HYDERABAD: Although successive governments in India have refused to categorically assert that Netaji had survived the alleged air crash in Taipei, there is enough in the files declassified by the Modi government on Tuesday to point out that he lived beyond 1945.
The files refer to the three broadcasts made by Netaji after he died. The first broadcast was on 26 December, 1945 where Subhas Bose said: “I am at present under the shelter of great world powers. My heart is burning for India. I will go to India on the crest of a third world war. It may come in ten years or even earlier. Then I will sit on judgment upon those trying my men at Red Fort.“
Netaji's second broadcast on 1 January , 1946 said: “We must get freedom within two years. The British imperialism has broken down and it must concede Independence to India. India will not be free by means of `nonviolence'.But I am quite respectful to Mahatma Gandhi.“
The third broadcast was in February 1946. Netaji said: “This is Subhas Chandra Bose speaking, Jai Hind.This is the third time I am addressing my Indian brothers and sisters after Japan's surrender... The PM of England is going to send Mr Pethick Lawrence and two other members from England with no object in view other than let the British Imperialism a permanent settlement by all means to suck the blood of India.“
The content of the broadcasts are contained in File No 87011p1692Pol from the Prime Minister's Office. The contents presumably came from the Governor House in Bengal because it is mentioned elsewhere in the same file that PC Kar, an official in the Governor's House in Bengal when R G Casey was Governor, claimed that the monitoring service there had picked up the broadcasts of Nehru on 31 metre band. A note was placed before Mr Casey .
The file also refers to a letter (whose photocopy is attached) on 22 July , 1946 from Khurshed Naoroji, one of the secretaries of Gandhiji, to Louis Fischer (in reply to his letter to the Mahatma) where it remarks: “At heart the Indian Army is sympathetic to the INA. If Bose comes with the help of Russia, neither Gandhiji nor Nehru nor the Congress will be able to reason with the country .“
The file also refers to the matter of Netaji allegedly dying in an air crash taken up by the British government on 25 October, 1945 with the PM of UK chairing the meet to consider among other things, what to do with Bose in the post War situation. The British cabinet also discussed a confidential note sent by the Viceroy of India Lord Wavell regarding the `finalisation of a policy towards Bose'.
The file also mentions that Lord Mountbatten's diary indicates that he received a despatch from the British directorate of military intelligence after the news of Bose's death in the air crash was broadcast. Mountbatten was then the supreme commander of the Allied forces in SE Asia. The message said: “When Bose was preparing to leave Burma by plane, the Chinese intercepted a message from the Japanese asking him to remain in Burma. Bose subsequently escaped to Thailand.“
The file also mentions that the case in support of Netaji's death consequent to an air crash is based entirely on the evidence provided by Col Habibur Rahman and Japanese doctor T Yoshimi. Rahman was interro gated twice but his state ments showed contra dictions.“It appears that Habibur Rahman is not willing to come out with the truth,“ said one interrogation report.The other said: “His statement is unsatisfactory.There are multitude of discrepancies.“
The PMO file also contains a dispatch from the news agency Interpress which avers that in 1945 when chaos was prevailing across China, Bose could have easily entered into the Soviet border in exchange for the immense gold kept with him and left for Moscow in a special plane to keep himself underground.
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