Did Indian war hero Subhas Chandra Bose die in Taiwan? A DNA test may give answers
Information about Subhash Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra bose education Surya Kumar Bose was recently in Japan and visited Renkoji Temple, in Tokyo’s Suginami Ward, to examine the urn that contains what are believed to be the remains of his great-uncle, who is also known as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose?
As soon as the remains can be positively identified, the family wants them returned to India to become part of a permanent memorial to a man who played a a significant part in gaining India’s independence from Britain.
"We need to put all the fairy tales about what happened to bed and it is essential now that we, the family and the nation, get closure,” said Surya Bose, who owns an information technology company in Germany.
"All the rumors are not doing anyone any good and that is why we want to get this thing moving. His daughter is not getting any younger and she too wants closure.”
He was referring to Bose’s only daughter, Anita Bose Pfaff, 76, who has also repeatedly called for DNA tests to be done on the remains. In an interview in August, she said she believed her father had died in 1945, but called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure DNA tests are carried out to "bring out the truth”. She also asked that any government files on the matter be declassified.
What would appear to be a fairly straightforward issue is, however, anything but? And that is a reflection of the life of Bose himself.
subhas Chandra bose date of birth Born in Bengal in January 1897, Bose became a passionate and outspoken champion of independence from Britain and was a key member of the radical wing of the Indian National Congress while still in his 20s. He rose to become president of the congress in 1938 but was ousted the following year due to differences with Mahatma Gandhi and other senior members of the organization.
While Gandhi espoused peaceful resistance against British control, Bose demanded more violent action. Placed under house arrest by the British, he escaped from India in 1940 and reached Nazi Germany the following year. The Germans provided support for Bose’s ambitions to overthrow the British, giving him a propaganda radio show and helping him set up the 3,000-strong Free India Legion from prisoners captured by the Germans in North Africa.
By 1942, however, the war in North Africa had turned in the Allies’ favour and Bose turned his attention to Southeast Asia, where the Japanese were still in the ascendancy against Britain, Australia and the United States. Bose travelled by submarine to Japanese-controlled Sumatra in May 1943 and set about building up the Indian National Army (INA) to fight alongside the Japanese with the aim of driving the British out of Burma and then India. Early successes in Burma were soon reversed and in 1945 the remnants of the INA surrendered with the recapture of Singapore.
Bose, however, decided not to surrender and planned to flee to Manchuria and travel on to the Soviet Union, which he believed would support his dream of an uprising against British rule in India.
On August 18, 1945, he was aboard an overloaded Japanese bomber which crashed soon after take-off from an airfield in Taihoku, Taiwan. Eyewitnesses reported seeing part of the port engine fall off and the aircraft plummeted to the ground, bursting into flames.
Bose sustained third-degree burns when his fuel-soaked clothes caught fire and he died that evening. He was cremated two days later and his ashes were transported to Tokyo on September 7, where they were handed over to the head priest of Renkoji Temple.
Within hours of Bose’s death, the rumor mill was already churning out alternative explanations for what had happened, with some saying he had not been on the plane and had gone to Russia, but was imprisoned there at the behest of rival Indian politicians. Others claimed he was captured by the Chinese or that he lived in Vietnam, while others insisted he had chosen to disguise himself as a holy man and live in a remote part of Bengal.
Surya Kumar Bose said the rumours have only been fanned by eight government-level investigations into Bose’s fate, of which four were Indian. The most recent investigation, which concluded in 2006, was "a complete betrayal of the Bose family”, he said.
The judge who oversaw the investigation ignored key details, "misunderstood” written testimony from witnesses to the crash, and had already made up his mind on rumours Bose had returned to India, taken the name Gumnami Baba and lived in Uttar Pradesh until his death in 1985, he said. As a consequence, "umpteen books and three films” that support that conclusion have been written or are close to release.
"I am 99.9 per cent sure that the remains at Renkoji Temple are his, but we need to obtain the permission of the head priest and the government of Japan to have the remains tested and we have to be completely certain that these are indeed Bose’s remains before we take them back to India,” the great-nephew said.
He admits, however, that it may be difficult for a forensics laboratory to recover viable DNA as the remains were cremated. The ashes do contain recognizable pieces of bone, including a section of skull, but it is not clear whether that will be sufficient to confirm that the remains are Bose’s.
If that is the case, Surya Kumar Bose said he is hoping that death certificates signed at the time of Bose’s death might be located in the Japanese government archives and a chain of paperwork might lead to the same conclusion.
"If the DNA is positive, then we have no issue,” he said. "If it is negative, then the investigation is back to square one, but the family believes we have to take that risk. And if we cannot obtain DNA, then I hope the death certificate will be enough.
