms large

Azad Hind Fauj Free Indian army marches

Its heroic men upholding liberation torches

Crowds greeting Bose everywhere is countless

At Singapore support came from 6 lakh fearless

Thirty million dollars and three lakh men he need

But to arm only thirty thousand Japanese agreed

The title Nethaji earned him heroic adoration

Bose toured Bangkok, Saigon, and Rangoon for mobilization

At Rangoon gather a lakh to hear his speech

Thai Premier Luant Pibulsongram within his reach

Burmese Government of Ba Maw also backs his goals

All these infused courage to suppressed Indian souls.

21 st October 1943

Bose chosen Prime Minister and Head of state

War and Foreign affairs problems galore in spate

Close on heels of government proclamation

Japan's recognition came the same day

By 19 November Germany, China, Italy

Hanchuo, Burma, Croatia, Philippines and Thailand

Recognize government in exile of our motherland

Bose wrested by talks Andaman and Nicobar Island

To have it as base to redeem the main hinterland.

Japan's Imperial General headquarters orders

To capture strategic areas of the borders

Near Imphal and parts of India's North East

For defense of Burma involving INA the least

Burmese cabinet receives Bose at Rangoon

South Asia recognizes new head of state soon,

Port Blair became part of Nethaji's raj

Andaman and Nicobar renamed as Shahid and Swaraj

First Chief Commissioner Lt.Col.Loganathan anointed

And Tamilians happy on seeing their men appointed

Their tireless service found recognition

To liberate homeland hardening their resolution

Subhas brigade of fourteen thousand men

Fought pitched battles bare footed in British den

Amidst gunshots Indian administration's blueprint

Was ready bearing Nethaji's imprint?

After marathon discussions breaking resistance

National Bank of Azad Hind came into existence

Capital of 5 million rupees from Indians raised

As founder of first shipping company VOC is praised

In banking for pioneering role Bose is hailed

His independence and intense sense of equality

Made him vehemently argue against inequality

And encroachments on Indian rights

Of future governance he had foresights

This led to Reconstruction College to bloom

Alas! The abortive struggle is cause of gloom

A.N.Sircar made to draft India's Unification plan

Bose aimed to attain social justice by state plan

Bose said “If situation leads to inflation

Adopt additional measures to effect deflation

Withdrawal of market surplus currency

Is the panacea to such an emergency?

To remove country's ills printing of notes

Is not the remedy states Aringnar Anna's quote?

Bose at the rock bottom of his heart felt the same

Underlines his mastery over economical game.

Lt.Col.Chatterji designated Chief Administrator

Of occupied territories in the Indian sector

Amidst military campaign that failed miserably

Bose planned all these meticulous steps ably

His greatness and uniqueness outshines others

His khaki cap bore many such feathers

No one else with exception to Comrade Lenin

Charles de Gaulle and Ho Chi Minh

Equaled him in clarity of vision

Before accomplishment of his mission.

Even in death Nethaji haunted the British

Wavell wondered Japanese announcement rubbish

Subhas Bose death by air crash is untruth

And suspected gone underground hence forth

Second World War clouds disappeared in horizon

Twenty five thousand INA heroes sent to garrison

But vengeful to punish yet fearful of upsurge

British classified into three to effect purge

INA with intention of rejoining as whites

And those misled by Japanese and Bose as greys

Fervent believers of freedom cause as blacks

Prisoners of War classified thus by British quacks

Whites restored to their position in army

Grays were tried dismissed and released awry

Blacks were made to bear the full brunt

Power mongers thus executed their witch-hunt

Red Fort housed the INA captives

Aliens ruled the roost enslaving natives.

5 th November 1945

The trio symbolizing unity amidst diversity

Brothers of Muslim, Hindu, Sikh fraternity

Shawnawaz Khan, Premkumar Sejgal, Gurubakshsingh Dhillon

Were put to trial for treason for various reason

Charged as having waged War against Emperor

To tame others Britishers let loose reign of terror

Trial and tribulations dragged till December end

Silent majority's feelings it did strongly offend

Nine months after War during British victory parade

Indians unfurled fury-feeling aversion to charade

Old Delhi town hall gutted, parading troops booed

Indians wearing British attire attacked, ire echoed

Police opened fire to quell crescendo of freedom

Dreaming forever India will remain their serfdom

To treat INA prisoners with leniency Jinnah urged

His appeal evoked no response, all three sentenced

To life fuelling the peoples explosive ire

Opening day of trial at Madurai police had to fire

As trial proceeded at Red Fort millions beseeched

More than hundred men killed or maimed

Calcutta was strike bound

Hindu Muslim unity was abound

Congress and Muslim league flags fluttered

American and British establishments attacked

Forty-nine military vehicles destroyed

Ninety-seven damaged and two hundred military injured

Thirty two Indians lost lives and two hundred wounded

Patna, Allahabad, Beneras, Bombay, Karachi were in flames

Burning passion for liberation drove British to Thames

Joint secretary of war department Mr.Mason

Understood patriotic motives and boiling passion

Climbed down to treat as prisoners of war INA heroes

Auchenlik set the three men free ending their sorrows

By selective trials British continued their intention

Captain Abdul Rashid sentenced to 7-year detention

Bombay and Delhi rocked by Muslim Leagues agitation

In Calcutta strict martial law left fifty for cremation

Royal Indian air Force striking men of five thousand

In HMS TALWAR led the navy revolt soon 70 ships abound

Of Karachi Madras Visakapattinam Calcutta Cochin Andamans Bombay

Hauling Union Jack down kept the enemy at the bay

Only two shore establishment and ten ships were left

To side with British, rest of navy completely swept

In Madras Bombay and Jabalpur Royal Indian Air Force Strike

Karachi witnessed gun battles for two days full of strife

Bombay mass uprisings in sympathy of the mutiny

Said Times of India as unparallel in city's history.

Left called for textile workers strike of six lakhs

People waged three days of fight while death stalks.

Two hundred seventy left dead, two thousand three hundred injured

But never the will of people was conquered.

British Premier Atlee promised transfer of power

To Indians, if necessary of two nations, not later

Than June nineteen hundred forty eight

Vanishing was British might in front of peoples fight.

Nethaji Subhas Bose's words ring in ears to embolden

The march ahead of other nations in jubilee that is golden

To pay for our liberty with our own blood, the freedom

We shall win through our sacrifices and martyrdom

We shall be able to preserve with our strength

INA and NETHAJI electrified country's breadth and length

Let this echo every day in our hearts to infuse

Courage, conviction, clarity of vision and enthuse

In defense of Motherland and its march to prosperity

Liberating millions from clutches of poverty

As Aringnar Anna dreamt to strive for the smiles

In the faces of the poor let us dedicate our lives.

N.Nandhivarman General Secretary Dravida Peravai

[This is not poetry; it imitates poetic form in order to record history. DMK President Kalaignar M.Karunanithi writes history in verse-poems. His current efforts make me recall my attempt to make history simple, readable and understandable. On the role of INA and Nethaji Subhas Chandra Bose before few years I recited this so called poem in a Poets Symposium organized by Department of Arts and Culture ,Government of Puducherry]]