Bose of Japan paperback

Bose of Japan

On August 15, 1945, Tokyo had been reduced down to a tragic mass of scorched earth. From November 24,1944 to August 15, 1945, the Allied Forces carried out at least 122 major air raids on Tokyo, destroying the city without mercy and indiscriminately killing all forms of life. While these horrifying events were unfolding, the health of an Indian freedom fighter began to deteriorate, and on January 21, 1945, he died of severe brain convulsions in the midst of senseless mass murder during a violent storm of air raids. That person’s name was Rash Behari Bose.

Although now almost completely forgotten, he was well known all throughout the world from 1912 to 1945. In Japan, he appeared in the media almost daily, and was deeply loved by the Japanese. He wrote eighteen books and at least fifty articles in Japanese, meanwhile delivering lectures all over Japan to build awareness of the Indian plight. Among the intellectuals of Japanese society, there were none who did not know of him, and the government of Japan praised his great achievements by bestowing upon him the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star.

Rash Behari Bose was one of three Indians to be honored for their contributions to world peace and to Japan in the Greater East Asia War, the other two men being Radhabinod Pal and A.M. Nair, who were each awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure. The Pal Judgment, which acquitted Japan in the Tokyo Tribunal, was achieved only through the combined efforts of these three figures, and it is impossible to discuss India-Japan relations without first gaining a deep understanding of Rash Behari Bose and the Indian independence movement that was occurring in Japan at that time.

This is precisely what the present book focuses on – the independence movement in Japan at the time and place that Rash Behari Bose was living and carrying out his actions, bringing light to the influence of these events on Japan-India relations in the past, the present and the future, and demonstrating how they will eventually pave the way to world peace.

The foundation of a strong and just Japan-India relationship is absolutely imperative for the establishment of global peace, and this is a fact that has remained unchanged since the days of Rash Behari Bose. As our responsibility to future generations, now more than ever, it is the time for us to truly understand Bose’s lifework and the Japan in which he lived. It is with this in mind that the present book has been written.

The author of this book was born and raised in Japan, which had been distorted under the Allied occupation following the Greater East Asia War, and grew into an adult who had been taught to look down upon everything about Japan. She left Japan in her early twenties and have been living in the British Empire for almost half a century, taking pride in being a British scientist with a degree earned in Britain. It was only by reading the numerous works and publications left behind by Rash Behari Bose himself that the present author, who lived the vast majority of her life as a Westerner – even going so far as to abandon her own Japanese nationality and name – could at last free her mind from Eurocentric propaganda. As such, this book has been written on a foundation of ideas, experiences, and understanding that is not commonly held among present day Westerners, Japanese or Indians, but rather, the truths of the past that have until now remained largely unknown.

Rash Behari Bose – the INA 80th Anniversary

Rash Behari Bose – An account and his achievements

Rash Behari Bose’s True Words are Valuable

Dear Author(s)

I’ll look forward to reading it. Completely agree that today on account of a false narrative that has been fed to us consistently by our colonial masters and their slaves, viz. Marxist communists and Gandhians we have a one sided picture of Indian freedom Movement and extremely lopsided view of Japan and even for that matter our own heritage, legacy and culture. Our cultural conquest started with Islamic aggression and was completed with British imperialism. What remained was a vast propaganda machine which obfuscated the truth. Now with the availability of information in the digital age, serious truth seekers can find the true stories if they want to discover. There are renewed interests in India about her heroes esp. as the younger generations don’t have any icon to look forward to and are on a dangerous and slopy path of self destruction through the loss of heritage, culture and legacy.

It is wonderful to see people like you rising above barriers to discover the hidden gems of human civilisation. People like Rash Behari Bose are shining light for our civilization, through their selflessness, courage, conviction about the triumph of truth and above all spirit of renunciation, to embrace all hardships for their ideals.
Also quite understand that narratives are often second hand and more importantly history is often written by the one who achieves victory and their perspectives are often coloured. So it is important for us to know what Rash Behari Bose did in the last 30 years of his life as there is hardly any material in India or for that matter interest in Indian researchers about him. The reason being, for the past 60 years Indian history was dominated by one class of intellectuals whose only effort was to establish certain vested ideologies. They are court historians of Indian elites and ruling classes and they did not want the truth to come out that would disturb their own agenda.

There is a picture on internet of Rabindranath Tagore with Rash Behari Bose and his Japanese family. If possible can you please check when did Tagore meet Bose in Japan? Initially though Tagore had an aversion against violence and wrote against Nationalism and revolutionaries, in his later days his worldview changed a lot and he was very close with Netaji and supported him whole heartedly despite the latter’s ideology contradicting his own. Wish to know if he had the same change of heart for Rash Behari Bose.

