Do not link Netaji with Savarkar; Netaji was a secular leader : Chandrakumar Bose

Netaji Bose’s great-grandson Chandrakumar Bose objects to the teaser of the film ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar’.

Kolkata (Bengal) – The teaser of the film ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar’ has been released. In one scene, Swatantryaveer Savarkar is depicted advising Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose to attack the British using the advanced weapons of Germany and Japan. Netaji Bose’s great-grandson Chandrakumar Bose has criticised this scene. He called Netaji Bose secular and said he should not be linked with Savarkar. The film will be released on 22nd March.

Chandrakumar Bose

1. In a post on ‘X’, where he tagged the film’s director and actor Randeep Hooda, Chandrakumar Bose expressed his sentiments, stating, “Randeep Hooda, I appreciate your film ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar’ but showing the right personality is very important. Please refrain from linking Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s name with Savarkar. Netaji was an inclusive secular leader and a defender of patriots.”
2. The teaser for this film was released last year, sparking controversy even then. The teaser claimed that Swatantryaveer Savarkar had inspired revolutionaries such as Bhagat Singh, Khudiram Bose, and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, which drew criticism. Chandrakumar Bose objected at that time as well, stating that there was no necessity to depict Netaji, Bhagat Singh, and Khudiram Bose in a film centred on Savarkar. (What is the point of making a film if it does not accurately portray history ? One would think that Netaji Bose is being disrespected by individuals taking such objections – Editor) Whether the content of the film is controversial or not will be known only after the release of the film.

Editorial Perspectives

• The teaser of the film ‘Swatantryaveer Savarkar’ portrays history. It is well known that Netaji Bose visited Ratnagiri to meet Savarkar, which is depicted in the teaser. Objecting to this under the guise of so-called hypocritical secularism is akin to denying history.
• Chandrakumar Bose wants to point out that Veer Savarkar was against secularism. Why does he not speak about Mohandas Gandhi and Nehru, who marginalised Netaji Bose within Congress, and engaged in politics under the guise of secularism, with a bias against Hindus and favouritism towards Muslims?