Since 77 years Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s death on 18th August 1945. But yet his remains are not brought back to India. Days before Netaji death anniversary, his daughter Anita Bose Pfaff said that the time had come to bring back his remains to India and suggest that DNA testing can provide answers to those still having doubts about his death.
The Austrian-born economist living in Germany said since her father did not live to experience the joy of freedom, it is time that at least his remains can return to Indian soil.
Netaji is widely believe to have died in a plane crash in Taiwan.
The complete declassification of the Netaji files was an attempt by the government to close the chapter on the mystery surrounding his demise.
On 30th May 2017, in response to a Right to Information application, the Ministry of Home Affairs said :
“After considering the reports of Shah Nawaz Committee, Justice GD Khosla Commission and Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry, the Government has come to the conclusion that Netaji had died in the plane crash on 18.8.1945.”
Where are Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s remains?
Japanese with whom Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was last seen in a detaile investigative report of 1956, which was declassified in 2016, mention that the Indian leader was cremate at Taihoku Prefecture (in present-day Taipei).
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose remains were hand over to his confidante SA Ayar and his articles to Rama Murti of the Tokyo Indian Independence League at the Imperial Headquarters in Tokyo on 8th September 1945.
On 14th September 1945, the remains were place at the Renkoji temple near Tokyo and they rest there until this day.
It was receive by Reverend Kyoei Mochizuki, the priest of the temple, who vow to take care of the ashes until they were taken to India.
Every year since, on Netaji’s death anniversary, a memorial service is held at the temple by its chief priest.
It is attend by prominent Japanese and Indian citizens including officials from the embassy.
According to the declassified Netaji files release by the government in 2016, India has paying for the upkeep of the remains at the Renkoji temple.
Between 1967 and 2005, India paid Rs 52,66,278 to the temple.
How many attempts to bring the remains to India?
It is said that many governments have try to bring back the remains starting with India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru but have not succeed.
The Netaji files show that the Nehru government had, in the early 1950s, taken custody of Bose’s ashes but was reluctant to bring them home because the leader’s family refuse to accept his death.
Then, there were many attempts made by the Japanese government to approach New Delhi but there was no response from the Congress which was in power at the Centre.
In 1979, a Japanese military intelligence officer who had close ties with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA), urge India to take his remains and was assure that the issue would be taken care of in a year or two.
So, Morarji Desai lost the prime minister’s chair and could not keep his promise, as per report.
Why did the Previous Governments Fails?
A year on, during Indira Gandhi’s regime, former Japanese army officers had inform her that Ryoichi Sasagawa, chairman of the Japan Shipbuilding Industry Association, offer to bear all the expenses for taking Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s remains “to his motherland for a permanent repose”, as per the report.
But Indira Gandhi made no efforts to take the matter forward.
The PV Narasimha Rao government’s plan to bring back the ashes from Renkoji to celebrate Netaji’s birth centenary in 1997 was shelve.
Back then his daughter Anita Bose Pfaff had met Pranab Mukherjee, the then external affairs minister, in Germany and she said that she need to consult with the family.
Anita Bose Pfaff had reportedly suggest taking the remains to Germany if Bose’s family and the political parties in India did not reach a consensus.
So, this was not acceptable to both New Delhi and Tokyo.
IK Gujral could do little to pay heed to the plea as he resign a month later.
During his time as prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh exchange letters with his Japanese counterpart Yoshiro Mori, in 2006, regarding the transfer of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s remains to India.
But nothing came out of it.
What has Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s family saying?
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s younger brother Sailesh Bose wrote to Indira Gandhi in 1982 to pass an order not to bring the remains to India as he believe that there is no convincing proof that the remains are genuine.
A similar letter was sent to then PM VP Singh by his nephews, Ashoke Nath Bose, Amiya Nath Bose and Subrata Bose in May 1990.
Most of the Bose family members did not believe that Netaji died in the plane crash.
In 2007, Anita Bose Pfaff wrote to Dr Singh asking how the Indian government intend to be involve in the return of her father’s remains.
Anita Bose Pfaff also wrote to the priest of the Renkoji temple on 16th July 2007, said,
“I would be willing to take charge of my father’s, Subhas Chandra Bose’s, remains after which you and your late father have look in such exemplary fashion for so many years. Let me express my great regard and gratitude to you and your family for your dedication to the task.”
Anita Bose Pfaff also said that she was willing to attempt a DNA test on the father’s remains, which she had earlier deemed unnecessary.
In 2018, s grandnephew and author Ashis Ray said that no government had made an effort to bring back the remains.
In his book, “Laid to Rest: The Controversy over Subhas Chandra Bose’s Death”, he collate the findings of 11 different investigations and conclude that the freedom fighter died in the plane crash in Taipei.
Ashis Roy Said :
“From the Nehru government to the Modi government, every single Indian administration has been convince about the truth but has told to bring the remains to India,” Ray had told PTI in 2018.
What is Present Government’s Doing?
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s daughter has again reiterate that the remains be brought to India, saying that a DNA test should be conduct.
Anita Bose Pfaff Said :
“Modern technology now offers the means for sophisticated DNA testing, provided DNA can be extracted from the remains. To those who still doubt that Netaji died on August 18, 1945, it offers a chance to obtain scientific proof that the remains kept at Renkoji temple in Tokyo are his,”.
“The priest of Renkoji temple and the Japanese government agreed to such a test, as the documents in the annexures of the last governmental Indian investigation into Netaji’s death (the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry) show,”.
Before becoming prime minister, Modi had promise to bring Netaji’s remains back to India if vote to power.
According to reports from May 2015, the PM was in favour of the DNA test of the remains.
Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee had express his readiness in 2000 to bring back the ashes.
