On the eve of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 128th birth anniversary, on January 23, his daughter, Anita Bose Pfaff, called upon the Indian government to bring back her father’s mortal remains from Renkoji Temple in Tokyo, where they have rested in exile for nearly eight decades. This plea revives a longstanding debate on the mystery of Netaji’s death and the treatment of his ashes.
On August 18, 1945, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a beloved freedom fighter, was believed to have died in a plane crash in Taihoku (now Taipei, Taiwan). However, there were many rumors and doubts about his death. Some people, including Bose’s family, believed he might have survived and continued fighting for India’s freedom elsewhere. Because of these uncertainties, Indian governments were hesitant to bring his ashes back to India for many years.
Pfaff, who has been vocal in her efforts to repatriate the remains of her father, said, “Netaji wanted to return to Independent India, but he could not. Do not keep him exiled any more. Let him come home.” She added that it is time for India to accept the verdict of several investigations, which prove Bose’s death at the Taihoku crash.
Investigations and Controversies
As many as ten national and international inquiries have gone into the disappearance of Netaji over the years, and most concluded that he had burnt injuries in the crash and died in the Japanese military hospital to which he had been taken. These reports, now available in India’s National Archives, include testimony and evidence pointing to his tragic end.
However, all these enquiries didn’t deliver the same message. The Mukherjee Commission, which was constituted by the government of India in 1999, controversy surrounds the fact that its report submitted to the government in 2005 announced that Bose did not die in the plane crash and that the ashes preserved at Renkoji Temple were not his. The government had rejected these findings, which fueled further debate and confusion.
Further, adding to the complications, inconsistencies have been noted by some family members and researchers regarding the Mukherjee Commission’s documentation. Grand-niece of Netaji, Madhuri Bose, criticized the fact that key communications of Renkoji Temple authorities that have always welcomed DNA testing for confirmation of remains were missing.
The Role of the Indian Government
Successive Indian governments, from Narasimha Rao to Narendra Modi, have faced criticism for their reluctance to act on Pfaff’s repeated pleas. Pfaff has stated that both Manmohan Singh’s and Modi’s offices failed to acknowledge her letters, reflecting a political hesitance to address the issue. “A politician is understandably concerned with gaining advantage and not disadvantage from actions. This is, after all, an old issue, of little relevance to the wellbeing of an electorate today,” she remarked.
Netaji’s grand-nephew Chandra Kumar Bose also criticized the government’s silence, calling it “an insult to the memory of this great leader.” He argued that if the government doubts the authenticity of the remains, it should issue a clear statement rather than prolonging the mystery.
Supporters of bringing back Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s ashes argue that doing so would finally bring closure to one of India’s most intriguing historical mysteries. Bose’s family, including Pfaff, believes that scientific methods like DNA testing could help confirm the authenticity of the remains. Reverend Mochizuki, the head priest at Renkoji Temple in Japan, has expressed his willingness to hand over the ashes for such testing.
In his book From Shadows to Light: The Truth of Netaji’s Mortal End, author and Bose researcher Sumeru Roy Chaudhury highlighted the temple authorities’ ongoing support for DNA testing. He also referenced declassified government files, which, while acknowledging that there may be no immediate political gain from repatriating the remains, emphasized the moral responsibility to honor Netaji’s legacy.
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