Even during the post-Independence Nehru era, both Savarkar, the prophet of India’s armed revolution, and Subhas Bose who had carried it to its logical end, had fallen from official grace and were deprived of their due, their contributions being overshadowed by an euphoria of Gandhian ahimsa propagated by the Congress. Secret meetings of these two great revolutionaries, particularly the one of June 22, 1940, had remained a hush-hush affair. Referring to that, Savarkar’s biographer Dhananjay Keer wrote, “In the course of discussion, Savarkar, the Indian Mazzini, inspired Subhas Bose, the Indian Garibaldi, with the idea of an armed revolution from outside in order to intensify the struggle for freedom.”

Only in 1952 when Savarkar dissolved his revolutionary organisation, Abhinav Bharat Society in a meeting, Bose’s portrait was reverentially put on the chair of the chief guest; and there in his speech, Savarkar revealed the details of his meeting with Bose on that fateful day. Savarkar’s narration was on following lines.

“I asked Subhasbabu the main question, tell me one thing; in the current  World War, what is a person like you doing in India and leading petty movements like bringing down the statues in Calcutta and getting arrested and going to prison?”

That was relating to Subhas Bose agitating for removal of the Holwell monument in Calcutta, a symbol of alleged savagery of Sirajuddwala, the erstwhile Nawab of Bengal in a bid to woo Muslims. If a spirited leader like him courts imprisonment, said an anguished Savarkar, then that was exactly what the Government desired. Savarkar reminded of their secret meeting when Bose was the Congress president. “With the same confidence, I wish to make a sincere request to you. When I am propagating militarisation, you had been opposing it just like moderate Congress leaders who believe that I am providing manpower to the British. But the fact is I am insisting on Hindus being recruited in the army so that in future these warfare-trained men can revolt against the British and start an armed revolution to gain freedom from the British Rule. During the First World War, we revolutionaries had reached an understanding with Germany against the British,” Savarkar told Bose about all the efforts they had taken during the First World War.

Then, Savarkar produced a secret letter of Rash Behari Bose from Japan brought to him by Buddhist monks. From the letter, it was evident that Japan was going to blow the war horns within a year. “If that happens, we would get the golden opportunity to attack the British from outside with the help of the German and Japanese weapons and thousands of trained Indian soldiers,” suggested Savarkar. It would be unfortunate if at such a crucial hour a brilliant leader like him courts arrest. “You too must escape like Rash Behari and other revolutionaries and openly accept leadership of the Indian army against the British. As soon as Japan enters war, with whatever possible means either through the Bay of Bengal or through Burma, attack the British rule in India from the outside,” suggested the master strategist. Of the very few Indians capable of such bravery, it is you alone upon whom I have very high hopes,” exhorted Savarkar.

Six months later, Netaji fled India dramatically and went ahead with the plans chalked out. He took charge of the Indian Independence League (later INA) founded by Rash Behari, who kept secretly corresponding with Savarkar.

To Savarkar’s delight and surprise of others, on the June 25, 1944, Netaji’s voice was heard from Singapore Radio, “When due to misguided political whims and lack of vision, all the leaders of the Congress party decried the soldiers in the Indian Army as mercenaries, it is heartening to know that Veer Savarkar fearlessly exhorting the youth of India to enlist in the Armed Forces. These enlisted youth themselves provide us with trained men from which we draw the soldiers of our Indian National Army.”