There are many legends in India about how Rash Behari used to deceive British police through his uncanny ability to act like anyone and change his appearance in a short notice, like his escapes as an Oriya servant, or an aged Anglo Indian violin maestro etc. Well known author Sarat Chandra Chatterjee created his famous character in his Bengali Novel Pather Dabi ( the quest for the path), Sabyasachi , in the image of Rash Behari Bose. Like Rash Behari Sabyasachi or doctor was a master of disguise. Like him he was carrying out a huge uprising against the British at an international level using Burma as base. But his plans failed owing to treachery and betrayals. But Sabyasachi was not disheartened. He would continue his fight, in another form, from another country until he could free his country from British tyranny.

There is an article by Sanchari Pal in the website http://www.thebetterindia.com on Rash Behari Bose which shows that young India is slowly but surely looking for the truth. Your contribution at this juncture is extremely valuable. I have already done a Facebook post on your book.

Thanks again for all the great work that you are doing. May the blessings of Rash Behari and other unsung heroes be always with you.

(Reader)

Dear S,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. One of the great side effects of this project has been meeting intelligent truth-seekers such as yourself. It gives one hope for the future.

Rabindranath Tagore is discussed in later volumes, and the dates that he visited Rash Behari Bose in Japan are also given. I will release the books one step at a time, as a great deal of time and effort is required to make them publishable. India has waited over 70 years to know the truth of Rash Behari Bose’s words, during which time, numerous British-Indian authors have concocted stories about him. I am aware that certain such lies are growing bigger. I would like the Indian people to know the truth as soon as possible, however the fact is that the majority are still not interested in knowing the truth. The reason for this is that they do not know how valuable it is to know Rash Behari Bose’s true words, and how harmful it is to continue on without knowing. In 70 years, there should surely have been an Indian who could have learnt old Japanese and read the words of Rash Behari Bose for himself, as Bose was able to learn Japanese in a matter of months. It is possible, and yet none have done so.

Some Indians have offered to sponsor publication of the books, but I sensed that they only wanted to use Rash Behari Bose’s name to bolster Subhas Chandra Bose, and to achieve their own financial gain. This is the reason why I have opted to publish independently on Amazon Kindle, rather than distorting the truth simply to publish in paper form. To this, Indians reply that they will not read the eBook, and are waiting for a hard copy. After so long, the truth is being presented, but they do not wish to know it because of the format in which it is published. It is disheartening to see how shallow the desire for knowledge is.

Regarding the tales of Rash Behari Bose’s numerous disguises and ability to deceive the police, such sensationalized stories are created by authors so that their work sells. There were two major factors that allowed Rash Behari Bose to remain safe. One was that, in those days, there were still a great deal of Indians with good hearts who wished for true Indian independence. Their support and aid was indispensable to Rash Behari Bose. The second cannot be explained by anything other than divine protection. He faced countless dangerous situations, and always escaped unscathed until Indian independence was made absolutely impossible at the hands of British-Indians. Until that time, Bose continued to thrive. If this cannot explain it, I do not know what can.

Such a magnificent man who did such magnificent work — this is a man that all Indians should be proud of.

Thanks again for your support.

(Author)

To bring to light the true words of Rash Behari Bose

Dear Author(s),

I am reading the volume 1 of Rash Behari Bose, the father of Indian National Army. I am extremely delighted to see your effort in bringing to light one of the greatest revolutionaries and son of India, Rash Behari Bose. I had written an article sometimes back on him in order to make him, his sacrifices and his activities familiar with the younger generation who knows nothing of this great person. Rash Behari Bose and Jatindranath Mukherjee (Bagha Jatin) are the two names that were most feared by the British Government between 1910 and 1915. After Aurobindo, these two revolutionaries took up the mantle to keep the anti British activities alive. Both of them could plan and organize at a grand scale, were spiritually oriented and had intense love for India, so that they could sacrifice everything.

Sadly India post 1947 completely ignored them and upheld only one line – that of Gandhian non violence. The successive governments promoted and propagated one lineage, one family, one party and their contribution to Indian freedom movement, often exaggerating and belittling the efforts of the truly great ones. One good book in India in this respect is Two Revolutionaries by Uma Mukherjee, that discusses the life and exploits of Bagha Jatin (Jatindranath Mukherjee) and Rash Behari Bose. Another recent book is Life and Times of Jatindranath Mukherjee by Dr. Prithwindra Mukherjee, a grandson of Bagha Jatin who live in France. Also history of freedom movement of India by Dr. R. C Mazumdar is possibly the most unbiased account of India’s freedom movement.

