Parakram Diwas

The Government of India recently announced that the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose is to be celebrated as “Parakram Diwas”. Parakram Diwas means Courage Day. Netaji was born on January 23, 1897.

The Central Government and the Bengal Government are to begin the year long celebrations of 125^th birth anniversary year on January 23, 2021.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

• Netaji was an Indian nationalist. He was born in Cuttack to an affluent family. He acquired a degree in philosophy and was later selected for the Indian Civil Services. He refused to join as he did not want to serve the British Government.
• Netaji joined the Indian National Congress in 1921.
• Netaji started a newspaper called “Swaraj”. He had written a book called “The Indian Struggle”. The book covers the Indian Independence movement between 1920 and 1942.
• The term “Jai Hind” was coined by Netajji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Netaji in Indian independence struggle

• Netaji was prisoned in 1925 for his nationalist activities. Later released in 1927. After his release, he became the general secretary of the Indian National Congress.
• He formed the All India Forward Bloc as a part of the Indian National Congress in 1939.
• During the second world war, Netaji protested the British Raj for not consulting the Indians before pulling them into the war. He was arrested for his protests. Later he was released and was kept under surveillance. In 1941, Bose escaped to Germany via Afghanistan and Soviet Union. In Germany, Netaji met German leaders and other Indian students and European political leaders.
• He founded the Indian Legion with 4,500 Indian soldiers. These soldiers were taken as prisoners by the Germans from North Africa. In 1943, he left for Japan and revived the Indian National Army.
• The Indian National Army supported the Japanese army in their invasion of Northeast India. They together tool control of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Month: Current Affairs - January, 2021