It’s Gandhi virudh Netaji this time

The posters state that the freedom struggle traversed two different paths, the Gandhian way of reconciliation, and the opposing path characterised by Netaji which negated Gandhian reconciliation.

The alleged clash between the two stalwarts began in 1921. That was the year when Netaji arrived in Bombay after resigning from the ICS. The posters say that Netaji was not satisfied with Gandhian thinking and became a disciple of Deshabandhu Chittaranjan Das.

The exhibition goes on to showcase various controversies that came up between Gandhiji and Netaji. The exhibition seeks to heighten the pitch with Netaji’s criticism of Gandhiji’s sudden decision to stop the non-cooperation movement after the Chauri-Chaura incident in 1922. “No one is able to comprehend why the Mahatma used a stray incident like Chauri-Chaura to halt a national struggle,” Netaji criticised.

The exhibition has described the 1929 Calcutta Congress, where Gandhiji’s idea of Dominion status prevailed over Netaji’s insistence on Poorna Swaraj, as the beginning of a long drawn out battle.

The exhibition showcases Netaji’s observation: “To believe that the mighty English would even concede Dominion status without an agitation is pure foolishness”.

The criticism against the Gandhi-Irwin pact is the shrillest. Netaji had characterised the pact as a “cruel betrayal”.

The organisers have given their own interpretations for different events. While Netaji’s presidentship of the Congress is described as “energetic leadership of Indian youth”, Gandhian followers are branded as “sentinels of the past”.

The exhibition has interpreted that “Nehru was made the Chairman of the Planning Commission by Netaji to mitigate Gandhi’s opposition”.

“Gandhism’s facade of spirituality and the strange and vague solutions offered by it are more dangerous for the nation than even British imperialism. The day when the mask falls off Gandhism is not too distant,” Netaji is quoted as saying.

However, the exhibition is eloquently silent on the Mahatma’s opinions about the various positions on different events taken by Netaji during the Independence struggle.