History and Politics: Unknown anecdotes -- Whom among Bengali icons, Subhash Bose once described as 'blind admirer' of Gandhiji ?

Who was the Bengali icon of their time whom Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose once described as 'blind admirer' of Mahatma Gandhi ?

Bose had called Rabindranath Tagore 'the blind admirer' of Mahatma Gandhi.
"You have also turned into a blind admirer of Gandhiji..... one gets that impression from reading your recent writings," Bose had written to Tagore in a letter in 1935. 

Tagore presiding a function in presence of Bose

This was in an unique context.  Bose wanted Tagore to request H.G. Wells or George Bernard Shaw, to pen foreword for Netaji's autobiographical book, 'The Indian Struggle'.

In a letter to Tagore Bose wrote: “I had thought about asking Monsieur Rolland also but he is too much of a Gandhi admirer which I am not. Hence I am not sure whether he will be willing to write for my book. I had also thought about you but I am not sure whether you would be willing to write on my political book." 

"You have also turned into a blind admirer of Gandhiji recently — one gets that impression from reading your recent writings. In this situation I am not sure whether you would tolerate any criticism about Gandhiji.”

In fact, their relations changed and improved at a later stage. In 1939, Tagore accepted an invite from Bose for a function and presided over the foundation-stone-laying ceremony of Mahajati Sadan in Calcutta. It was at this function, Tagore honoured Bose by calling him "Deshnayak" (a leader of the nation).

## Bose's secular credentials were genuine !!

In 1945, three INA officers — Prem Kumar Sahgal, a Hindu, Shah Nawaz Khan, a Muslim, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, a Sikh — faced trial. The episode actually reflected the genuine 'composition' of the INA, Azad Hind Fauz.    

## After there was an improvement in relationship between him and Netaji Subhash Bose, Tagaoe developed a special love for Bose;

Around the time, Bose 'escaped' from his home in Kolkata, Tagore penned a short story 'Badnam'.
 
In that story, Anil is the key protagonist and is a freedom fighter. Anil is shown crossing Afghanistan as Bose too had done to reach western countries. At one point, the character also says: “You are trying to chain me in your shackles; but do you yet have such chains?”

#***   Politics 

Who was Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao's first choice for his Finance Minister?

- I G Patel. He declined the offer saying he would rather settle down in Baroda. Then the great opportunity passed onto Manmohan Singh.

In fact, it is believed that even Late Chandrashekhar had spoken to I G Patel and wanted to make him the Finance Minister. This time around, the responsibility passed on to Yashwant Sinha.

It was on the advice of Sinha that Manmohan Singh was made 'economic advisor' to PM Chandrashekhar.

There is an interesting anecdote on 'state funeral' of former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar.

After his death, the Congress regime was not keen to give Chandrashelhar the state funeral. His son then had called on PM Manmohan Singh and said, if that was the case the family members would organise a 'family funeral' and would not allow any government representative or politician to attend that. This would have clearly embarrassed the UPA-I regime.

So finally, state funeral was given.

The Congress party had denied this opportunity to Narasimha Rao's family. Apparently, Sonia Gandhi was so much against the idea of a befitting state funeral for Rao in Delhi; that the family members were told that the body could be taken to Hyderabad.