As Prime Minister Narendara Modi kicked off the declassification drive of the documents related to Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, the two estranged factions of his family welcomed the move even as they maintained their differences over the details of his death.
A prominent freedom fighter who founded Indian National Army during the World War II to fight and eject the British colonialism in the sub continent, Mr.Bose’s end is shrouded in mystery. So far, the official narrative is that he died in a plane crash on 18 August 1945 as he was travelling between then Japan controlled territories of Taiwan and Manchukuo.
While Mr.Bose’s daughter, Anita Bose Pfaff, accepted the government’s narrative, several other family members—a section of Mr.Bose’s grandnephews and grandnieces—rejected it, saying the truth about the death has been “suppressed.”
Speaking to The Hindu Chandra Kumar Bose, one of Mr.Bose’s grandnephews, said that the declassification of Mr.Bose’s files is a positive move as it opens several windows to find out whether Mr.Bose had truly died in a plane crash. “Instead of suppressing the truth, which previous Congress led governments did for seventy years, it’s good to have some transparency,” said Mr.Chandra, appreciating Prime Minister Modi for taking a “courageous step” and disclosing the files in public.
The doubts of those family members who smell conspiracy behind what they view as Mr.Bose’s “disappearance” were strengthen when Justice M.K. Mukherjee led Comission set up in the NDA-I concluded that the ashes in Renkoji Temple in Japan were not those of Mr.Bose but of a Taiwanese army man named Ichiro Okura—who, as per the report, had died of heart attack.
Though Justice Mukherjee refused to comment upon the latest development, he said—”I stand by my report.”
Meanwhile, Sugata Bose, another grand nephew of Mr.Bose’s, who’s also a historian at Harvard University, said that Prime Minister Modi should reach out to his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe. “The Japanese have repeatedly said that that unfortunately one of their military bombers crashed resulting in the death of one of their senior generals. Netaji, who was accompanying him also died like a martyr,” said Mr. Sugata, who’s authored a book named His Majesty’s Opponent- Subhas Chandra Bose and India's Struggle against Empire.
Mr.Sugata and his family stayed in Kolkata to observe the birth anniversary of Mr.Bose and did not visit Delhi for the declassification. Mr.Sugata told The Hindu that Mr Modi should reveal what he discussed with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Netaji's disappearance during his visit to Moscow in December 2015.
