Subhas Chandra Bose's idea of freedom
Also called: All-round freedom · Topic: Political Theory: Freedom and Rights · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "Freedom"
Meaning
Subhas Chandra Bose saw freedom as all-round freedom for the individual and for society, for rich and poor, and for men and women alike. For him, freedom was not just political independence from Britain. It also meant equal sharing of wealth, an end to caste barriers and the destruction of communalism (hostility between religious groups). This idea is close to positive liberty, which stresses the social conditions that make people truly free.
Example
Bose set out this vision at the Lahore students' conference on 19 October 1929. NCERT uses it to show that freedom is blocked not only by foreign rule but also by inequalities such as caste and poverty.
Don't confuse with
- Lahore Congress session (December 1929): this passed the Purna Swaraj (complete independence) resolution. Bose's speech came earlier, at a students' conference, not at a Congress session.