This was the year 1934. Subhash Chandra Bose was in Vienna, the capital of Austria at that time. By that time he was being recognized as a Congress warrior.
The health of Subhash Chandra Bose, who was in jail during the Civil Disobedience Movement, started deteriorating in February 1932. After this, the British government agreed to send him to Europe for treatment, although his family had to bear the expenses of the treatment.
After getting treatment in Vienna, he decided that he would unite the Indian students living in Europe for the fight for freedom. During this time, a European publisher assigned him the task of writing the book ‘The Indian Struggle’, after which he felt the need of a colleague who knew English as well as typing.
Bose’s friend Dr. Mathur gave him the reference of two people. Bose called a better candidate on the basis of information received about both of them, but during the interview he was not satisfied with him. Then another candidate was called.
This was the second candidate, 23 year old Emily Schenkel. Bose gave a job to this beautiful Austrian girl. Emily started working with Subhash Chandra Bose from June 1934.
In 1934, Subhash Chandra Bose was 37 years old and before this meeting, his entire focus was on liberating his country from the British. But Subhash Chandra Bose had no idea that Emily had brought a new storm in his life.
Storm of love in Subhash’s life
Sugata Bose, grandson of Subhash Chandra Bose ‘s elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose, has written the book ‘His Majesty’s Opponent – Subhash Chandra Bose and India’s Struggle Against Empire’ on the life of Subhash Chandra Bose. In this he has written that after meeting Emily, there was a dramatic change in Subhash’s life.
According to Sugata Bose, before this Subhash Chandra Bose had received many offers of love and marriage, but he did not take interest in any of them. But Emily’s beauty seemed to cast a spell on Subhash.
Sugata Bose has written in his book quoting Emily, “The initiative of love came from Subhash Chandra Bose and gradually our relationship became romantic. During our stay in Austria and Czechoslovakia between mid-1934 and March 1936.” Our relations became cordial.”
Born on January 26, 1910, in an Austrian Catholic family, Emily’s father did not like that his daughter should work for an Indian, but when he met Subhash Chandra Bose, he could not help but be impressed by his personality.
Renowned academic scholar Rudranshu Mukherjee has written a book comparatively presenting the lives of Subhash Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru – Nehru and Bose, Parallel Lives.
Love letter written by Subhash
This book published by Penguin India has a chapter, ‘Two Women and Two Books’. In this, the role of the wives of Bose and Nehru in their lives has been underlined.
Mukherjee has written in it, “Subhash and Emily had accepted from the very beginning that their relationship was going to be very different and difficult. This is evident from the address that both of them use for each other in the letters they write to each other. Apparently. Emily calls him Mr. Bose, while Bose calls him Miss Schenkel or Pearl Schenkel.”
It is true that due to the compulsion of keeping his identity hidden and running around to seek help from European countries in the military conflict, Subhash would have been extra cautious about his love relationship. But what kind of feelings he had towards Emily can be understood from that letter, which you can call a love letter written by Subhash Chandra Bose.
This personal letter was initially not included in the collection of letters written by Subhash Chandra Bose to Emily. Emily herself handed over this letter to Krishna Bose, wife of Sharat Chandra Bose’s son Sishir Kumar Bose. This letter written on March 5, 1936 begins like this.
“My darling, when the time comes, even the iceberg melts, this is the feeling inside me right now. I can’t stop myself from writing something to tell you how much I love you. As we love each other They say, my darling, you are the queen of my heart. But do you love me?”
In this, Bose further wrote, “I don’t know what will happen in the future. I may have to spend my whole life in jail, I may be shot or I may be hanged. I may never be able to see you, I may never be able to write letters – but trust me, you will always be in my heart, in my thoughts and in my dreams. If we don’t meet in this life, I will be with you in the next.”
Promise of love to soul
At the end of this letter, Subhash has written that “I love the woman inside you, I love your soul, you are the first woman I loved.” At the end of the letter, Subhash had also requested to destroy this letter, but Emily kept this letter safely.
Obviously Subhash Chandra Bose was completely in love with Emily. Regarding this, Subhash Chandra Bose’s close friend and political associate ACN Nambiar had told Sugata Bose, “Subhash was a person with ideas. His focus was only on getting freedom for India. If we talk about deviation, then only one occasion came when He fell in love with Emily. He loved her very much, his love was like drowning.”