This period of Indian National Movement had revolutionaries who were intensely spiritual in nature, inspired by the ideals of Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest spiritual leaders. Swami Vivekananda visited Japan en route to Chicago in 1893 and he was extremely impressed by the nationalistic spirit, the industrialization and the patriotism of Japan, its cleanliness and its love for freedom. He urged every Indian to visit Japan and learn from the Japanese their ideals and their love for the nation. He later became a great friend of Kakuzo Okakura, and his disciple Sister Nivedita was closely associated with Okakura to formulate the one Asia concept and help in Indian nationalistic cause by promoting Indian art and also perhaps helping in early revolutionary activities. So India Japan friendship started much earlier.

When I read the condition of Japan post world war, the guilt and the Americanization of the younger generation who embraced an alien culture, I was amazed to find the similarity with present day India as we are riding the same crest of demeaning our culture, civilization and embracing alien culture. Let me assure you that many Indians have a very favourable notion about Japan and Japanese and people like Katju and his elks are really a minority. You may have unfortunately come in touch with this minority. Another point is most of India’s so called highly educated are leftist elites and naturally they are predisposed to hate Japan. Their view is not shared by the masses. The left liberals have ruled India for long and changed its history and taught us to hate our culture and it is on account of their concerted efforts (they hold very important position in every academic institutions. Moreover they have enjoyed the backing and support of ruling Congress since the days of Nehru) that Japan’s role in World War 2 is considered as dubious and Japanese are viewed as aggressors by certain sections. Majority of Indians however do not subscribe to their views.

I perhaps would not be able to change your notion about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, but would only say the following – Rash Behari loved him and knew him to be his only worthy successor, not only because they were fellow Bengalis, but also it was only Subhas who shared his intense love for the Indian cause, his ideal of supreme sacrifice for the country and to dedicate everything for the sake of the country’s interest. Netaji is also a forgotten hero by Government, but people hold him in respect because he was the only leader who commanded respect, who as betrayed by Congress and who decided to follow the footsteps of Jatindranath and Rash Behari to fight the British through armed revolution. He lost as British moles had penetrated INA got wind of all his plans. His strategies were often thwarted by lack of resources, betrayal and also British propaganda machine and betrayal of his own countrymen who did everything to prevent his success. Netaji is largely regarded as a tragic hero. Netaji was respected by the Japanese higher authority and Tojo himself had only admiration for him. Many in India believes and there are new evidences that there was no plane crash. Japanese Government set up a smoke screen to help Subhas Chandra Bose escape to Russia to help him continue his battle to free India. Netaji was the one true successor of Rash Behari. He never took credit for creating INA and always held Rash Behari in extreme respect. He had to reorganize INA, rename it to Azad Hind as he needed to form a provincial Government to take on the British. Like Rash Behari he was an rencunciate in spirit, a sannyasi whose only ideal was his country.

Another Bengali who is held in high esteem in Japan is possibly Justice Radha Binod Pal. Am sure you have heard his name. It takes real guts to stand against the collective verdict of Anglo American council and oppose the sentence meted out to the so called war criminals of Japan. The war crimes of the allied forces are many for them to hold any high moral ground.

Let Lord Buddha bring India and Japan closer and closer. Incidentally Bengal, the place from where Rash Behari, Netaji, Radha Binod, all came had once been a fertile ground for Buddhism in the 7th and 8th century AD under the mighty Pala kingdom who ruled a large part of North India from Bengal. Also it was Atish Dipankar, a noted Buddhist scholar from Bengal who spread the ideals of Buddhism to China and Tibet.

(Reader)

 

Dear S,

Many thanks for your thoughtful email. I appreciate your support and your dedication to such an important topic to India, Japan, and Asia as a whole.

The main goal of my project is to bring to light the true words of Rash Behari Bose, and others who knew him or worked closely alongside him, such as A.M. Nair, M. Sivaram, Toshiko, Kokko and Aizo and Yasuo Soma, and others. The volumes contain only a condensation of their own writings. They were never meant to project my own personal opinions. This is a crucial characteristic of my publications.

I have read the English language texts that you have listed, as well as many others. After extensive research and comparisons between these texts, and those in Japanese (written both by Japanese people and Indians), it is clear that the English language texts contradict the Japanese texts.