"In my mind, it is essential that we are able to take Bose back to India, that he is honored as a national hero, and that there is no question marks,” Bose said. "We need a permanent memorial, hopefully near the Red Fort [in New Delhi], but while this should be simple, we keep coming up against hurdles.”
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Subhas Chandra Bose: Birth Anniversary, Achievements and Contributions
Subash Chandra Bose was one of the most celebrated freedom fighter and charismatic influencer of the youth of India. His patriotism, call for freedom and obdurate refusal to stop before achieving the desired goal have made him a hero. Due to his nationalistic temperament and leadership attribute, Mahatama Gandhi was the first who addressed him as Netaji.
Date of Birth: January 23, 1897Place of Birth: Cuttack, OrissaParents: Janakinath Bose (father) and Prabhavati Devi (mother)Spouse: Emily SchenklChildren: Anita Bose PfaffEducation: Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack; Presidency College, Calcutta; University of Cambridge, EnglandAssociations (Political Party): Indian National Congress; Forward Bloc; Indian National ArmyMovements: Indian Freedom MovementPolitical Ideology: Nationalism; Communism; Fascism-inclinedReligious Beliefs: Hinduism
Subash Chandra Bose: Family history and early life
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose was born on 23 january, 1897 in Cuttack (Orissa) to Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose. His father was a successful lawyer in Cuttack and received the title of "Rai Bahadur". He did his schooling from the Protestant European School (presently Stewart High School) in Cuttack, just like his siblings. He did baccalaureate from the Presidency College. He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He then was sent by his parents to the University of Cambridge in England to prepare for the Indian Civil Service. In 1920 he passed the civil service examination, but in April 1921, after hearing of the nationalist turmoils in India, he resigned his candidacy and hurried back to India.
Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Congress
He joined the Non-Cooperation Movement which started by Mahatama Gandhi who made INC as a powerful non-violent organization. Duirng the movement, he was advised by the Matama Gandhi to work with Chitta Ranjan Das who became his political guru. After that, he became a youth educator and commandant of the Bengal Congress volunteers. He started the newspaper 'Swaraj'. In 1927, after being released from prison, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence.
In 1938 he was elected president of the Indian National Congress and formed a national planning committee, which formulated a policy of broad industrialization. However, this did not harmonize with Gandhian economic thought, which clung to the notion of cottage industries and benefiting from the use of the country’s own resources. Bose’s vindication came in 1939 when he defeated a Gandhian rival for reelection. Nonetheless, the “rebel president” felt bound to resign because of the lack of Gandhi’s support.
Subash Chandra Bose and the Formation of Forwad Bloc
All India Forward Bloc was a left-wing nationalist political party in India which emerged as a faction within the India Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. Subash Chandra Bose was well known for his leftist views in the Congress. The prime objective of the Frowar Bloc was to bring all radical elements of the Congress party. So that he could spread the meaning of complete independence of India with adhrence of the application of principles of equality and social justice.
Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army (INA) or Azad Hind Fauz
An important development in the struggle for freedom during the Second World War was the formation and activities of the Azad Hind Fauj, also known as the Indian National Army, or INA. Rash Behari Bose, an Indian revolutionary who had escaped from India and had been living in Japan for many years, set up the Indian independence league with the support of Indians living in the countries of south-east Asia.
When Japan defeated the British armies and occupied almost all the countries of south-East Asia, the league formed the Indian National Army from among the Indian prisoners of war with the aim of liberating India from the British rule. General Mohan Singh, who had been an officer in the British Indian army, played an important role in organizing this army.
In the meantime, Subhas Chandra Bose had escaped from India in 1941 and gone to Germany to work for India’s Independence. In 1943, he came to Singapore to lead the Indian Independence League and rebuild the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to make it an effective instrument for the freedom of India. The Azad Hind Fauj comprised of about 45,000 soldiers, among who were Indian prisoners of war as well as Indians who were settled in various countries of south-east Asia.
On 21 October 1943, Subhas Bose, who was now popularly known as Netaji, proclaimed the formation of the provisional government of independent India (Azad Hind) in Singapore. Netaji went to the Andaman which had been occupied by the Japanese and hoisted there the flag of India. In early 1944, three units of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) took part in the attack on the north-eastern parts of India to oust the British from India. According to Shah Nawaz Khan, one of the most prominent officers of the Azad Hind Fauj, the soldiers who had entered India laid themselves flat on the ground and passionately kissed the sacred soil of their motherland. However, the attempt to liberate India by the Azad Hind Fauj failed.
