This emerged from documents that form part of 100 secret files, comprising 16,600 pages which were made public by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Netaji’s 119th birth anniversary. They thanked PM Modi for this bold step and said whatever Congress tried to hide from Indian public, was finally revealed by this government.
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The Indian government was reluctant to bring back Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s ashes from a Buddhist temple in Tokyo because it feared a political backlash, says a “top secret” file from the late 1970s declassified on Saturday.
The Government of India has also written to the concerned foreign Governments to declassify all files or papers related to Netaji.
Two government commissions of inquiry launched after his disappearance concluded that Bose had died in a plane crash in Taipei, Taiwan in August 1945 – findings rejected by members of his family.
Paying tributes to Netaji, home minister Rajnath Singh said, “I bow to “Netaji” Subhash Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary today”.
In 1997, the National Archives had received 990 declassified files pertaining to the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) from the Ministry of Defence.
Netaji’s role in Indian freedom struggle was obliterated by historians who took dictation from Nehru. Various groups in India who have campaigned for the release of the Bose files to unravel the mystery of his end have appealed to the Modi government to recognise the Day as Desh Prem Diwas (Love Thy Country Day). Gandhi reportedly also sent a telegram to Bose’s family telling them not to perform his funeral.
“Elated over declassification of files, relatives suggested a committee to study files & inform anxious public abt landmarks of life of Netaji (sic)”, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu posted on Twitter.
Amiya Nath Bose was the son of Sarat Chandra Bose, elder brother of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi with the family members of Netaji at the National Archives, in New Delhi on January 23, 2016. “All, and not just 100 files, should have been declassified to stop the unnecessary rumour mongering”. Who were the leaders from Karnataka who strongly pressurised the Centre to inquire in depth about the mysterious death of Netaji?
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee demanded that Netaji should be declared “Leader of the Nation”.
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A niece of Bose said after the function “we are all very excited and are looking forward to it. I do expect that we will get some indications” regarding Netaji in these files.
