Hey Peehu,

Great to have you back again.

I'm so happy you liked the post.

You know what - a lot of work remains for us. And big among them is to separate the overwhelming myth of Gandhi from India...and to put it in its proper perspective. Vested Interests have so interwoven him with India that a lot many people now think that India is Gandhi and Gandhi is India. Nothing could be farther from the truth. India is a lot - a lot - more than Gandhi. In fact I feel, Gandhi doesn't represent India even atom-size, or by a million light-years apart.

If you're looking for a leader that you can truly consider representative of India, study Subhash Chandra Bose. I'm confident you'd find him meet all your requirements, as many have. Here are a few reasons why -

(1) Subhash had a great and true understanding of India's greatness, for his guru and guiding star was none other than - Swami Vivekananda, the man who probably undisputedly would be the greatest Representative of Hinduism to the world. Vivekananda's knowledge went all the way to the Upanishads, the Cream of Indian Thought, and probably even beyond, and was not merely limited to the Ramayana as was Gandhi's. Vivekananda wanted to create a Great India, and not just a Ram-Rajya.

(2) Vivekananda, before he became so, was Naren, a highly educated young man, who attended Scottish Church College in Calcutta (Kolkata), and was thoroughly versed in Western philosophy and thought. It was Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa, of Dakshineshwar Fame, who identified the terrific genius in him, introduced him to the Pinnacles of Indian Thought, and inspired him to become what we see today as a beacon of the Great Indian Erudition, and an apostle of International Brotherhood and Peace. I might mention, it was Sri Ramakrishna who christened him Vivekananda - "Ecstasy of the Conscious".

(3) Thus Vivekananda combined in himself the Best of the West and the East. And therefore, can you now understand, what Subhash Bose, who considered Vivekananda the Pole-Star of his life, would be ?

(4) It is stunning to see that Nobody talks of Subhash Chandra Bose's Philosophy of NON-VIOLENCE. "What - Subhash Bose and NON-VIOLENCE ? Wasn't he the man that led the AZAD HIND ARMY against the British ? How could he be NON-VIOLENT then ?" Good Question - that is EXACTLY the Reason I speak about ANNA HAZARE's NON-VIOLENCE. Exactly the Reason I speak about it being DIFFERENT FROM GANDHI's. WHO could Represent Non-Violence, the INDIAN spirit of "AHIMSA" BETTER than the man who was BEST TRAINED IN INDIAN THOUGHT - VIVEKANANDA ? AND DO YOU THINK, SUBHASH BOSE, BEING THE DISCIPLE OF VIVEKANANDA, WOULD NOT KNOW OR UNDERSTAND WHAT "AHIMSA" OR NON-VIOLENCE REALLY MEANT, BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE ? AND DON'T YOU THINK, THAT STANDS FOR ANNA TOO ?

That is Exactly the Reason I Differentiate between Gandhi's and Anna Hazare's Non-Violence. The former was a Castle in the Air (and probably a Gimmick), while the latter is a TOWER OF INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD AND PEACE FIRMLY PLANTED IN REALITY. AND DON'T YOU THINK THEN, THAT IS TRUE FOR SUBHASH CHANDRA'S NON-VIOLENCE TOO ?

(Why did Anna Hazare then bow at Rajghat (Gandhi's Samadhi) ? I know, you're intelligent enough to figure that out yourself...the present atmosphere in our country is not conducive for a lot of words...)

(5) And if you want an idea of Subhash Chandra Bose's INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY and GENIUS, you might do well to know that he was ONE OF THE ONLY TWO INDIANS TO EVER MAKE IT TO THE BRITISH CIVIL SERVICES...in Conditions Extremely Discriminatory against Indians...SO MUCH SO, that outside the British Clubs and Theatres, hung the sign - "DOGS AND INDIANS NOT ALLOWED".

(6) And another Reason why Subhash Chandra Bose was truly Indian. When his Azad Hind Fauz entered Burma, he went and offered homage at Bahadur Shah Zafar's burial tomb. He was the Only Leader in the Indian National Movement to have done that. Further, he was the only one who united Hindus and Muslims in his Azad Hind Fauz with one call. Both Hindus and Muslims loved him, and were ready to sacrifice their lives at one beck from him. THAT'S THE STATURE HE HAD - A TRULY NATIONAL, INDIAN LEADER.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose understood NON-VIOLENCE NO LESS WELL than Gandhi, rather BETTER - MUCH, MUCH BETTER, for One, HE WAS A DISCIPLE OF SOMEONE NO OTHER THAN VIVEKANANDA, Two, HIS INTELLECT WAS AMONG THE SHARPEST OF NOT ONLY INDIANS, BUT GLOBALITES, and Three, he too like ANNA HAZARE, knew how to DIFFERENTIATE between VIOLENCE and PATRIOTISM.

I hope you find that helpful.

We therefore now need to stop calling just Gandhi's India...and rather start saying Subhash's India....Anna's India...

Victory to Anna ! Happy Long Life to Anna !

Jai Hind !

Summit.