A propaganda which some of the leftist journalists and professional bloggers have been promoting for some time without understanding the full context or purport of the speech of Netaji is that Netaji favoured military dictatorship and he wanted to usurp power. Nothing can be further from truth. It is necessary to understand three aspects of Bose’s life. All these aspects are lucidly explained in the digital history HOME | netajisubhasbose
Subhas Chandra Bose was an intensely spiritual person. He was a follower of Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda’s ideas had shaped his vision and work. In spirituality political ambitions become less important and selflessness and conviction in the ultimate good that results from selfless actions become the determinant of the path chosen
Subhas Chandra Bose as leader in Bengal Congress, as Mayor of Calcutta Corporation or as Congress President, never indulged in dictatorship, even his worst and bitter critics could not accuse him of that trait. However it is to be noted that the only dictator in Congress at that time was Gandhiji, whose word and action were final to his followers, who could not or did not tolerate any opposition as was evident from the treatment meted out to those in the Congress who were opposed to Gandhiji, including Subhas Chandra Bose - like Srinivasa Iyengar, Nariman, and others. Subhas even took along his enemies and detractors when he delegated important responsibilities. It was Panth resolution that had prevented him from functioning after winning the presidentship in 1939
Subhas Chandra Bose as the head of Azad Hind Provisional Government and as the Supreme commander of I.N.A never took any decision all by himself. He had ministers, advisers, war council who worked very closely with him and every important decision was debated, discussed and decided. None of the memoirs, even by his arch enemies, The British, could accuse him of being Dictatorial
Subhas Chandra Bose had suffered immense personal hardship for fighting the battle of independence sance any motive for power or profit throughout. He was the one leader who stayed in worst jails like Seoni or Mandalay, was beaten mercilessly inside the jail, was poisoned and tortured, but was never broken from ideological perspective to enter into any kind of compromise. He never took any personal benefit - he donated his entire salary as CEO of Calcutta Corporation for the education of poor children. He had no known sources of personal income and very little personal belonging even as the Head of State of Azad Hind Government as per the reminiscences of Prem Sahgal. He went to Europe literally on the basis of money donated by his well wishers and his proceeds from the sale of his books Indian Struggle and An Indian Pilgrim were his main sources of income
Given these contexts, let now analyze several of his speeches. He had repeatedly said in his speeches to the soldiers that after INA marched to Delhi and India achieved her independence, the purpose of INA would be over and democratically elected Government would take over. His speech in Tokyo university in Nov 1944 is memorable for his vision on India and it clearly shows that he had a vision for a democratic, stable India, led by its people. He spoke about scientific progress, industrialization, a modern army with arms and ammunition and education to be the cornerstone of transferring power to the people
However a great man had told in his later years - indisciplined democracy is a mobocracy, its a demoncracy..and Indian politics…ugh..it stinks (Metamorphosis chapter of www.netajisubhasbose.org )Therefore what he had actually spoken about was controlled and disciplined democracy as opposed to dictatorship, to make people educated enough to take decisions for themselves. Else it will be a rule of elites and not masses. How prophetic was his vision is seen in the political state in India where political elites and dynasties rule supreme, leaving very little for the masses to subside upon. In his writing for a German periodical Netaji emphasized on a strong Central Government and behind the Government an All India, strong central party maintaining national unity, he wanted freedom in religious and cultural matters to the people with minimum state intervention and only when the new regime is stabilized and state machinery begins to function smoothly power will be decentralized and provincial Governments given more autonomy. So strong central Government (and not military dictatorship) was an interim measure after which more power could be transferred to the provinces