After making headlines for a demon face bearing similarity to Mahatma Gandhi’s likeness in a Durga Puja pandal organised by them, the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha’s West Bengal representatives were back in news. This time, they were demanding Mahatma Gandhi’s image on Indian currency be replaced with that of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
Saying that Netaji was successful in putting together a provisional government (in undivided India) which had been acknowledged by many countries, Chandrachur Goswami, who represents the organisation as a state working president, laid groundwork for the demand. He reiterated other historical facts related to Netaji to underscore his demand.
Coming on the heels of the demon statue incident, the currency face change is more a publicity stunt than anything else as the Mahasabha tries to enter state politics in the upcoming panchayat poll. Given its nominal presence, its demand to replace Mahatma’s image with that of Netaji’s largely appears to be an attention-drawing technique.
Goswami, on the other hand, claimed that the Mahasabha he represented is older than any organisation—political or social—that claimed to represent the Hindu community. “We are to play a pivotal role,” claimed Goswami. Talking to DH, he said that his organisation was also making efforts to participate in the elections in all the districts. The idea, as of now, he said, was to participate in Bengal’s rural elections next year.
Notably, Goswami’s group has been mostly inactive in political space, but suddenly drew media attention nationwide over the presentation of an asura (demon) in the Durga Puja pandal organised by the group in Kolkata. Originally the demon sported spectacles, wore dhoti, was bald and had a walking stick, bearing marked resemblance to Mahatma’s likeness. However, after police intervention, the organisation put a wig and a moustache on it to change the façade.
Netaji’s grandnephew Chandra Bose, however, said that Mahatma Gandhi has the stature of the ‘Father of the Nation’ and he was addressed so by Netaji himself. “In other countries there are three to four iconic figures who appear on notes. While there’s no question of replacing the Mahatma, more icons, including Netaji, could be on the notes of different denominations,” Bose said.
He also said that while Netaji represented all sections of Indians, Mahasabha representatives should refrain from using Netaji as a political tool and commenting on him.