The Indian nationalist movement did not view the Japanese government as a friend of India. Its sympathies were with the people of those countries which had fallen victims to Japan’s aggression. Netaji, however, believed that with the help of the Azad Hind Fauj, supported by Japan, and a revolt inside India, the British rule over India could be ended. The Azad Hind Fauj, with the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ and the salutation Jai Hind was a source of inspiration to Indians, inside and outside the country. Netaji rallied together with the Indians of all religions and regions, living in south-east Asia, for the cause of India’s freedom.
Indian women also played an important role in the activities for the freedom of India. A women’s regiment of Azad Hind Fauj was formed, which was under the command of Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan. It was called the Rani Jhansi regiment. The Azad Hind Fauj became the symbol of unity and heroism to the people of India. Netaji, who had been one of the greatest leaders of India’s struggle for freedom, was reported killed in an air crash a few days after Japan had surrendered.
The Second World War ended in 1945 with the defeat of the fascist Germany and Italy. Millions of people were killed in the war. When the war was nearing its end and Italy and Germany had already been defeated, the U.S.A. dropped atom bombs on the two cities of Japan-Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Within a few moments, these cities were burnt to the ground and over 200,000 people were killed. Japan surrendered soon after this. Though the use of the atom bombs brought the war to a close, it led to new tensions in the world and to a new competition for making more and more deadly weapons which might destroy all mankind.
Subhas Chandra Bose: Birth Anniversary, Achievements and Contributions
Subash Chandra Bose was one of the most celebrated freedom fighter and charismatic influencer of the youth of India. His patriotism, call for freedom and obdurate refusal to stop before achieving the desired goal have made him a hero. Due to his nationalistic temperament and leadership attribute, Mahatama Gandhi was the first who addressed him as Netaji.Date of Birth: January 23, 1897Place of Birth: Cuttack, OrissaParents: Janakinath Bose (father) and Prabhavati Devi (mother)Spouse: Emily SchenklChildren: Anita Bose PfaffEducation: Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack; Presidency College, Calcutta; The University of Cambridge,
EnglandAssociations (Political Party): Indian National Congress; Forward Bloc; Indian National ArmyMovements: Indian Freedom MovementPolitical Ideology: Nationalism; Communism; Fascism-inclinedReligious Beliefs: Hinduism
Subash Chandra Bose: Family history and early life
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose was born on 23 january, 1897 in Cuttack (Orissa) to Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose. His father was a successful lawyer in Cuttack and received the title of "Rai Bahadur". He did his schooling from the Protestant European School (presently Stewart High School) in Cuttack, just like his siblings. He did baccalaureate from the Presidency College. He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He then was sent by his parents to the University of Cambridge in England to prepare for the Indian Civil Service. In 1920 he passed the civil service examination, but in April 1921, after hearing of the nationalist turmoils in India, he resigned his candidacy and hurried back to India.
Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Congress
He joined Non-Cooperation Movement which started by Mahatama Gandhi who made INC as a powerful non-violent organization. Duirng the movement, he was advised by the Matama Gandhi to work with Chitta Ranjan Das who became his political guru. After that, he became a youth educator and commandant of the Bengal Congress volunteers. He started the newspaper 'Swaraj'. In 1927, after being released from prison, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence.
In 1938 he was elected president of the Indian National Congress and formed a national planning committee, which formulated a policy of broad industrialization. However, this did not harmonize with Gandhian economic thought, which clung to the notion of cottage industries and benefiting from the use of the country’s own resources. Bose’s vindication came in 1939, when he defeated a Gandhian rival for reelection. Nonetheless, the “rebel president” felt bound to resign because of the lack of Gandhi’s support.
Subash Chandra Bose and the Formation of forwarding Bloc
All India Forward Bloc was a left wing nationalist political party in India which emerged as a faction within the India Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. Subash Chandra Bose was well known for his leftist views in the Congress. The prime objective of the Forward Bloc was to bring all radical elements of the Congress party. So that he could spread the meaning of complete independence of India with adhrence of the application of principles of equality and social justice.
Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army (INA) or Azad Hind Fauz
An important development in the struggle for freedom during the Second World War was the formation and activities of the Azad Hind Fauj, also known as the Indian National Army, or INA. Rash Behari Bose, an Indian revolutionary who had escaped from India and had been living in Japan for many years, set up the Indian independence league with the support of Indians living in the countries of south-east Asia.
When Japan defeated the British armies and occupied almost all the countries of south-East Asia, the league formed the Indian National Army from among the Indian prisoners of war with the aim of liberating India from the British rule. General Mohan Singh, who had been an officer in the British Indian Army played an important role in organizing this army.
