Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose- The man behind ‘women’s empowerment’

When we come across ‘Armed forces’ it triggers our brain to think only about ‘males’ but we don’t necessarily bat an eye about ‘females’ as we think that only men are assigned to do a specific task. Do you agree with this?

As many believe, Armed forces are only meant for men as they are highly-involved in doing some of the toughest tasks while women were kept at bay from doing heavy-duty jobs. Even today, there is endless debate as to why women should be inducted into the Armed Forces in a combat role.

Credits: India Today

But, one should remember the fact that it was Netaji Bose who had brought women into his INA decades ago. Yes, for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, women force mattered the most as he was the first to empower women at a wider scale. He also played a significant role to bring women out of house and for that, he deserves a lot of respect.

Today, our country has women officers in its Armed Forces, including as pilots. Needless to say, there are no women soldiers in other ranks. Women officers had to fight a bureaucratic and legal battle in a bid to get permanent commission in the Armed Forces.

To remember the fact that, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, in 1943 had the vision of a Women’s Regiment when he commanded the Indian National Army (INA), is simply amazing. It was then, Indian National Army’s woman’s wing was named after the great Rani of Jhansi.

In his speech, Why I left Home and Homeland, he said, “I want also a unit of brave Indian women to form a ‘Death-defying Regiment’ who will wield the sword, which the brave Rani of Jhansi wielded in India’s First War of Independence in 1857.”

While addressing the female audience and appreciating the ways that women in India had already participated in freedom struggle, he said, “What is more there is no suffering which Indian women have not gladly and bravely shared along with our men in the course of several decades of our national struggle.”