Netaji Subhash Chanda Bose’s Resignation Letter From Indian Civil Service Goes Viral; Netizens Call Him Courageous

The letter started doing rounds of Twitter after Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan  shared its copy sourced from National Archives India.

New Delhi: As the nation on Sunday paid homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, the facsimile copy of his resignation letter from the Indian Civil Service (ICS) went viral on social media. Letter dated April 22, 1921, was written by Bose when he was 24-year-old. It is addressed to Edwin Montagu, the secretary of state at the time. In the letter, Netaji is asking Montag to remove his name from the list of probationers in the Indian Civil Service and says that once his resignation is accepted, he will return the allowance of 100 pounds to the India Office.

“I desire to have my name removed from the list of probationers in the Indian Civil Service…I have received an allowance of one hundred pounds up till now, I shall remit the amount to the India Office as soon as my resignation is accepted,” Bose wrote in the latter. According to Historian Leonard A Gordon’s book Brothers Against the Raj: A Biography of Indian Nationalists Sarat and Subhas Chandra Bose, Netaji was placed fourth in the competitive ICS examination held in August 1920.

The letter started doing rounds of Twitter after Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Parveen Kaswan shared its copy sourced from National Archives India. Tweeting the letter, Kaswan wrote, “On April 22, 1921 Subhash Bose resigned from Indian Civil Service to participate in Freedom struggle. For a greater cause”

On April 22, 1921 Subhash #Bose resigned from Indian Civil Service to participate in Freedom struggle. For a greater cause.

He was 24 years old then. His original resignation letter from service. Tribute on his birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/Sm9oQ9NIy7

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) January 23, 2022

The letter has since then retweeted over 1.5 thousand times and been liked by over 7.9 thousand users. Replying to the tweet, one netizen wrote “Only the courageous, selfless and spirited soul like Subhas Bose could take up such decision for a greater cause – to free his motherland from British rule.”

Only the courageous,selfless and spirited soul like #Subhas Bose could take up such decision for a greater cause – to free his motherland from British rule.

— Shubhendu (@shubhendu1975) January 23, 2022

Another user commented, “No victory without sacrifice they said, well said.”

No victory without sacrifice they said, well said. https://t.co/mjEwWV5BX8

— shubham jangid (@Jangid_XD) January 23, 2022

A fire when it gets ignite to form #INA #IndianNationalArmy . A mass salute #NetajiSubhashChandraBose https://t.co/N088TjLL8G

— Sathish Kumar (@SathishVrocker) January 23, 2022

After leaving the civil services in April 1921, Bose joined the freedom movement against British colonialism. He founded the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) in 1942.