National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Saturday claimed that India would not have been partitioned if Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had been alive at that time.
Delivering the first Subhas Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture in the national capital organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), the NSA pointed out that Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah had said that he could accept only one leader and that is Subhas Chandra Bose.
“India would not have been partitioned if Subhas Bose was there. Jinnah had said I can accept only one leader and that is Subhas Bose,” Doval said.
He said that Subhas Chandra Bose wanted Indians to feel free like birds and never compromised for anything less than the independence of the country.
Doval further said that Bose not only wanted to free India from political subjugation but he also felt the need to change the political, social, and cultural mindset of the people.
“Netaji said – I will not compromise for anything less than full independence and freedom. He said that he not only wants to free this country from political subjugation but there is a need to change the political, social and cultural mindset of the people and they should feel like free birds in the sky,” the NSA said.
The NSA said that Netaji showed a lot of audacity at various stages of life and he even had the audacity to challenge Mahatma Gandhi.
“But Gandhi was at the prime of his political career and when Bose resigned and came out of the Congress, he started his struggle afresh,” Doval said.
“I am not saying good or bad but there are very few parallels in Indian history and world history of people who had the audacity to sail against the current,” Doval said, adding that Netaji was a lonely person and had no country supporting him except Japan.
The idea that came to his mind was “I will fight the British, I will not beg for freedom. It is my right and I will have to get it.” added the NSA.
