I am delighted to visit the Netaji Bhawan, the ancestral house of Subhash Chandra Bose. For all of us, this place is a place of national pilgrimage. I am happy to learn that Netaji Museum established in 1961 by the Netaji Research Bureau is a full-fledged biographical museum organised on the basis of vast materials relating to Netaji collected from all over. These should act as a living inspiration of Netaji.

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was truly a great Indian, cast in the mould of a self-respecting warrior characterised by unadulterated nationalist feelings and complete disregard for personal comforts and gains. Why else should he resign from the prestigious Indian Civil Service at that time and start working for Indian Independence through South Calcutta Sevak Samiti?

He waged a relentless struggle against the British, to save his motherland from foreign domination. For this purpose, he travelled all over the world. Netaji Bose became a fierce and popular leader in the political scene in pre-independent India. Founder of nationalist force called Indian National Army. He became a veritable legend. Swami Vivekananda's teachings had a tremendous influence on Netaji Bose.

He waged a relentless struggle against the British, to save his motherland from foreign domination. For this purpose, he travelled all over the world. Netaji Bose became a fierce and popular leader in the political scene in pre-independent India. Founder of nationalist force called Indian National Army. He became a veritable legend. Swami Vivekananda's teachings had a tremendous influence on Netaji Bose.

Netaji's concept was that complete freedom for India at the earliest, not through a dominion status as some others wanted. In fact, it was this that led to adoption of Poorna Swaraj at the Lahore Congress Convention.

When the Second World War broke out, Subhash Chandra Bose started a mass movement against utilising Indian resources and men for the war. It made no sense to him to further tax the poor Indian for fructifying the colonial and imperial ambitions of another country. Such moves by Bose led to his frequent imprisonment. However, the people of India were captivated by Bose's oratory and leadership qualities, his fearlessness and the confident, determined manner in which he conducted himself. His burning sense of patriotism and his tireless efforts to free India from foreign domination have veritably made him a legend and the pride of every self-respecting Indian. I am happy that the Netaji Research Bureau through the Netaji Museum housed in Netaji Bhawan has done a signal service to the Indian nation by trying to spread Netaji's message of a free, independent and self-respecting India even in the present day.

This institution needs to have a vision. Every year, at least 5000 primary and high school students should visit this place from various parts of the country to imbibe Netaji's courage and work for the cause ceaselessly.

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