Even for me, personally, this has been a long learning process. I am neither Japanese nor Indian, and was deeply immersed in Western propaganda. It took years and immense effort to realize the undeniable fact that all English publications about Asia are written with a bias. Even those written by Indians such as Uma Mukherjee are written by referring to other English language resources, and as such, they are not reliable either. When there are contradicting accounts of the same event, I side with the reports by freedom fighters who fought against colonialism and who directly experienced the events. I would not side with the reports by the colonialists themselves, nor second-hand reports by Indians writing in English who were not engaged in the events. Understanding the crucial differences between these is imperative, and is vital to the bright future of India and Japan.

I have read what Rash Behari Bose and those close to him wrote about Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as what SCB himself wrote about his own actions. This is only what I convey in my writings. It is important to me to provide an unbiased English-language text, as none such exist to my knowledge. As far as I have seen, no English documents have been written by people who could read and write old-style Japanese, as Rash Behari Bose did. Rash Behari Bose said that Indians tend to refer to English materials to learn about world history, and even about Indians’ own culture and past. It was his firm conviction that Indians must rewrite their own history, rather than relying on the British. It is my intention to honour this.

Regarding such important personages as Radhabinod Pal, Vivekananda and Okakura Kakuzo, they are covered in later volumes, yet to be published. These will provide information and interpretation of historical facts that are not available in English.

I am certain that this is very important knowledge for Indian people. It is something they must know, but I am increasingly coming to have doubts that the Indian people even care to know the truth. I plan to eventually complete up to the 6th volume, although it is disheartening to see Indians’ lack of interest in learning their own truth, and the persistence of relying on distortions by colonizers and authorities.

Thank you again for your support. I hope that you will also read Volume 2.

(Author)

Rash Behari Bose: The Father of the Indian National Army Kindle Edition, vol. 2

Rash Behari Bose was one of the most vital heroes of the Indian independence movement. Yet, there are few who are as misunderstood, and there is an unfortunate prevalence of widely circulating misconceptions regarding this great freedom fighter. Such false information is due largely to the fact that Bose wrote the majority of his voluminous publications in an old form of Japanese, making them largely inaccessible to the public. It is the aim of this book to clear up such misunderstandings by bringing to light the underexplored publications of Rash Behari Bose, and making available the words that Bose wished to share with the world.

Volume 2 continues Rash Behari Bose’s biography, introduced in the first volume. Key historical events described include the formation of the Ghadar Party, the Komagata Maru incident, the Hindu-German Conspiracy, and the Lahore Mutiny. This volume begins with the details of Bose’s dramatic escape from the British authorities following the Delhi bombing of 1912, and his eventual decision to flee to Japan. After arriving in Japan, a deportation order was issued for Bose upon request by England, and he was forced to go into a life of hiding, in constant pursuit by the authorities and hired spies. The book describes a series of close calls and narrow escapes, aided by numerous influential Japanese figures who supported Bose and his cause. After hiding at Nakamuraya under the care of the Somas for four and a half months, Bose would continue to remain in hiding for the next eight years, moving a total of seventeen times. His success at avoiding capture was made possible, perhaps most of all, by his wife, Toshiko, the daughter of the Soma family. This volume depicts his family life, the birth of his two children, Bose’s naturalisation as a Japanese citizen following the end of the Great European War, and Toshiko’s heartrending early death at the age of 27. Details are also included about the Sōma family, Tōyama Mitsuru, A.M. Nair, and other monumental figures in Japan who grew closer to Bose than his very own family in India. These were the people who provided indispensable support to Bose and his fight for Indian independence, and an authentic understanding of these individuals will set the necessary foundation for the forthcoming descriptions of Rash Behari Bose and his momentous work.

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Rash Behari Bose: The Father of the Indian National Army Kindle Edition, vol. 1

Rash Behari Bose was one of the most vital heroes of the Indian independence movement. Yet, there are few who are as misunderstood, and there is an unfortunate prevalence of widely circulating misconceptions regarding this great freedom fighter. Such false information is due largely to the fact that Bose wrote the majority of his voluminous publications in an old form of Japanese, making them largely inaccessible to the public. It is the aim of this book to clear up such misunderstandings by bringing to light the underexplored publications of Rash Behari Bose, and making available the words that Bose wished to share with the world.

Rash Behari Bose was born in 1886, and from the age of fifteen he dedicated his life to the Indian independence movement. After his involvement in the prominent bombing incidents of Delhi (1912) and Lahore (1915), he became a wanted man hunted by British authorities, and he fled to Japan in the spring of 1915. For the next thirty years, until his death in Tokyo on January 21, 1945, Bose continued his fight for Indian independence. It was there in Japan that, with the indispensible support of the Japanese people, Bose established the Indian Independence League and the Indian National Army, which were pivotal in the struggle for India’s liberation.

