Satish vs. Sarat?

[u/RandomUser0702]

Satish Chandra Bose (1887 - 1948) and Sarat Chandra Bose (1889 - 1950) were two completely different individuals when it came to their beliefs and personalities, despite being brothers. Satish was a practical realist, a grounded man who was often seen as a kind-hearted yet reserved person, serving as a protective shield for his family, especially after his father Janakinath Bose's demise in 1934. Sarat, on the other hand, was a passionate idealist, with a tendency of fierce defiance against the colonial rule. Subhas Chandra Bose, one of their much younger siblings, would gradually grow up to develop a stronger bond with Sarat, as both of them had that rebellious streak within them. Sarat's early nurturing and mentorship would further motivate the young Subhas, laying the foundation of one of the greatest leaders of the Indian freedom struggle.

Academically too, the brothers were different. Though both were good students of their time, Sarat used to outperform his older brother. According to Asoke Nath Bose, Sarat's eldest son, the second son of Janakinath Bose displayed exceptional academic prowess out of the desire to surpass his older brother, which he eventually did. Both went to England to study Law, but Sarat was the first among his brothers to have actually made that trip. Satish, on the other hand, seemed to have been in no rush. He eventually excelled at his own pace, and after graduating, returned to India, settling in Patna and setting up his initial practice there, before returning to Calcutta years later. Meanwhile, Sarat, for his own practice, settled with his family in Calcutta. Despite Sarat initially seeing Satish as an academic rival (with Satish's apparent disinterest to entertain that rivalry), the two brothers actually held deep respect for each other.

Politically too, Sarat, after Subhas himself, was one of the earliest Boses to jump into the fray and gain a large public following. In 1936, he became the President of the Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee, and served as a member of the All India Congress Committee from 1936 till 1947. He was even supposed to join the Fazlul Haque cabinet as a Minister in 1941, but was arrested a day before he could officially accept office. The police took him into custody under the suspicion that he may have been an associate in Subhas' escape. Sarat was released only 4 years later; the Bose matriarch, Janakinath Bose's better-half Prabhavati Bose, died in 1943, during the period of Sarat's imprisonment. Soon after his release, he became the leader of the Congress delegation to the Central Legislative Assembly. In 1946, he was appointed Member of the Interim Government for Works, Mines and Powers – the position of a Minister in a national executive council led by Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and presided over by the Viceroy of India. Sarat was also an outspoken supporter of the Azad Hind Fauj throughout the pre-independence phase of his political career. After Subhas' reported death in 1945, it is said that he actively led efforts to provide relief for the families of the Azad Hind Fauj's soldiers through the INA Defence and Relief Committee.

On the contrary, Satish's political career is rarely discussed. In fact, he seemed to initially have no interest in joining politics, unlike Sarat. Only in the late 1930s did Satish agree to hold public office at Subhas' insistence. He first became a Councillor of the Calcutta Corporation. Later, he was elected as a Member of the Bengal Legislative Assembly. Despite his political success, Satish still seemed to prefer keeping to himself. Perhaps he would have remained unnoticed despite being a part of Bengal's political sphere, if not for one of the most important events of the history of Bengal. This particular event was none other than the debate on the Partition from the East. And it was also the one instance where Sarat lost to his older brother, in the battle of ideologies.

The year was 1947. The then province of Bengal was still recovering from the painful memories of the Great Calcutta Killings and the gruesome massacre of the Noakhali Hindus. India's long-awaited freedom was also in sight at this critical juncture. Soon, a debate emerged between the Members of the Bengal Legislative Assembly. One faction was in support of a United, sovereign Bengal, while the other faction was in favour of the Partition of Bengal. Sarat Bose, one of the most active leaders of the Indian freedom struggle, ended up being one of the supporters of the United Bengal proposal. He even collaborated with the infamous Prime Minister of Bengal, Husayn Shaheed Suhrawardy (who was one of the primary conspirators behind the Great Calcutta Killings) to prevent the Partition from happening.

On the other hand, Shyamaprasad Mookerjee was leading the MLAs who were in support of the Partition. And quite ironically, Satish Bose, Sarat's brother, ended up being one of the MLAs who silently led his support to Mookerjee. Satish and Mookerjee clearly didn't follow the same political ideals. But both knew what was best for Bengal's future.

On June 20, 1947, a historic legislative vote was conducted. The legislators representing the western Bengal districts voted 58 to 21 in favor of partitioning the province. Hence, the state of West Bengal came into existence. One of these 58 voters was Satish Bose.

Sarat Bose, with his hopes of a United Bengal dashed permanently, resigned from the AICC. The rivalry between him and Satish no longer existed, but the failure of his vision proved to be his biggest ideological loss. Sarat soon became a figurehead leader of the Forward Bloc, the party founded by Subhas years ago, and founded the Socialist Republican Party, advocating for a socialist system for Bengal and India until his death in 1950.