Netaji: Collected Works - Volume 5

385 Pages·1985·10.401 MB·English

by  Sisir Kumar Bose

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NETAJI
COLLECTED
WORKS
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Editorial Advisory Board
A. C. N. Nambiar
P. K. Sahcal
Abid Hasan Safrani
Editor
Sisir K. Bose
NETAJI RESEARCH BUREAU
NETAJI BHAWAN CALCUTTA INDIA
Digitized by GOOglC UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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Copyright: Netaji Research Bureau 1985
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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T
Sarat Chandra-Bivabati Bose Collection
Emilie Schenkl-Bose
Anita B. Pfaff
Published with the Financial Assistance from the
Government of India, Ministry of Education & Culture
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Published for Netaii Research.' Bureau, Calcutta, by
Sisir Kumar Bose trom 58 ft, Lala Lai pat Rai Road,
Calcutta-700020 and Printed by Dwijendranath Bose
at Ananda Press & Publications Private Limited,
248, C.I.T. Scheme No. VIM , Calcutta-700054.
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FOREWORD
We are priviledged to release the fifth volume of Netaji’s
Collected Works on the occasion of the one hundred and
twentyfifth birth anniversary of Netaji’s father Janakinath
Bose who was born on 28 May 1860.
We record with deep sorrow the passing away of our
valued friend and comrade and a distinguished member
of the Editorial Board Abid Hasan Safrani while work on
this volume was in progress.
We confess* that there has been a rather long time
lag between the publication of the last volume and the
present one. Several reasons account for this. First, since
the publication of the fourth volume entirely new and
voluminous material of exceptional historical value were
passed on to the publishing department by the Research
Division. These included Netaji’s prison notebooks and
diaries from Burma and a fairly lengthy monograph by
him on the boycott of British goods, the first English pub­
lication that he authored in late twenties. There were in
addition a host of other new fascinating material on a
whole range of public questions. The arrival of such new
material necessitated a fresh planning and editing of the fifth
volume which was originally meant to take us well into
the thirties. A complete reorganisation of the entire mate­
rial in our hands and plenty of translation work had to be
carried out which took considerable time. Secondly,
owing to severe financial constraints of a project drawn
up seven years ago, the publishing department had to cut
down severely on its expenses and make do with minimum
part-time staff. Thirdly, the power crisis continued to
hold up and disturb press work at every step. Neverthe­
less, in spite of circumstances over which we had no con­
trol, we have been able to bring out five volumes in English
in five years since the release of the first volume by the
late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1980. It is also a
matter of satisfaction that during the same period two
volumes each in Bengali and Hindi have been published.
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IV
Netaji’s prison notebooks from Burma started with
‘Random Thoughts* which have been translated from the
original Bengali. The thoughts may be random but are
wide-ranging and deep. His extensive notes in his own
hand on the books he read in Burmese prisons occupy one
hundred and fifty pages of this volume. They are a revela­
tion. We have endeavoured to preserve in all respects
the style and manner of his notes including the marginal
notings page by page. The reader will not only learn
about the nature and extent of his studies but also how
he read the books and what reactions and thoughts they
provoked in his mind. The canvas is enormous— the sub­
jects he studied with such diligence include history of
nations like Ireland, history of European civilisation, his­
tory of revolutions, social organisation, memoirs, compa­
rative history of Asia and Europe, psychology and crime,
eugenics and national decay, physical deficiency and diete­
tics, the conflict of colour in human relations, etc, etc. In
his notes he even kept copies of poems which moved him
deeply.
Among his prison notebooks we found a piece in Ben­
gali entitled ‘Mantra-Vichar* based on his study of a
treatise— ‘Purohit-Darpan*. This piece we found to be
untranslatable and have therefore published in the original
Bengali in the Appendix.
Of the very many articles, speeches and public state­
ments included in this volume there are some very signi­
ficant and noteworthy ones. ‘The Dreams of Youth*, ‘The
Call of the Motherland* and ‘The Fundamental Question’
are translations of some of his finest compositions in Ben­
gali of the late twenties. Among the speeches will be
found the presidential address at the Maharashtra Pro­
vincial Conference in 1928 dealing with ideological ques­
tions which are relevant even today, his address at the
All India Youth Congress in 1928, his speech at the Rash-
tra Bhasa Sammelan held in Calcutta in December 1928
and finally his speech at the Calcutta session of the Indian
National Congress while moving his amendment to Mahatma
Gandhi’s political resolution.
The monograph on boycott of British goods is in the
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nature of a research paper based on compilation of statis­
