India declassifies files on late freedom fighter Bose

Noted US historian Leonard A. Gordon, who penned the book, Brothers Against the Raj: A Biography of Indian Nationalist Leaders Sarat and Subhas Chandra Bose, said in Kolkata,”Files should have been opened much earlier”. Netaji’s role in Indian freedom struggle was obliterated by historians who took dictation from Nehru.

A former Congress president and once a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Bose’s reported death in a plane crash in Formosa, now Taiwan, on August 18, 1945 has not found acceptance among many members of his extended family, political organisations, researchers, social activists and the leader’s countless fans.

A PMO release said that the files will be placed in the public domain after their conservation treatment and digitisation. “BJP expresses its gratitude for this historic decision of the government”, he said, adding that with these files made public, a number of mystries relating to Netaji’s life will be unravelled. “The files could have been declassified two-three weeks back”.

In addition to the 100 files, the NAI plans to release digital copies of a set of 25 declassified files on Bose in the public domain every month.

The Mamata Banerjee government on September 18, 2015 had released 64 files running into 12,744 pages in the presence of Netaji’s family members, campaigning for declassification of the files to unravel the mystery surrounding his sudden disappearance over 70 years ago.

According to the document, while the home ministry offered three options to the government, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) said it was not advisable to bring the ashes at that stage as there was no such demand from any section of people. On the other hand, what we are doing here is to construct a society where there are inequities which Netaji was the first to see, analyse, investigate, condemn and want to change…

“All files should be made public simultaneously”.

“The people deserve to know the truth”, Banerjee said, demanding Netaji be given the title “Leader of the Nation”. “You might send it to Shri Gunadevia and ask him to convey it to Frau Schenkl, wife of Subhas Chandra Bose”.

Naidu said “today a historic day with PM Modi releasing 100 digital files relating to Netaji Bose”. We do not wish to enter into any discussion or debate but we must also respect the sentiments of Netaji’s daughter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday visited the National Archives at a function attended by Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (I/C) for Culture & Tourism, Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Urban Development and the family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Declassification of Netaji files starts today.