Subhas Chandra Bose’s unwavering commitment to secularism and inclusiveness came to the fore repeatedly at the celebrations marking his 129th birth anniversary at Netaji Bhavan on Friday. Das, written in Bengali, was read out in the original by Sugata Bose, who also translated sections into English. It was this spirit of broad-minded generosity in the matter of India’s religious diversity that Subhas sought to emulate in his politics,” Sugata Bose said. Translating from the letter to Basanti Devi, Sugata read: “I hope you will not forget, even in the midst of your misfortune and grief, that innumerable sons of Bengal have accepted you as their mother. “The same year, at just 31, Netaji was one of eight members of a Congress committee constituted ‘to determine the principles’ of the Constitution for Free India,” Sumantra Bose said in his welcome address.

Source: The Telegraph January 23, 2026 23:26 UTC