India in 1953 agreed to share with Pakistan the funds of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) and Indian Independence League (IIL), according to declassified files released on Tuesday.
This was revealed in a note which was enclosed with a letter, dated October 18, 1953, from former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the then West Bengal Chief Minister B.C. Roy.
Nehru was responding to a resolution passed by the West Bengal Legislature requesting the Centre to take steps to investigate the “funds left by Netaji and his Azad Hind government.”
The note read: “Soon after the termination of the last war in the Far East, some quantity of gold, jewellery and other valuables was seized from the officials and others connected with the INA and IIL in the south east Asian countries.”
These assets, it added, were “held in Singapore by the Custodian of Property” and, according to the information furnished by the Singapore government in 1950, were valued at Straits dollars (the currency of settlements of Britain on the Strait of Malacca) 1,47,163.
Assessment difficultHowever, it was difficult to assess the exact value of the assets due to revaluation, according to the note.
“There were protracted negotiations with Pakistan as she claimed a part of these assets. In the end, it was agreed that the assets should be divided between India and Pakistan in the ratio of 2:1,” the note read.
However, the matter related to release of funds would have had to go before the Legislative Council as the Custodian of Enemy Property had no right to hand over any amount to any person or body, it said. — PTI
