Ideologies of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi/socio economic and political ideological differences between Gandhi & Nehru

 Ideologies of Netaji and Gandhiji:

• Netaji's political views were in support of complete freedom/independence for India at the earliest in one stroke, whereas most of the Congress Committee including Gandhiji wanted it in phases/step by step, first through a Dominion status then independence.

• Subhash Chandra Bose adopted violent means for the liberation of India and thus led the Indian National Army. Gandhi on the other hand was a firm believer in non-violence and led peaceful mass protests.

• Thus, although they shared the goal of an independent India, by 1939 the two had become divided over the strategy to achieve Indian Independence, and to some degree the form which the post- Independence state should take: Gandhi was hostile to industrialization, while Bose saw it as the only route to making India strong and self-sufficient.

• Gandhi’s ideology was more of a village sufficient three-tier government model and Netaji was influenced by radical leftist ideology. Ideologically Gandhi subscribed to a socialist pattern of society were fruits of labor were evenly distributed and favored trusteeship patterns of relation between Capitalist and laborers. Subhash Chandra was a keen follower of radical leftist ideology and organized trade unions.

• SCB wanted to grab the opportunity provided by the second world war for India’s freedom, thus approached Germany, Japan while Gandhi saw fascism and Nazism a greater danger to Indian polity and society thus Gandhi was not in favor of leaning with the axis powers. Thus they had a different understanding of the same event

• This, coupled with the story of the victory of Garibaldi against the French had a tremendous influence on Bose. When he returned to India in '38, he had a deep respect for Gandhi, but criticized his ways, chief among them being modernization which was much more prevalent in Europe. Gandhi with his chakra seemed too old fashioned now(Gandhi’s orthodoxy vs Netaji’s modernism)

• Religious teachings had great importance in the life of Gandhi while Subhash Chandra Bose was a leftist and rationalist.

• Gandhi’s idea of freedom was based on self-rule and rule over self. Bose viewed freedom not only in terms of political self-rule but also freedom from socio-economic inequalities, casteism, intolerance, etc.