Whatever the controversies, it’s time to bring Netaji’s ashes back

January 23 this year marks the 123rd birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, one of the most iconic figures of the freedom struggle, indeed of modern Indian history. He continues to inspire generations of Indians even 75 years after his death in a controversial plane crash. The fact of his death is well established, but the controversy is kept alive by many vested interests, both political parties and individuals exploiting the lack of historical awareness among the new generation for their selfish goals.

Subhas Chandra Bose was the supreme leader of the Indian National Army (INA). But how many people today know that he was not its founder. Though Netaji made the INA a formidable fighting force and rechristened it as Azad Hind Fauz, the INA was founded by General Mohan Singh, a prisoner of war (POW) with the Japanese, who created the INA and invited Subhas Chandra Bose to take over its leadership. This is corroborated by Japanese General Iwaichi Fujiwara, who received Bose at Singapore on August 26, 1945: “The young, dashing Mohan Singh was the founder and creator of the INA — a primary factor that prompted Netaji to risk a submarine voyage to S.E. Asia from Germany at the height of the Second World War must have been the news of the birth of the INA, spurred by ardent entreaties of General Mohan Singh and of other leaders of the INA.”

In his memoirs, Soldiers’ Contribution to Indian Independence, General Mohan Singh, based on his talks with Japanese officers and the many associates of Subhas Chandras Bose in the INA, has given a factual account of Netaji’s plane crash. According to the author, the ill-fated plane took off at17:15 hours on August 17, 1945 from Saigon aerodrome. The aircraft was a heavy bomber (model 97-2-Sally) belonging to the Japan Air Force. The plane appeared to be overloaded and, therefore, when it landed at a place called Tourane (Indo-China), it unloaded about 600 kg of load which included 12 machine guns and some ammunition. Along with his aide Col. Habib-ur-Rehman, Bose had an overnight stay at Morim Hotel and next morning on August 18, 1945, the plane took off for Taipei where it reached in less than three hours. After a fuel halt and lunch, the aircraft took off from Taipei.

Besides Subhas Chandra Bose and Colonel Habib-ur-Rehman, there were 11 more members, including a crew of five whose names and designations are on record. The passengers included Lt. Gen. Shidei, Chief of Staff of the Burmese Army and five staff officers of the Japanese Army and Air Force.

The plane, despite shedding 600 kg of load, was still overloaded (as any inquiry later revealed) and had hardly gone up a few hundred feet that there was a loud explosion, the plane tilted to the left, crashed on the ground and caught fire. The exit of the plane was completely blocked by the luggage. Netaji’s cotton uniform caught fire and Col. Habib-ur-Rehman, despite his hands being badly burnt, tried to extinguish the fire on his leader’s clothes. The injured, including Netaji, came out from the front and lay on the ground outside till the arrival of an emergency ambulance, which did not take long.

A few minutes later all injured persons were moved to Nanmen Army Hospital, Taipei. The Japanese doctors did their best to save Netaji’s life but he succumbed to his injuries at 8 pm. Before he breathed his last, according to Tuichi Nakamura, his Japanese interpreter, the last words of Netaji were: “My men are following me and they should be taken care of when they came to Formosa — my blood is rushing to the head — I want to sleep.”

Lt. Gen. Shidei and Maj. Takiwaza, a staff officer, were killed instantly in the plane. Subhas Chandra Bose, Pilot Aoygi and two others died in the hospital. There were seven survivors whose names and photographs are prominently displayed at the INA memorial in Imphal.

Habib-ur-Rehman requested the Japanese to fly Netaji’s body to Singapore or to Tokyo. But there were practical, logistical difficulties. Habib, therefore, had no option but to agree to cremate Netaji in Taipei on August 20, 1945. It was only a fortnight later that a plane was made available to Habib who carried his leader’s ashes to Tokyo, where, after a few days in a Tamilian’s house, these were taken to Renko-ji, a Buddhist temple, and have been kept there ever since.

In response to persistent public demand, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru instituted an inquiry committee in 1956 to go into the circumstances and evidence of Netaji’s reported death in the plane crash. The committee, after interviewing each of the seven survivors and medical staff at the hospital where Subhas Chandra Bose passed away, come to the conclusion that “the plane carrying Netaji did crash” and he died a few hours later “of burn injuries sustained in the crash.”

Similarly, in 1974, another inquiry by the Khosla Commission ordered by the Indira Gandhi government in 1970 established that “Netaji had been gravely wounded in the air crash” and has “succumbed to his injuries on the night of August 18, 1945.”

The above facts are corroborated by Netaji’s grand nephew and historian, Sugata Bose, in his must-read book, His Majesty’s Opponent: “An overwhelming majority of Netaji’s closest political associates, including senior officers and leaders of the Azad Hind movement, believed Habib-ur-Rehman’s account of Netaji’s mortality and — on the leader’s birth centenary in 1997, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon, the sole surviving member of the ‘Red Fort three’, made an emotional plea at the historic fort for Netaji’s remains to be brought back from Japan — S.A. Ayer, Prem Kumar Sehgal, Shah Nawaj Khan, Meboob Ahmed, Debrath Das, Lakshmi Sahgal, Jannki Athinahappan and numerous others had expressed the same view.” It’s high time the ashes were brought back and the soul of Netaji allowed to rest in eternal peace. The people of West Bengal must take the lead.

The writer, an ex-Army officer, is a former member of the National Commission for Minorities and a political analyst