British left it for Congress to decide and Gandhi decided in favor of Nehru overruling the sentiments of Pradesh Congress Committee members who were more in favor of Sardar. Beyond that, Netaji is an Indian hero but a foolish one at best - He was a socialist who sided with fascists and nothing to be proud of as we would have ended as a fascist colony or the same socialist nation we were with Nehru.
Even though Netaji may be painted as a Socialist/Facist by some....I think those are just terms used to malign a person of his caliber. I mean do you really think a person like him wouldn;t adapt and change the model to suit India better? If anyone was in a position to do so, it would be him. He was a capable leaders. Ever wonder why Sardar and Netaji got along so well?
I dont have a problem with this at all. Human beings are animals. In the absence of laws and governance, we would kill each other off; survival of the fittest. Socialism works very well. For instance, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Turkey did extremely well under Atatürk; without Atatürk, they would be no Turkey. When we talk of socialism, we often think of a failed USSR. This need not be necessarily true. You simply need a dictator with an incorruptible moral character and you can become the most DEVELOPED country. GDP growth is not equal to development.
History is what is written and what media speak and what people spread. Gandhi-Nehru-Subhas had different paths each had disagreement with the other yet each respected the nationalism of the other Gandhi called him the patriot of patriots and Netaji whom the Allied power has termed as War Criminal and now some people here parroting western propaganda to call him fascist thats the price freedom fighters carry for their future generations in incredible India the freedom fighters who sacrifice a lucrative career with a top rink and a dream secured life ( non of the blog-host and commenter , including me, will do the same blunder in our wildest dream in India, will you?) and left UK with one burning ambition for Indias wholesome well being and we arm chair freedom loving a section of intellectuals call him fascist. Even the Left called him with much worse derogatory term, but ;last decade on his birth centenary after a proper scrutiny of new records, apologised and said it was their historic blander to call him fascist. Please spare a small few rupees for Netaji and read the latest book making waves Indias Biggest Cover Up by Mr Anuj, ex-journalist and then I would like to know you and the commenters view again. I would love to know how people and their brain accept another side of the coin Non-villence, Nehru-Brithish-Gandhi close rapo and the partition through non-violence and the result is more violent than if Netaji came with army to fight British millions deaths in partion, thousands of rapes, civil war, crores of property destroyed or looted, and 30 lack people of Bengal-Bihar zone dying of hunger in 1943 due to colonial negligence. Did that not alarm us more?
Forget the concepts, that is for the theoriticians who has no other work, but for the freedom fighters, in the complex world scenario of 20s to 40s , taking the best of both is very pragmatic. And Netajis theory have you studied that your study of the national leader appears to be not at all indepth. Please study more, no harm in knowing more of Netaji, Indian people will not call you fascist for reading more on netaji. Learn how you can place your argument to age old Indian idiom Enemys Enemy Is My Friend
Please join the chorus to fully Declassify all govt records of Netaji kept as classified by GoI and then we can come to a re-evaluation of his and other national leaders role in Indian freedom struggle.
I am not a politician so did not have the definition of fascism. But your query prodded me to search. Thanks for that. Here are the current recognised definition of the two terms as you reffered, is given below:
Mind you, these are the definition of the capitalist block of the west and freely available on net. My evidence, I have sufficient of that, will provide on what kind of traits in Netajis activities you will define as fall into fascist or national socialism. There are a few varieties floatng. Now please pick one from them and let me place my view point. Thanks
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: National Socialism:
Totalitarian movement led by Adolf Hitler as head of Germanys Nazi Party (192045). Its roots lay in the tradition of Prussian militarism and discipline and German Romanticism, which celebrated a mythic past and proclaimed the rights of the exceptional individual over all rules and laws. Its ideology was shaped by Hitlers beliefs in German racial superiority and the dangers of communism. It rejected liberalism, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights, stressing instead the subordination of the individual to the state and the necessity of strict obedience to leaders. It emphasized the inequality of individuals and races and the right of the strong to rule the weak. Politically, National Socialism favoured rearmament, reunification of the German areas of Europe, expansion into non-German areas, and the purging of undesirables, especially Jews
fascism: Definition from Answers.com
American Heritage Dictionary: fas·cism
1.often Fascism
(a).A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
(b)A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.
2.Oppressive, dictatorial control.
[Italian fascismo, from fascio, group, from Late Latin fascium, from Latin fascis, bundle.]
fascistic fas·cistic (fə-shĭstĭk) adj.
WORD HISTORY It is fitting that the name of an authoritarian political movement like Fascism, founded in 1919 by Benito Mussolini, should come from the name of a symbol of authority. The Italian name of the movement, fascismo, is derived from fascio, bundle, (political) group, but also refers to the movements emblem, the fasces, a bundle of rods bound around a projecting axe-head that was carried before an ancient Roman magistrate by an attendant as a symbol of authority and power. The name of Mussolinis group of revolutionaries was soon used for similar nationalistic movements in other countries that sought to gain power through violence and ruthlessness, such as National Socialism.
