Khooni Hastakshar

Wo khoon kaho kis matlab ka, jisme ubaal ka naam nahi,

Wo khoon kaho kis matlab ka, aa sake Desh ke kaam nahi.

Wo khoon kaho kis matlab ka, jisme jeevan na ravani hai.

Jo parvash hokar behta hai, wo khoon nahi hai paani hai.

Us din logon ne sahi-sahi, khoon ki keemat pehchani thi.

Jis din Subhash ne Burma me, maangi unse qurbani thi.

Bole swatantra ki khatir, balidaan tumhe karna hoga,

Tum bahut jee chuke ho jag me, lekin aage marna hoga.

Aazadi ka ye khel kahin, paison se khela jata hai?

Ye sheesh kataane ka sauda, nange sar jhela jata hai.

Aazadi ka itihas kahin, kali shyahi likh pati hai?

Isko likhne ke liye khoon ki, nadi bahayi jati hai.

Yun kehte-kehte wakta ki, aankhon me khoon utar aaya.

Mukh rakt-varna ho damak utha, chamki unki raktim kaya.

Aajanu-bahu unchi kar ke we bole, rakt mujhe dena.

Iske badle me Bharat ki aazadi, tum mujhse lena.

Mach gayi sabha me uthal-puthal, seene me dil na samate the.

Swar Inquilab ke naaron ke, kooson tak chaaye jate the.

Bole Subhash is tarah nahi, baaton se matlab sarta hai.

Lo yeh kaagaj hai kaun yahan, aakar hastakshar karta hai?

isko bharne wale jan ko, apna sarvasva lutana hai.

Apna tan-man-dhan-jan-jeevan, Mata ko bheint charhana hai.

Par yeh sadharan patra nahi, aazadi ka parvaana hai.

Is par tumko apne tan ka, kuch ujjwal rakt charhana hai.

Wo aage aaye jo apne ko, Hindustani kehta ho.

Wo aage aaye jiske tan me, Bhartiya khoon behta ho.

Wo aage aaye jo is par, khooni hastakshar deta ho.

Mai kafan badhata hun aaye, jo isko hanskar leta ho.

Saari janta hunkaar uthi, hum aate hain-hum aate hain.

Mata ke charno me yeh lo, hum apna rakt chadate hain.

Saahas se badhe yuvak us din, dekha badhte hi jaate the.

Chaaku, churi, kataariyon se, ve apna rakt bahate the.

Phir usi rakt ki shyahi me, ve apni kalam dubate the.

Aazadi ke parvane pe, hastakshar karte jaate the.

Us din taaron ne dekha tha, Hindustani vishwas naya.

Jab likha maha ran-veeron ne, khoon se apna itihas naya!

This is the poem that i read in 6th standard, depicting the famous incident in Burma, where Subhash Chandra Bose asked people to give blood for freedom. The poet is Gopal Prasad Vyas. Here are some facts of Subhash's life:

1. Born on 23rd Jan 1897, he was the 9th of 14 children!

2. Bose was brilliant as a student and topped matriculate. He qualified Civil Services Exams, but later left Government service to serve the nation.

3. Bose joined Indian National Congress(INC) and was probably the third most popular leader after Gandhi and Nehru. 

4. Bose never believed in Gandhian ideology. He was elected as the president of INC twice, but had to step down due to his differences with Gandhiji.

5. Bose always said that independence can only be won by power and use of force. Due to his views, he was house arrested by British in Calcutta.

6. At the outbreak of World War 2, Bose thought it as the best possible time for Indian independence. So he escaped from his house to Burma(now Myanmar) in 1941.

7. He made his base in Rangoon and declared himself as the Government of India in exile. He made new laws, stamps, flag etc and even collected taxes from Indians in South East Asian countries.

8. Bose believed that enemy of an enemy is a friend. As such he decided to take support of Axis powers. 

9. He went to Germany where Indian Prisoner of Wars(POW), who fought for British and captured by Germans, were released. These 4500 soldiers swore to fight for Hitler and Bose.

10. As Hitler was not much interested in Indian independence, he left Germany and went to Japan in a German sub marine. During his stay in Germany, he married Austrian secretary Emilie.

11. In Japan, he released Indians working in their prison camps and made an army base in Singapore. Together with POWs and Indian civilians living in these countries Bose made Indian National Army(INA). He named the batallions after great Indian leaders like Gandhi and Nehru. He also made a women contingent named Rani Lakhsmi Bai. It was the first women's army in Asia!

12. Bose's vision was that together with financial and technical support of Japan, he would attack British in Burma and India. Seeing Indians fighting with British, he thought that fellow Indians would also leave British army and join INA.

13. INA succeeded in Burmese battle and moved towards India. There INA's Gandhi and Nehru battalions along with Burmese and Japanese defeated British in Manipur. The Indian tricolour was raised on Indian soil for the first time!

14. However he didn't got the support of fellow Indians as he had anticipated. Gandhian views once again came in Bose's way. Mahatma Gandhi openly supported British in the world war and asked Indians to fight for British against Axis powers, particularly Hitler. Some historians believe that, had Bose's plan worked out, INA would have won in India leading eventually to the Axis victory in the war!

15. Due to these events and heavy losses of Japan in the war, INA stopped getting financial help from Japan. This resulted in the loss of battle. Indian forces had to retract and the territory of Manipur was reclaimed by British. Indians, however, were still strong in Burma.

16. But the surrender of Japan after atomic explosions automatically led to the surrender of INA and Bose's struggle was over.

17. Bose was not only a great leader, he was also very good in disgusing himself. During his visit of Germany. Britishers made a secret plan to assasinate him en route. This was an undercover operation led by British intelligence. They were surprised to listen Bose speak in Azad Hind Radio the next day! He was never captured during war.

18. Bose was the first person to call Gandhiji "father of nation" during a talk in Azad Hind Radio. He also gave famous slogans of "Jai Hind" and "Delhi Chalo". His most famous quote however was "Give me blood and I'll give you freedom".

19. Bose allegedly died in a plane crash in Taiwan or Serbia in 1945. This remains a mystery till date. People believed that he didn't died in a crash and lived as "Gumnami Baba" in a small city Faizabad*, in East UP. Gumnami Baba died in 1985.

20. The chair that Bose used in his Rangoon office is situated in Red Fort. This chair is symbolic to Indian soverignity and psycological upkeep of armed forces of India.

Netaji may not have lived to see Indian independence, but he surely was one of the reason for our freedom. Due to his efforts Indians developed a self belief in armed struggle. Lets salute the father of Indian National Army on his Birth Anniversary! 

*Faizabad is incidentally my home town and I was fortunate enough to visit the house where Gumnami Baba lived!