The state of mind of Subhash at that time is evident from a letter he sent to Emily in April or May 1937, written in capital letters.
He had written, “I have been thinking of writing to you for the last few days. But you can understand how difficult it was for me to write about my feelings about you. I just want to tell you that I am the same as I was before. Still am.”
“Not a single day has passed when I haven’t thought about you. You are always with me. I can’t even think about anyone else. I can’t even tell you how sad I have been during these months , felt alone. Only one thing can keep me happy, but I don’t know if it will be possible. Still day and night I am thinking about it and praying for you to show me the right path.”
The marriage that was not known
Due to the confusion expressed in these letters, when both of them met next time, Subhash and Emily got married. Regarding where this marriage took place, Emily told Krishna Bose that on December 26, 1937, on her 27th birthday, this marriage took place in Badgstein, Austria, which used to be a favorite resort of both of them.
However, both of them decided to keep their marriage secret. According to Krishna Bose, Emily did not share any other information except telling the wedding day. Yes, Anita Bose definitely told her that her mother had told that on the occasion of her marriage, she had applied vermilion on her forehead like a common Indian bride.
This marriage was so secret that during his stay in Badagastan, his nephew Amiya Bose also came to meet him, but he considered Emily merely as his uncle’s assistant.
Regarding the possible reasons for keeping this marriage secret, Rudranshu Mukherjee has written that it would have been very possible that Subhash would not have wanted to let it affect his political career. His image could have been affected when it came to marriage with a foreign woman.
This apprehension of Rudranshu should also be seen in the context that in 1938, Subhash Chandra Bose was elected President of Congress. Nirad C. Choudhury, a noted English writer and secretary of Sarat Chandra Bose, wrote in his 1989 book, Right Hand Great Arnak: India 1921-1951, “This was a part of his personal life. But when I got the information, I was shocked.” .”
However, Krishna Bose, a three-time MP and wife of Sharat Chandra Bose’s son Shishir Kumar Bose, has written ‘A True Love Story – Emily and Subhash’ on the love story of Subhash and Emily, in which the love relationship between Subhash and Shankle is written. Interesting details are available.
Subhash Chandra Bose also used to fondly call Emily as Tigress. However, there are also examples of the fact that Emily was nowhere near Subhash in terms of intellect and Subhash used to express this from time to time.
Subhash-Shenkel’s sign
According to Krishna Bose, Subhash wanted Emily to start writing reports from Vienna for some of the then Indian newspapers and magazines. On Subhash’s request, Emily had written some articles for The Hindu and Modern Review, but she was not comfortable in analyzing the news. Subhash used to tell her many times, “Your article was not good, it has not been published. “
Its glimpse can be seen at another place. In a letter dated August 12, 1937, Subhash writes to Emily, “You have ordered some books about India, but I do not think there is any point in giving these books to you. The books you have also You haven’t read.”
“You will not be interested in reading unless you are serious. You have accumulated books on so many subjects in Vienna, but I know you have not gone through them all.”
Despite this, the reality is that Subhash Chandra Bose and Emily loved each other immensely. Between 1934 and 1945, both of them were together for only 12 years and in this too they were able to live together for less than three years.
lived together for only three years
As a sign of their love, a daughter was born on November 29, 1942, who was named Anita. In honor of Anita Garibaldi, the Brazilian-born wife of Italian revolutionary leader Garibaldi.
Anita had participated in many wars with her husband and was known as a brave fighter.
Subhash reaches Vienna in December 1942 to see his daughter and after this he gives information about his wife and daughter in a letter written in Bengali to his brother Sarat Chandra Bose. After this, Subhash leaves on that mission, from where he never returns to Emily and Anita.
But Emily lived with the memories of Subhash Chandra Bose till 1996 and while working in a small telegraph house, she raised her daughter Anita Bose, the last symbol of Subhash Chandra Bose, who became a famous economist of Germany.
In this difficult journey, he refused to take any help from Subhash Chandra Bose’s family. Not only this, Subhash Chandra Bose also completely maintained the dignity of secrecy with which he did not let the world know about his relationship.
