Mantolives thought this post was "enlightening". So I’ve decided put it "on-display".

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What’s ideal? If you put 2 people here you’ll have 2 ideals. It’s all raajneeti. Politics. Chess.

Since you’re so fascinated by history let’s go back to circa ’38 when Bose was at his peak. He and Gandhi were 2 people having 2 distinct ideals. When he nominated himself for Congress presidency, Gandhi asked Nehru to step aside. He knew that there’s no way Nehru’s going to win. He nominated his own candidate;Pattabi Sitaramaiah. A nobody; a mere pawn against all the pieces Bose had on the board.

What followed after the election is a game of some real chess. Gandhi believed in his Truth and proceeded to achieve just that. It took 2 yrs and some shrewd politics but he ultimately forced Bose to resign. He avoided the split in the party, conquered it in whole, and steered it towards what he believed is correct.

Bose, like Jinnah, was also an idealist. He also believed in his Truth. He was a gentleman too. So what..

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And guess who became president after Bose stepped down? Pattabi Sitaramiah of course. Unanimously elected to finish Bose’s term and relected the following year.

Sweet victory, eh? I can almost see Bapu’s toothless grin.