The mystery of Indian freedom fighter, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's death has remained unsolved even after seven decades of his sudden disappearance. Successive governments in India have maintained not to disclose secret files related to his death, saying it will create an adverse impact on India's ties with many foreign countries. A mass awareness campaign is being run in India, to gather public opinion in favour of declassification. The Indians living abroad, also feel that they cannot be left out of this movement.
Therefore as a part of the annual lecture of the Netaji Subhas Foundation, UK, Anuj Dhar is invited to the UK and will deliver the keynote speech on 19 June 2015 at the Indian YMCA. Also present will be Ms Minakshi Ghosh, former researcher for Oxford University and translator of the book a Chalk Delhi, based on Netaji.
Anuj a freelance journalist, RTI (Right to Information) activist and author of the best selling book, India's Biggest Coverup, has made this the aim of his life (and his colleagues of Mission Netaji forum) to push the government through public demand, RTI applications and court orders where applicable, to get the secret files declassified and let the country and the world know the truth.
The aim of the session will be to create awareness about Netaji's visions, which are so relevant, even today, to try to impress upon the British Government that Netaji was a true Nationalist and to create awareness amongst NRIs about the declassification movement and why is it necessary
There will be satellite sessions at Cardiff on 21st June, Sunday, Cambridge on 23rd June, Tuesday and Reading on 26th June, Friday. A felicitation of Anuj has been organised on 27 June, Saturday at the Zoroastrian Centre, Harrow, as a part of the Harrow Music Festival.
The disappearance of Netaji in 1945
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces, effectively ending World War II. Following this, on August 15, Netaji boarded a Tokyo-bound flight from Bangkok, which crashed. According to a report by India TV in April this year, Dhar, contradicted this saying on August 16, 1945, Netaji had left for Russia instead of Tokyo.
But the news related to Netaji's death surfaced after five days of the plane crash. Dhar's book titled 'India's biggest cover-up' claimed that there was no proof available to certify Netaji's funeral took place.
According to Netaji's grandnephew Sugata Bose and TMC MP, the family members had approached the Japan and Taiwan authorities in 1965, to know the truth behind his mysterious death.
Sugata also reportedly said that Netaji was well prepared to take on Britishers. After news of Netaji's death, a British spy agency conducted an investigation to know Netaji's whereabouts. The agency headed by senior office Phillip Phinney, in its report, discovered that Netaji was no more but there were no proofs available to confirm his death.
Dhar claimed that after India attained independence in August 1947, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) secretly at the behest of Government of India removed the parts of British report in which it had recommended to investigate Netaji's case further.
Shah Nawaz Committee
The government in 1955 formed the Shah Nawaz Committee comprising members from Netaji's family to probe his death. The panel in its report clearly stated that Netaji died in the plane crash. But Suresh Bose, Netaji's elder brother disagreed with the fact. He was of the view that Netaji has taken shelter somewhere in Soviet Union.
Netaji imprisoned in Siberia
There is another theory related to Netaji's death. It says that Netaji was imprisoned in Yakutsk Prison in Siberia. But there is no proof to certify this.
Dhar reportedly said, "Netaji's wife died in 1996. She had said that Netaji was in Russia."
Bose lived on as Gumnami Baba
Another story is that Netaji changed his identity and lived on at Ram Bhawan in Faizabad till 1985 as a mysterious Indian hermit, Bhagwanji, also known as Gumnami Baba. Few years back Nizamuddin, a 102-year-old man claiming to be Netaji's driver-cum-bodyguard claimed that the freedom fighter was not killed in an air crash but died as Gumnami Baba in Faizabad.
