Center to Declassify Netaji Files in January

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the government would start declassifying files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from Jan. 23, his birth anniversary.

Modi said this in a series of tweets after meeting members of Bose's extended family at his residence here. The prime minister said the government would also request foreign governments to declassify their files on Bose, whose reported death in a plane crash in 1945 in present-day Taiwan is widely disputed.


Modi said he will begin the process involving other countries with Russia in December when he visits Moscow. Bose, a leading light of India's freedom movement, was said to be fleeing to Russia when his plane reportedly crashed and caught fire.

This version has been challenged for decades by innumerable Bose followers who have held varying versions of what happened to him after 1945.

Bose's family members met Modi on Wednesday in the light of the West Bengal government's declassification of official files related to the last days of Bose, founder of the Indian National Army.

"It was a privilege to welcome family members of Subhas Babu to 7RCR. We had a remarkable and extensive interaction," Modi said.

"I told Subhas Babu's family members – please consider me a part of your family. They shared their valuable suggestions with me," he added.

Modi said: "There is no need to strangle history. Nations that forget their history lack the power to create it."

The prime minister had said in September that he would meet over 50 members of Bose's extended family living in India and abroad.


Center to Declassify Netaji Files in January - India West: India

 

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Netaji Bose files with Centre will go beyond Nehru

The meeting between the family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday resulted in a fruitful decision regarding the de-classification of files. Modi assured on Wednesday that from January onwards the files relating to Netaji Bose would be de-classified. Anuj Dhar a leading researcher on Netaji Bose whose book, "What happened to Netaji" will be released today, was also present during the meeting on Wednesday with the Prime Minister.

Dhar in this interview with OneIndia says that the de-classification of the files by the Centre is a great decision and even if proven that Netaji was alive for one day after August 18, 1945, the Congress Party's goose will be cooked.

How was the meeting with the Prime Minister yesterday?
It was good and very fruitful. The PM made it clear that the files will be de-classified from January onwards. After the meeting the Home Minister, Rajnath Singh too gave us an assurance in private that he will personally look into it. To sum it up, it was a fruitful meeting and it is for the first time that any Prime Minister has spoken on these lines. The PM was very measured in his statements and to the point. He was completely at home with all of us and seemed happy about the meeting.

What was the exact assurance given by the PM?
He said all relevant files will be de-classified. I do not know what that exactly means, but we are hopeful that the important files will be de-classified thus putting an end to the mystery.

What about the files in Russia?
The PM said that when he meets with Russian President, Vladimir Putin in December he will take up this issue. There are files in Russia as well and I say that government of India is aware of that.

Are you hopeful that all documents will be released?
Yes we are hopeful. In fact we see it as a good sign because when we were speaking it began to rain. That is a good sign.

Will the mystery relating to Netaji Bose will solved?
Out stand is that we want each and every file to be de-classified. If all the documents are released and not a single one hidden, it will resolve the mystery relating to Netaji. Once the files are released and it is proven that Netaji was alive for even a day after August 18 1945, the Congress party's goose will be cooked. The Congress has always lied about Netaji and hence we have been demanding that the files be de-classified.

Do you see a change in stance by the government on the de-classification considering that some RTI applications relating to the issue had been rejected earlier?
The Prime Minister did speak with us about the hurdles on this issue. He told us clearly de-classifying the files were always his stand. Moreover during the meeting I also got the impression that this decision by the Prime Minister was not a result of the decision taken by Mamta Banerjee, West Bengal Chief Minister who recently de-classified the Netaji files. The PM made it clear that during his earlier meeting itself with the Bose family members, he had decided that the files would be de-classified.

You are getting support from the NRI's too. Is that true?
Yes we are getting a lot of support from the NRI's as well. People are keen to know about Netaji. I have been to Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Kingdom as part of the Netaji Mission. I am in fact on my way to the United States of America to address the NRI's on the same issue.

Back to the issue of de-classification, will the files with the centre have anything concrete or will be those ifs and buts files we got to see in West Bengal?
The Centre's files will give a clear picture. Many people other Nehru will take a hit including those who are alive and are holding high positions. The Centre has clear cut documents to prove that Netaji was alive after August 18 1945.

Are any of the documents destroyed?
I know when Atal Vajpayee was the Prime Minister was the PM all the files were intact. After that if the Congress destroyed files, I do not know. However I think if the Congress government wanted to destroy files then it would have been done long back.

Netaji Bose files with Centre will go beyond Nehru - Oneindia