Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said truth should come out regarding the mysterious disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
“We celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji every year but we do not know about his disappearance; and if he died, then how and when. His disappearance was a big tragedy. History has failed to throw any light on it. I want the truth to come out,” she said at a programme in Darjeeling on the occasion of Netaji’s 121st birth anniversary.
“Netaji’s birthday is as important for us as Independence Day or Republic Day. He was a leader of the country.” Ms Banerjee said that her government has declassified all the files related to Netaji that were in its possession. “The government of India also has many files. The truth (about his disappearance) may have come out if there was an investigation but unfortunately it did not happen,” she said.
On the occasion, Ms Banerjee subtly criticised the abolition of the Planning Commission, saying, “Netaji had a very clear vision for the country. It was this vision that made him think of Planning Commission even before the Independence. It is sad that this government disbanded it,” she said.
Describing Netaji as a “people’s leader”, Ms Banerjee said he loved and treated all Indians equally and never discriminated against anyone. “Netaji also loved the Hills and had visited Gidhapahar in 1936,” she said.
The chief minister said her government has allotted Rs 10 lakh for the renovation of the house where Netaji had stayed in the Hills. She said without the development of the Hills, “Bengal is not complete”. “We have already allotted almost Rs 300 crore to the various development boards. We have formed three new development boards for the Hills and allotted Rs 10 crore for them. We will fulfil the dream of Netaji. We will keep working for the common people,” she said.
In Kolkata, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Left Front chairman Biman Bose, panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee and leaders from Forward Bloc — founded by Netaji — paid homage by garlanding the leader’s statue at Maidan. The Forward Bloc observes Netaji’s birthday as “ Desh Prem Diwas.”
Meanwhile, a BJP functionary submitted a proposal to governor Keshari Nath Tripathi suggesting that a regiment in the Indian Army should be named after Azad Hind Fauj, which Netaji had established in 1943.
