Table of Contents
What’s happening?
- Tokyo’s Renkoji temple gave permission to Indian authorities to conduct DNA tests on ashes said to be those of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,
- According to fresh translation of a letter which refutes claims that the temple was “reticent”,
- Placing doubts on a commission of enquiry’s ruling that the ashes were not Netaji’s’, Madhuri Bose, his grand-niece, said.
Death mystery
- A lot has been written and said about the unfortunate death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
- There have been myriad theories, debates, discussions, movies, and several documentaries about the cause of his death, yet there has so far been no confirmation to any of these theories.
- Netaji had gone missing in 1945 and some of his family members had rejected the report of his death in a plane crash in Taihoku airport in Taiwan on August 18 that year.
- Several reports claimed that Netaji had on August 18, 1945, boarded a plane from Taihoku Airport in Taiwan, which crashed leading to his death.
Japanese govt report
- An investigative report by the Japanese government titled“Investigation on the cause of death and other matters of the late Subhas Chandra Bose” was declassified in 2016.
- It concluded that Bose died in a plane crash in Taiwan on 18 August 1945.
- The report was completed in January 1956 and was handed over to the Indian embassy in Tokyo, but was not made public for more than 60 years as it was classified.
- According to the report, just after takeoff, a propeller blade on the airplane in which Bose was traveling broke off and the engine fell off the plane, which then crashed and burst into flames.
- When Bose exited it his clothes caught fire and he was severely burned.
- He was admitted to hospital, and although he was conscious and able to carry on a conversation for some time he died several hours later.
Indian govt report
- The Centre from time to time had constituted panels — Shah Nawaz Committee in 1956, the Khosla Commission in 1970, and the Mukherjee Commission in 2005 –
- To shed light on the circumstances leading to Netaji’s death or disappearance, but none could render any answer.
- On September 1, 2016, the Narendra Modi government declassified investigative reports of the Japanese government, which concluded that Bose died in a plane crash in Taiwan.
- Reports also suggested that his remains are preserved at Renkoji temple in Tokyo.
- Many, however, continue to believe that Netaji survived the plane crash and lived in hiding.
So what’s the controversy now?
- A new translation of a letter in Japanese written by the chief priest of Tokyo’s Renkoji temple, keeper of an urn containing ashes and bone fragments believed to be those of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,
- To the Indian government in 2005 revealed that permission was given for DNA test to the Justice MK Mukherjee Commission.
- However, for inexplicable reasons this portion of the letter was not translated and a bland edited English version was attached to the Justice Mukherjee Commission’s report on the disappearance of Bose,
- As evidence that “on account of the Temple Authorities reticence… the commission could not proceed further (on the issue of DNA tests)”.
- The Commission later used this to conclude that the ashes were not of Netaji’s, giving credence to speculations that he may have survived to become an ascetic or prisoner in a Russian prison.
Allegations on commission
- Madhuri Bose, the legendary freedom fighter’s grand-niece — the grand-daughter of his brother Sarat Bose, told PTI,
- “We recently commissioned the fresh translation after we found inconsistencies in the Mukherjee Commission report and found several paragraphs in the letter written in Japanese missing from the official English version in the Justice Mukherjee Inquiry Report.”
- “We do not understand why this permission was not made public earlier or why DNA tests were not conducted,” said Madhuri Bose,
- The Mukherjee Commission, which tabled its report in Parliament in 2006, had concluded that Bose “did not die in the plane crash,
- As alleged” by eye-witnesses, including his close confidantes from the INA, and that “the ashes in the Japanese temple were not of Netaji”.
- Eye-witnesses, including Col Habib-Ur-Rahman of the INA, had said Bose died in a plane crash in August 1945 in Taipei.
conclusion
- Three members of the Bose family, including Netaji’s daughter Anita Pfaff, Dwarka Nath Bose and Ardhendu Bose,
- Wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2016 and December 2019, asking him to order a DNA test of the ashes at Renkoji.
- However, Madhuri Bose said no response has yet been received by the family for “a DNA test and final closure” to the mystery of Netaji’s disappearance and the ashes.
Q) From which of the following places did Subhash Chandra Bose issued his famous call, ‘Delhi Chalo’?
- Andaman & Nicobar
- Germany
- Japan
- Singapore