Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Subhash Chandra Bose
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The honorific Father of the Nation is closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi in India. It expresses the idea that Gandhi played a foundational role in inspiring and leading the freedom struggle. A key question of historical trivia is who first used this title for Gandhi in a public message, especially during the intense years of the Second World War. This question tests your knowledge of that moment and the leader who used this affectionate and symbolic form of address.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Subhash Chandra Bose, while leading the Indian National Army and broadcasting from overseas radio stations during the Second World War, is widely credited with addressing Gandhi as Father of the Nation in a message seeking his blessings. In a recorded broadcast in 1944, he used this phrase when speaking to Indians and sending a message to Gandhi. While Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, and Patel all admired Gandhi deeply, this specific first usage in a public message is associated with Bose rather than with them.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that during the Second World War, Subhash Chandra Bose led the Azad Hind government and the Indian National Army from abroad.
Step 2: In one of his radio broadcasts in 1944, he addressed Gandhi and asked for his blessings for the freedom struggle.
Step 3: In that message, Bose used the expression Father of the Nation when referring to Gandhi.
Step 4: Although other leaders showed respect and love for Gandhi, this specific phrase in an early public context is linked with Subhash Chandra Bose.
Step 5: Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Chandra Shekhar Azad, and Sardar Patel do not have a recorded first usage of this exact title in the same way.
Step 6: Therefore, the correct answer is Subhash Chandra Bose.
Verification / Alternative check:
Biographical accounts of Bose and Gandhi, as well as compilations of famous quotations, often mention the 1944 broadcast in which Bose addressed Gandhi as Father of the Nation. They quote his appeal for Gandhi blessings on the Indian National Army cause. Although the title has since become widely used in India, this origin story is consistently repeated in exam oriented reference materials. Other options in the list may have paid tributes to Gandhi in different terms, but they are not credited with introducing this specific phrase in a notable public message.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Jawaharlal Nehru: He was a close colleague of Gandhi and later the first Prime Minister of India, but there is no well known broadcast or first usage of Father of the Nation attributed to him.
Sarojini Naidu: She often praised Gandhi in speeches and poems, yet the specific phrase in a historically noted first usage is linked to Bose rather than to her.
Chandra Shekhar Azad: He belonged to an earlier generation of revolutionaries and died in 1931, before the widely documented 1944 broadcast by Bose.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: He was a key Congress leader and admirer of Gandhi but is not recorded as using this title first in the way described.
Common Pitfalls:
Because Nehru and Patel had very close relationships with Gandhi, some students guess their names based on familiarity rather than on evidence. Others may not remember the details of Bose overseas activities and radio messages. To avoid such confusion, associate the phrase Father of the Nation with Bose 1944 broadcast, in which he specifically addressed Gandhi in this way while leading the Indian National Army.
Final Answer:
The freedom fighter who first addressed Mahatma Gandhi as the Father of the Nation in a famous public message was Subhash Chandra Bose.
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