India declassifies files on death of independence leader

Ending decades of wait, the Indian government on Saturday declassified the first set of 100 files on revolutionary leader Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose whereabouts after a reported air crash continues to be a mystery even after 70 years. They thanked PM Modi for this bold step and said whatever Congress tried to hide from Indian public, was finally revealed by this government.

The NAI plans release electronic copies of 25 documents within the public-domain on Bose each month.

The IB was also apprehensive about the reaction of the people of West Bengal, saying that they may view this as an attempt by the government to impose upon them the official view that Netaji had died in a plane crash on August 18, 1945 in Taihoku in Taiwan (then Formosa).

The files, digitised and given “preliminary conservation treatment” by the National Archives of India, will be released on the birth anniversary of Bose. “But I do not think it would have any profound influence on Netaji’s vision”, Sen said while speaking at Bose’s 119th birth anniversary celebrations at the Netaji Bhawan here.

According to widespread belief, the declassification of he files could throw light on Bose’s disappearance in August 1945.

In its reply, the MEA had said that the government of India accepted that the ashes in the temple were those of Netaji.

He also spoke to the members of the Bose family.

Many secrets have come out with the de-classifications of the files on Saturday, Jan 23. “His bravery & patriotism endears him to several Indians across generations”, he said in a post on Twitter.

Among those present were the kin of Netaji, besides Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu and Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and BJP veteran L K Advani. Earlier in the morning, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hoisted the National Flag and garlanded the statue of Netaji at the museum.

“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.

The AAP leaders said the letter that has surreptitiously been circulating on the internet was a part of a conspiracy in which few people were trying to portray one leader as greater than the other. One reason why the Bose files became so secretive was the claim made by the All India Forward Bloc, the party Bose formed after leaving the Congress, that he was alive and would return to public life at an opportune time.