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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: fascism
Philosophy of government that stresses the primacy and glory of the state, unquestioning obedience to its leader, subordination of the individual will to the states authority, and harsh suppression of dissent. Martial virtues are celebrated, while liberal and democratic values are disparaged. Fascism arose during the 1920s and 30s partly out of fear of the rising power of the working classes; it differed from contemporary communism (as practiced under Joseph Stalin) by its protection of business and landowning elites and its preservation of class systems. The leaders of the fascist governments of Italy (192243), Germany (193345), and Spain (193975)Benito Mussolini, Adolf Hitler, and Francisco Francowere portrayed to their publics as embodiments of the strength and resolve necessary to rescue their nations from political and economic chaos. Japanese fascists (193645) fostered belief in the uniqueness of the Japanese spirit and taught subordination to the state and personal sacrifice.
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Barrons Business Dictionary: fascism
Doctrine; collection of concepts; and dictatorship by government of a country, often involving hostile nationalistic attitudes, racism, and private economic ownership under rigid government control.
A fascist regime is often militarily belligerent.
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Oxford Dictionary of the US Military: fascism
n. 1. an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
2. (in general use) extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice. The term fascism was first used of the totalitarian right-wing nationalist regime of Benito Mussolini in Italy (1922-43), and the regime of the Nazis in Germany were also Fascist. Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach.
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Oxford Dictionary of Politics: fascism
A right-wing nationalist ideology or movement with a totalitarian and hierarchical structure that is fundamentally opposed to democracy and liberalism. In ancient Rome, the authority of the state was symbolized by the fasces, a bundle of rods bound together (signifying popular unity) with a protruding axe-head (denoting leadership). As such, it was appropriated by Mussolini to label the movement he led to power in Italy in 1922, but was subsequently generalized to cover a whole range of movements in Europe during the inter-war period. These include the National Socialists in Germany, as well as others such as Action Française, the Arrow Cross in Hungary, or the Falangists in Spain. In the post-war period, the term has been used, often prefixed by neo, to describe what are viewed as successors to these movements, as well as Peronism and, most recently, some movements in ex-Communist countries, such as Pamyat in Russia (see extreme-right parties). Given such diversity, does the term have any meaning?
Genuinely fascist ideologies are: monist, that is to say, based upon the notion that there are fundamental and basic truths about humanity and the environment which do not admit to question; simplistic, in the sense of ascribing complex phenomena to single causes and advancing single remedies; fundamentalist, that is, involving a division of the world into good and bad with nothing in between; and conspiratorial, that is, predicated on the existence of a secret world-wide conspiracy by a hostile group seeking to manipulate the masses to achieve and/or maintain a dominant position.
In content, these ideologies are distinguished by five main components. (1) Extreme nationalism, the belief that there is a clearly defined nation which has its own distinctive characteristics, culture, and interests, and which is superior to others. (2) An assertion of national declinethat at some point in the mythical past the nation was great, with harmonious social and political relationships, and dominant over others, and that subsequently it has disintegrated, become internally fractious and divided, and subordinate to lesser nations. (3) This process of national decline is often linked to a diminution of the racial purity of the nation. In some movements the nation is regarded as co-extensive with the race (the nation race), while in others, hierarchies of races are defined generically with nations located within them (the race nation); in virtually all cases, the view is taken that the introduction of impurities has weakened the nation and been responsible for its plight. (4) The blame for national decline and/or racial miscegenation is laid at the door of a conspiracy on the part of other nations/races seen as competing in a desperate struggle for dominance. (5) In that struggle, both capitalism and its political form, liberal democracy, are seen as mere divisive devices designed to fragment the nation and subordinate it further in the world order.
With regard to prescriptive content, the first priority is the reconstitution of the nation as an entity by restoring its purity. The second is to restore national dominance by reorganizing the polity, the economy, and society. Means to this end include variously: (1) the institution of an authoritarian and antiliberal state dominated by a single party; (2) total control by the latter over political aggregation, communication, and socialization; (3) direction by the state of labour and consumption to create a productionist and self-sufficient economy; and (4) a charismatic leader embodying the real interests of the nation and energizing the masses. With these priorities fulfilled, the nation would then be in a position to recapture its dominance, if necessary by military means.
Such priorities were explicit in the inter-war fascist movements, which indulged in racial/ethnic cleansing, established totalitarian political systems, productionist economies, and dictatorships, and of course went to war in pursuit of international dominance. But such parties can no longer openly espouse these extremes, and national/racial purity now takes the form of opposition to continuing immigration and demands for repatriation; totalitarianism and dictatorship have been replaced by lesser demands for a significant strengthening in the authority of the state, allegedly within a democratic framework; productionism has become interventionism; and military glory has been largely eschewed.
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Columbia Encyclopedia: fascism
fascism (făshĭzəm), totalitarian philosophy of government that glorifies the state and nation and assigns to the state control over every aspect of national life. The name was first used by the party started by Benito Mussolini, who ruled Italy from 1922 until the Italian defeat in World War II. However, it has also been applied to similar ideologies in other countries, e.g., to National Socialism in Germany and to the regime of Francisco Franco in Spain. The term is derived from the Latin fasces.