tical data started in 1927 and completed in the beginning
of 1929. Research students, historians, political workers
and readers in general will find in it plenty of informa­
tion and material for deliberation on one of the cardinal
features of our freedom struggle.
I am very thankful to Dr. Leonard A. Gordon
and Dr. Sugata Bose for their assistance in reorga­
nising the material for this volume and putting them in
order. Mr. Srihari Gangooly has been in charge of read­
ing the proofs, preparing die index and seeing the book
through the press. Mr. Naga Sundaram has continued to
give valuable archival support and Mr. Kartic Chakra-
barty has carried the entire burden of typing the manus­
cript. To them we extend our sincere thanks. Messrs
Ananda Press & Publications Private Limited have once
again done their best to maintain the high standard of the
series by their whole-hearted cooperation and technical
support.
We acknowledge again with appreciation the financial
support of the Government of India, Ministry of Education
& Culture in this project.
As we now go forward with the work of the sixth and
the following volumes we seek the blessings and assis­
tance of our countrymen in carrying forward the project
to its fulfilment.
Jai Hind
Sisir K. Bose
Netaji Bhawan ,
38/2 Lala Lajpat Rai Road
Calcutta-700 020 India
28 May 1985
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CONTENTS
Foreword iii
1. Letter to the Editor of Amrita Bazar
Patrika, 26.7.1923 .. 1
2. Statement on the South Calcutta
Sevak Samiti, 19.12.23 .. 3
3. Random Thoughts, 1924-27 .. 5
4. Letter on Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das
to Hemendranath Dasgupta, 20226 . 19
5. Analysis of Books Read (Book 1)
Ireland, A Nation .. 38
Voices of the New Ireland .. 55
Mrs. J.R. Green, Books .. 59
T.M. Kettle, Books .. 64
Dora Sigerson (Mrs. Shorter), Books .. 66
The History of Civilization in Europe .70
The Revolution of Civilization .. 86
Social Organization .. 109
Ex-Kaisers Memoirs (1878-1918) .. 116
Asia and Europe .. 118
Psychology and Crime .. 128
The Criminal mind .. 138
Natural Welfare and National Decay .. 145
Physical Efficiency .. 171
The Conflict of Colour .. 186
6. Deshbandhu and Nation Building, May 1927 .. 190
7. To the Citizens of North Calcutta, 10.827 .; 200
8. Letter to the Editor of “International
Times”, 13.827 .. 202
9. Appeal to Rate-Payers of Ward XII, 14:8.27 .. 203
10. Statement to the “Forward\ 24.8.27 .. 204
11. Appeal from Shillong on 'Forgive and
Forget*, 13.927 . . 2 0 5
12. Statement on new tactics adopted'by the
Government to avoid unconditional release
of detenus, 22.927 ‘ • . . 207
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13. Statement regarding properties of a detenu
in great danger, 13.11.27 .. 211
14. Appeal to the Congress organisations in
Bengal, 22.11.27 .. 214
15. Speech on Art and Nationalism, 13.12.27 .. 215
16. Statement concerning Detenu's Fund,
16.12.27 .. 217
17. The Dreams of Youth, 16.5.23 .. 219
18. The Call of the Motherland, Dec'25 .. 223
19. The Fundamental Question, Oct9 26 .. 227
20. Statement being interviewed by a
representative of “Forward” on the
Statement of Dr. Moonje, 1.1.28 .. 234
21. Speech at Hartal Meeting, 4.2.28 .. 236
22. Fervent appeal for workers, 22.2.28 .. 237
23. Speech on Boycott Meeting, 24.2.28 .. 239
24. Speech on City College scandal
protest meeting, 2.3.28 .. 241
25. Appeal to public for funds, 21.4.28 .. 242
26. Presidential address at the Maharashtra
Provincial Conference, Poona,3 .5.28 .. 242
27. Statement bearing upon the City College
affair, 18.5.28 .. 254
28. Lecture at Opera House on the Mission of
Young India, 22.5.28 .. 255
29. Statement concerning detenus, 8.628 .. 257
30. Letter to Pandit Motilal Nehru, 12.7.28 .. 258
31. Telegram from Motilal Nehru, 6.8.28 .. 259
32. Statement on Jamshedpur labour situation,
28.10.28 . . 2 6 0
33. Statement on Independence League,
1.11.28 .. 262
34. View on AJ.C.C. Resolution, 7.11.28 .. 262
35. Statement on the death of
Lala Lajpat Rai, 18.11.28 .. 265
36. Statement on the Bauria Jute Mill
strike, 27.1128 . . 2 6 6
37. Statement on Free Press ban, 28.11.28 .. 267
38. A letter to Mahatmaji, 3.12.28 .. 268
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39. Statement condemning the behaviour of
Bombay audience, 19.1228 .. 269
40. Speech at the third session of the All-India
Youth Congress, Calcutta, 25.1228 .. 270
41. Speech at the Calcutta session of the
Congress, Dec 1928 .. 275
42. Speech as Chairman of the Reception
Committee, Rashtra Bhasa
Sammelan, 28.1228 .. 279
43. “Boycott of British Goods”, (1929) .. 284
Bibliography .. 285
Sec. I—History of Cotton Industry .. 286
Chap. I—Early History .. 287
Chap. II— British Duties .. 289
Chap. Ill— In the Ways of the
Company & After .. 291
Chap IV— Iniquitous Excise Duty .. 299
Chap. V—Lessons of History .. 301
Sec. II.—Boycott of British Cotton Goods .. 303
Chap I.— Analysis of India's Foreign
Trade .. 304
Chap. II.— Analysis of India's
Consumption of Piece Goods .. 309
Chap. Ill—Foreign Piece Goods— Rise
and Fall in Imports .. 311
' Chap. TV— Indian Yam Vs.
Foreign Yam .. 316
Chap. V—Analysis of Foreign Piece
Goods .. 321
Chap. VI— Importance of Cotton
Manufactures to Britain .. 324
Chap. VII— Present Economic
Position of Britain .. 327
Sec. III. Effect of Boycott .. 329
Chap. I— Declaration of Boycott
And After .. 330
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