At the mention of his name, the heart of every Indian throbs with pride. That is the impact Subhash Chandra Bose had and continues to have on the mind of every Indian. But the mystery over his alleged demise in a plane crash in 1945 still continues.
Although successive governments in India have refused to categorically assert that Netaji had survived the alleged air crash in Taipei, there is enough in the files declassified by the Modi government on Tuesday to point out that he lived beyond 1945.
The files refer to three broadcasts made after Netaji after he was supposed to have passed away. A lot of drama has already taken place over his death. Netaji belongs to the public of India and he is not a personal property of the government.
It is high time that the government come out clean regarding the events of 1945. Otherwise, with one new story or the other being bandied about him, there is the danger of the people starting to treat Netaji’s death too as just another farmer suicide. That is not what the great man deserves.
The public deserves to know the truth irrespective of any international repercussions.
