CM Samrat Choudhary pays tribute to Netaji on death anniversary
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
On the death anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary offered a tribute on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, honouring the freedom fighter's sacrifice and calling his courage an enduring inspiration for every Indian in the service of the nation.
In his post, CM Choudhary wrote: 'Koti-koti naman' — a crore-fold salutation — to the 'great freedom fighter and supreme hero of independence' who 'gave everything for the dream of a free India.' He invoked Netaji's courage, sacrifice, struggle, and unbreakable dedication to the country, saying these qualities would inspire Indians toward national service 'for ages to come.'
Who was Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhash Chandra Bose, born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, remains one of the most consequential and contested figures of India's independence movement. He broke with the mainstream Congress strategy of non-violent resistance, founded the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army), and mounted an armed campaign to drive the British from India during World War II. His death on August 18, 1945 — officially attributed to an air crash in Taipei — has been a subject of historical debate for decades.
August 18 and the unresolved question of Netaji's end
The date carries particular weight in Indian public memory. August 18, 1945 is the day the plane carrying Bose reportedly crashed at Taihoku (present-day Taipei), and he died of burn injuries — a version accepted by multiple government-commissioned inquiries, though a section of his family and followers has long disputed it. Every year, the anniversary renews both reverence and the unresolved historical question that surrounds his final hours.
For Bihar's ruling dispensation, the tribute also carries political resonance: the BJP has consistently sought to reclaim Netaji's legacy as part of a broader nationalist narrative, and senior leaders marking the anniversary publicly is now a fixture of the party's political calendar.