10 Things that Declassified Files Say About Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose

Introduction

The clamour for the finding of the exact details of the life of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was happening since his disappearance. Initially, it was picked up the relatives of this great son of the soil, later by the friends and well wishers who know him quite well. These people did not believe in the official version of the sudden disappearance in late 1945. After a long hue and cry, the demand has finally found the political currency with the decision of West Bengal government to declassify 64 Netaji files in its possession. In this blog, we would be looking at the 10 points that these files come to share with the people.

Points Shared by Declassified Files

1.  On September 18, 2015, the West Bengal government released abut 64 files under its possession. These files were hidden in its lockers for decades. These files could be accessed by anybody from September 21, 2015.
2.  According to the statistics available with the RTI activists, there are about 130 more files available with the Central government.These are kept as classified files to keep them out of public purview. These files are expected to throw some light on the mystery of Netaji’s disappearance in 1945.
3. Subhas Chandra Bose used to be called, "Netaji" by his followers. He was a Congress leader who became its President twice. Netaji quit the Congress before Independence due to his ideological differences with Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi. He later launched an organised military resistance against the British. As a result of his efforts, he could form the Indian National Army.
4. In 1940, Netaji was imprisoned in Kolkata for organizing mass protests. He sat on the hunger strike against his arrest by the British rulers. Hence, he was sent to his home in the city and put him under house arrest.
5. In January 1941, he dramatically escaped from the house arrest despite the vigil by the guards posted around his house. At the time of his escape, he hid his face under the beard. After that, Netaji travelled to Peshawar, from where he further moved to Afghanistan, Russia and reached Germany in the end.
6. Netaji is currently believed to have died due to a plane crash in Taiwan in 1945. It is believed that he had sustained a third degree burn injury due to the crash and died a few days later. Many of his family members did not believe this story.
7. The declassified files reveal that the Netaji’s family members were under the surveillance of the Intelligence Bureau and other security agencies taking the order from the first Prime Minister of the country Jawaharlal Nehru. Hence, this continued till Jawaharlal Nehru’s death.
8. Citing surveillance by the security agencies, the Netajis family members say that Netaji was very much alive even after India’s independence. They further added that the Indian National Congress under Jawaharlal Nehru did not want him back in the country.
9. According to one story, Netaji spent his later years in hiding as a Faizabad-based spiritual leader Gumnam Baba who died in the 1980s. Followers of this baba say that the seer had reading habits of Netaji and he knew a lot of Indian National Army.
10. Some relatives of Netaji allege that the Congress suppressed files on Netaji to shield Jawaharlal Nehru so that he could become Prime Minister of independent India. Hence, the family requested the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to look into their demand for an investigation.