Subhas Chandra Bose’s Political Agenda – Is it Relevant for India Today?

A talk by Prof. Anita Bose Pfaff

Subhas Chandra Bose is regarded as one of the most outstanding figures in India's struggle for independence. While his resistance to British colonialism makes him a hero to many Indians, his World War II alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan make his legacy controversial. Today, the Hindu right celebrates his willingness to resort to violence and is attempting to claim his political heritage for their own idea of a nationalist Hindu state. Who was the man whose life and death are the subject of many myths and conspiracy theories?

Anita B. Pfaff, Bose's daughter, will discuss the relevance of her father's political agenda and the mystification surrounding him. She will explain why people cannot accept the death, marriage and family of a national hero and the appropriation of his persona by the Hindu right.

Prof. Anita Bose Pfaff is the daughter of the famous Indian freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose and his wife Emilie Schenkl. She holds a doctorate in law from the the University of Vienna. In 1971 she moved to Germany and became Extraordinaria in Economics at the University of Augsburg. Her research focuses on social policy, public health and health economics. Anita has served on various scientific boards and policy advisory councils.

Date: Monday, 10 June, 2024

Time: 14:00 - 16:00, CET

Location: CATS, Builidung 4130, Great Lecture Hall, 010.01.05

in Voßstr. 2, 69115 Heidelberg