Characteristics of Fascist Philosophy
Fascism, especially in its early stages, is obliged to be antitheoretical and frankly opportunistic in order to appeal to many diverse groups. Nevertheless, a few key concepts are basic to it. First and most important is the glorification of the state and the total subordination of the individual to it. The state is defined as an organic whole into which individuals must be absorbed for their own and the states benefit. This total state is absolute in its methods and unlimited by law in its control and direction of its citizens.
A second ruling concept of fascism is embodied in the theory of social Darwinism. The doctrine of survival of the fittest and the necessity of struggle for life is applied by fascists to the life of a nation-state. Peaceful, complacent nations are seen as doomed to fall before more dynamic ones, making struggle and aggressive militarism a leading characteristic of the fascist state. Imperialism is the logical outcome of this dogma.
Another element of fascism is its elitism. Salvation from rule by the mob and the destruction of the existing social order can be effected only by an authoritarian leader who embodies the highest ideals of the nation. This concept of the leader as hero or superman, borrowed in part from the romanticism of Friedrich Nietzsche, Thomas Carlyle, and Richard Wagner, is closely linked with fascisms rejection of reason and intelligence and its emphasis on vision, creativeness, and the will.
The Fascist State
Fascism has found adherents in all countries. Its essentially vague and emotional nature facilitates the development of unique national varieties, whose leaders often deny indignantly that they are fascists at all. In its dictatorial methods and in its use of brutal intimidation of the opposition by the militia and the secret police, fascism does not greatly distinguish itself from other despotic and totalitarian regimes. There are particular similarities with the Communist regime in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. However, unlike Communism, fascism abhors the idea of a classless society and sees desirable order only in a state in which each class has its distinct place and function. Representation by classes (i.e., capital, labor, farmers, and professionals) is substituted for representation by parties, and the corporative state is a part of fascist dogma.
Although Mussolinis and Hitlers governments tended to interfere considerably in economic life and to regulate its process, there can be no doubt that despite all restrictions imposed on them, the capitalist and landowning classes were protected by the fascist system, and many favored it as an obstacle to socialization. On the other hand, the state adopted a paternalistic attitude toward labor, improving its conditions in some respects, reducing unemployment through large-scale public works and armament programs, and controlling its leisure time through organized activities.
Many of these features were adopted by the Franco regime in Spain and by quasi-fascist dictators in Latin America (e.g., Juan Perón) and elsewhere. A variation of fascism was the so-called clerico-fascist system set up in Austria under Engelbert Dollfuss. This purported to be based on the social and economic doctrines enunciated by Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI, which, however, were never put into operation.
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bits of Netaji Incidentally, Netaji was a hardcore disciple of Vivekananda. Though didnt discriminate amongst caste, creed, religion including in INA army formation and implemented Swamijis vision of womans equal role in any activities of life and formed the Jhasi Bahini in the INA fauj (please may refer INA discourses and recollections by INA soldiers.) Pardoxically, those who have done intensive research and made publications would be best to refer the point that if ever one Indian who has been inspired and taken the Vivekanda Life message of nationalism and national sacrifice to the core and moulded life as per that was none other than Netaji. Thats why they are often referred as Guru-Sishya Here this list has not taken a reference of Bhagat Singh, Chandrasekhar Ajad, Surya Sen and Khudiram each one marked a golden chapter of Indias freedom movement .
bits of Nehru There are a lot of controversy surround Nehru and his engagement with various stake holders in pre-independence and post-Independence India and these controversies are sustained by not declassifying hundreds of GoI records lying in various ministries. And issues vary so wide one extreme as the agents of the British who acted for smooth handover and preservation of British financial interest even after Independence, relates to INA soldiers treatment in post-Independence and his plan to hand over Netaji to British forces, misappropriation of INA treasure ( two tranks of golds), manipulating and influencing the report of two commissions set up by GoI under public pressure . Search google with Nehru and many disgraceful other matters get flashed up. These should end by demanding declassification of all records of independence as public demand
Every country respect their freedom fighters and demand to declassify all info about them as public wants to know more about them and on the basis of new reports, re-evaluate each ones role. History is not static. With time, interpretation changes.
I believe there are only ideas and every idea has its time to be defined as right or wrong . From the choice of your ideals who are spread over vast time period and my disagreement with some traits of some of them, does not mean there ideas are wrong. At the time when these ideas were given birth are product of unique time and some may now pass the modern test but we cannot undermine their time and their sincere efforts for the nobler cause. For each one of them, my idea statement I hold. So a good man necessarily cannot give birth to a bad idea there is no logic. But a good man may commit a mistake about an idea. That can be enquired Why and Why not else. What make one take that course of action assuming him to be a good man. Or else, we have to vilify the man as Bad man with bad intent thats how we treat each one of the following though standing at diametrically opposite locations Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mao Zedong, Ho Chi Minh, Bhagat Singh, MN Roly
