There was irony in the symbolism. Last week, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, fiercely patriotic opponent of colonial rule, was celebrated at a colonial memorial – namely the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata. As the campaign for Bengal assembly elections heats up, both BJP and Trinamool Congress are laying claim to the legacy of Netaji.
Yoking past heroes to current politics is an attempt to capture their legitimacy and credibility. When politicians erect statues or rename streets after past leaders, the ideas those figures embodied are obscured, leaving only the photo op. India’s freedom struggle, a movement in which divergent views and ideas collaborated freely for a larger cause, is a historical misfit in today’s polarised politics, which operates Read More
