Correct Option
Subhash Chandra Bose regarded the outbreak of World War II (1939-1945) as a propitious moment for India to achieve independence from British rule. He advocated for exploiting Britain's wartime vulnerabilities through armed struggle. Bose viewed the war as an imperialist conflict, where both Allied and Axis powers sought to maintain or expand their colonial interests. Consequently, he opposed Indian support for the British war effort and instead called for immediate mass action. In 1941, he escaped from India, seeking assistance from Germany and later Japan, eventually forming the Indian National Army (INA) to launch a military campaign against the British.
Incorrect Options
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(a) C. Rajagopalachari: He generally pursued a path of constitutional negotiations and political dialogue with the British for India's independence, rather than advocating for armed resistance or exploiting the war situation through external alliances.
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(b) M.A. Jinnah: M.A. Jinnah and the Muslim League primarily focused on the demand for a separate Muslim state (Pakistan) during this period. His strategy did not involve leveraging the war as an opportunity for immediate Indian independence through armed struggle against the British.
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(d) Jawaharlal Nehru: While critical of both Nazi aggression and British imperialism, Jawaharlal Nehru initially condemned the war as an imperialist conflict. However, he later adopted a stance of conditional support for the Allied war effort, provided India was granted genuine independence. His approach did not align with seeking external military aid to overthrow British rule during the war.