Rash Behari Bose

Born On: May 25, 1886
Born In: Subaldaha Village of Burdwan District, West Bengal
Died On: January 21, 1945
Career: Revolutionary Leader
Nationality: Indian

He was one of the key organizers of the plan to assassinate Lord Charles Hardinge. He played a crucial role in the Ghadar conspiracy, a conspiracy to attack British army from the inside. Both times he managed to escape the authorities, owing to his camouflaging skills. He was the master of disguise. He fled to Japan under fake identity and changed his residence seventeen times. He was the founding father of Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauz) that Subhash Chandra Bose capitalized on later. He received second grade Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese Government. He was Rash Behari Bose, a revolutionary leader born in a small village of West Bengal.

Early Life
Rash Behari Bose was born on 25th May 1886 in the Subaldaha Village of Burdwan District, West Bengal of British India. At the age of three, his mother passed away in 1889 and he was thus, brought up by his maternal aunt Vama Sundari. His early education was under his grandfather, Kalicharan, in the village of Subaldaha itself. For further education he joined Dupleix College at Chandannagar, which was under the French rule. As a result, both British and French culture and sensibilities had their play in shaping Rash Behari's future. It was his teacher in the college, Charu Chand, a man possessed with some radical notions that inspired Rash Behari to think along the lines of revolutionism. Consistently shifting through different jobs as a copy holder in press, guardian tutor, and as a clerk didn't allow his college education to be completed. However, education was never his forte; it was the revolutionary thinking towards which he was more interested.

Revolutionary Activities
It was during the partition of Bengal (1905) that Rash Behari got involved in the revolutionary activities. Rash Behari Bose, along with Aurobindo Ghosh and Jatin Banerjee, led the public outburst against the British but had to flee from Bengal following an act gone wrong. The incident went on to be known as the Alipore Bomb case. In 1912, a plan was made to take down the Governor General and a Viceroy to India, Lord Charles Hardinge, in Delhi. On December 23rd 1912, when the possession of Lord Hardinge reached Chandni Chowk (Delhi), a bomb aimed at Hardinge ended up killing a man to his right and 20 other spectators. Basanta Kumar Bisbas, who threw the bomb disguised as a lady was arrested and hanged in Ambala jail. But Rash Behari, one of the conspirators, managed to avoid arrest owing to clever disguise. He was also one of the leading figures involved in the Ghadar Conspiracy, a plan by which Indian sepoy would infiltrate the British army and attack from the inside; loot the treasure and free the prisoners, all at the same time. However this plan could not transform into action following a spy who managed to pass the information to the police. Many of the suspects were arrested but Rash Behari managed to escape yet again.

Indian National Army
It was on 12th May 1915 that Rash Behari left Calcutta and went to Japan. From 1915-1918, he changed his residence seventeen times and lived like a fugitive. In 1918, he married Tosiko, daughter of Pan-Asian supporters Soma Aizo and Soma Kotsuko, who were supportive of Rash Behari's efforts and became a Japanese citizen in 1923. Rash Behari and Tosiko had a son, Masahide, and a daughter, Tetaku. It was his relation with the Japanese that helped him in persuading the authorities to stand by Indian Nationalists and actively support India's freedom struggle from abroad. Following a conference held in Tokyo on 28th March 1942, it was decided to establish the Indian Independence League. After a few days it was decided to make Subhash Chandra Bose as its president. The Indian prisoners that were captured by the Japanese in Malaya and Burma were encouraged to join the Indian Independence League and the Indian National Army. It was the efforts of Rash Behari, along with Captain Mohan Singh and Sardar Pritam Singh, due to which Indian National Army came into existence on September 1, 1942. It was also known as Azad Hind Fauz.

Death
It was on 21st January 1945 that Rash Bihari Bose got killed in Tokyo before the end of World War II.

Honor
He was honored with Order of the Rising Sun (2nd Grade) by the Japanese government.

Timeline
1886: Rash Behari Bose was born on 25th May.
1912: Masterminded the plan to assassinate Lord Charles Hardinge, the Viceroy to India.
1915: He, along with Sachin Sanyal and other Ghadarites, planned to organize a coordinated effort against the British forces. He also left Calcutta and went to Japan.
1918: Got married to Tosiko, daughter of Pan-Asian supporters Soma Aizo and Soma Kotsuko.
1923: Became a Japanese citizen.
1942: Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauz) was formed following the efforts of Rash Behari, along with Captain Mohan Singh.
1945: Rash Behari Bose died on January 21.