This eBook is divided into six volumes, translating and condensing the crux of Rash Behari Bose’s voluminous publications into a manageable size. I have also included translations of relevant historical documents, speeches, and the writings of his family and close acquaintances.

Volume 1 introduces the broad context and background information necessary for a full understanding of this series, including a description of the plight of India, and the historical ties between India and Japan. We then enter Rash Behari Bose’s self-written biography, including his description of his birth and childhood, and his introduction to the Indian independence movement. Volume 1 closes with Bose’s dramatic escape from Delhi during the chaotic moments immediately following the Delhi bombing of 1912.

This book is a must-read for all Indians who wish to rediscover the authentic and dynamic history of India, in particular those who live in Japan or who have some connection or interest in Japan.

http://amazon.in/dp/B07QMVG6GX/

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Introduction: The Indian Revolutionary in Japan

When you hear the name Bose, who do you think of?

When people ask me about my research interests and I mention Bose, most simply shrug their shoulders. Among those who do have some vague familiarity with this name, it is Subhas Chandra Bose who tends to come to mind, and they briefly describe him as the man credited with launching the Imphal Campaign and the leading of India to independence.

Among those who I have talked to, there are only a very small handful who have heard of Rash Behari Bose, and even then, it is not uncommon for them to overlap him with Subhas – a man of no familial relation who coincidentally happened to share the same last name. Unable to definitively separate the two historical figures in their minds, many cannot explain with any certainty just who exactly Rash Behari Bose was.

This is an astonishing reality in light of the fact that if not for the efforts of Rash Behari Bose, India and Japan (and by extension perhaps the entire world at large) would not be as they are today. This is the great extent to which Rash Behari Bose’s contributions have impacted us, and it is for this very reason that the present situation is highly regrettable.

Follow along on this blog as the words of Rash Behari Bose are brought back to life, in English, for the very first time in history.

I am embarrassed to say that until November of 2016, even I could not clearly differentiate between the two. But as fate would have it, I was fortunate enough at that time to encounter the literary collections of Rash Behari Bose. I dedicatedly worked my way through his publications, and found myself becoming captivated not only by his life story and depictions of historical events, but also by the universally applicable human truths that are clearly laid out in his writings.

I was astonished to find the range of invaluable knowledge that lay buried in the pages of his books, spanning across vast realms of human history and culture including philosophy, religion, psychology, ethics, and sociology. His words are not a thing of the past. They are not limited to days gone by, only to be rendered irrelevant in the present day. Rather, they describe universal human truths that were as applicable a thousand years ago as they are today, laying out clear solutions to problems that we face even in our modern lives, and to the future struggles that will undoubtedly be tackled by our children and grandchildren to come.

With this realization coursing through my mind, I came to feel that it would be a shame for Bose’s works to continue to lie dormant – unread, unknown, and inaccessible to the majority of the population. You see, although Rash Behari Bose was born and raised in India, he had fled to Japan in 1915 to escape persecution by the British authorities. It is for this reason that his vast collection of publications exist only in the Japanese language. Not only this, but to complicate matters further, they are written in an old style of Japanese that is no longer in use, making his books a challenge even for modern Japanese readers to decipher.

I decided to dedicate myself to working through each of his texts, accurately rewriting his old language, word for word, into modern Japanese, and then translating them into English. On this blog, I will continue to post the contents of his books while I work my way through them. I will write in the first person as though Bose himself is speaking directly to you.

Please note that while these blog posts remain faithful to the contents of the actual books, they are not the complete, detailed and accurate translations that will appear in the finalized publication.

Once all my transcriptions and translations are complete, I will be publishing them in a series of books. But until then, please follow along on this blog as the words of Rash Behari Bose are brought back to life, in English, for the very first time in history.

Copyright © 2017:  All written materials are the sole property of the owner.  No portion of the text may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

 

Rash Behari Bose

The articles below are novelized excerpts from the writings of Rash Behari Bose, which have until now remained largely inaccessible to the public due to the fact that they were originally published in old Japanese. I am writing the posts in the style of journal entries, as though Bose himself is speaking directly to you.

I am posting here regularly while I work on my project of producing English translations of the complete collection of books published by Bose in Japan.

Please note that the entries below are intended to allow my readers to follow along as I work on writing the translations. While these blog posts remain faithful to the contents of the actual books, they are not the complete, detailed and accurate translations that will appear in the finalized publication.

Copyright © 2017:  All written materials are the sole property of the owner.  No portion of the text may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author.

[Click here to read the introduction]