In the meantime, Subhas Chandra Bose had escaped from India in 1941 and go to Germany to work for India’s Independence. In 1943, he came to Singapore to lead the Indian Independence League and rebuild the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to make it an effective instrument for the freedom of India. The Azad Hind Fauj comprised of about 45,000 soldiers, among who were Indian prisoners of war as well as Indians who were settled in various countries of south-east Asia.
On 21 October 1943, Subhas Bose, who was now popularly known as Netaji, proclaimed the formation of the provisional government of independent India (Azad Hind) in Singapore. Netaji went to the Andaman which had been occupied by the Japanese and hoisted there the flag of India. In early 1944, three units of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) took part in the attack on the north-eastern parts of India to oust the British from India. According to Shah Nawaz Khan, one of the most prominent officers of the Azad Hind Fauj, the soldiers who had entered India laid themselves flat on the ground and passionately kissed the sacred soil of their motherland. However, the attempt to liberate India by the Azad Hind Fauj failed.
The Indian nationalist movement did not view the Japanese government as a friend of India. Its sympathies were with the people of those countries which had fallen victims to Japan’s aggression. Netaji, however, believed that with the help of the Azad Hind Fauj, supported by Japan and a revolt inside India, the British rule over India could be ended. The Azad Hind Fauj, with the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ and the salutation Jai Hind was a source of inspiration to Indians, inside and outside the country. Netaji rallied together with the Indians of all religions and regions, living in south-east Asia, for the cause of India’s freedom.
Indian women also played an important role in the activities for the freedom of India. A women’s regiment of Azad Hind Fauj was formed, which was under the command of Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan. It was called the Rani Jhansi regiment. The Azad Hind Fauj became the symbol of unity and heroism to the people of India. Netaji, who had been one of the greatest leaders of India’s struggle for freedom, was reported killed in an air crash a few days after Japan had surrendered.
The Second World War ended in 1945 with the defeat of the fascist Germany and Italy. Millions of people were killed in the war. When the war was nearing its end and Italy and Germany had already been defeated, the U.S.A. dropped atom bombs on the two cities of Japan-Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Within a few moments, these cities were burnt to the ground and over 200,000 people were killed. Japan surrendered soon after this. Though the use of the atom bombs brought the war to a close, it led to new tensions in the world and to a new competition for making more and more deadly weapons which might destroy all mankind.
Subhas Chandra Bose: Birth Anniversary, Achievements and Contributions
Subash Chandra Bose was one of the most celebrated freedom fighter and charismatic influencer of the youth of India. His patriotism, call for freedom and obdurate refusal to stop before achieving the desired goal have made him a hero. Due to his nationalistic temperament and leadership attribute, Mahatama Gandhi was the first who addressed him as Netaji.Date of Birth: January 23, 1897Place of Birth: Cuttack, OrissaParents: Janakinath Bose (father) and Prabhavati Devi (mother)Spouse: Emily SchenklChildren: Anita Bose PfaffEducation: Ravenshaw Collegiate School, Cuttack; Presidency College, Calcutta; The University of Cambridge, EnglandAssociations (Political Party): Indian National Congress; Forward Bloc; Indian National ArmyMovements: Indian Freedom MovementPolitical Ideology: Nationalism; Communism; Fascism-inclinedReligious Beliefs: Hinduism
Subash Chandra Bose: Family history and early life
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose was born on 23 January 1897 in Cuttack (Orissa) to Prabhavati Dutt Bose and Janakinath Bose. His father was a successful lawyer in Cuttack and received the title of "Rai Bahadur". He did his schooling from the Protestant European School (presently Stewart High School) in Cuttack, just like his siblings. He did baccalaureate from the Presidency College. He was influenced by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna after reading their works at the age of 16. He then was sent by his parents to the University of Cambridge in England to prepare for the Indian Civil Service. In 1920 he passed the civil service examination, but in April 1921, after hearing of the nationalist turmoils in India, he resigned his candidacy and hurried back to India.
Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Congress
He joined Non-Cooperation Movement which started by Mahatama Gandhi who made INC as a powerful non-violent organization. Duirng the movement, he was advised by the Matama Gandhi to work with Chitta Ranjan Das who became his politicla guru. After that, he became a youth educator and commandant of the Bengal Congress volunteers. He started the newspaper 'Swaraj'. In 1927, after being released from prison, Bose became general secretary of the Congress party and worked with Jawaharlal Nehru for independence.
In 1938 he was elected president of the Indian National Congress and formed a national planning committee, which formulated a policy of broad industrialization. However, this did not harmonize with Gandhian economic thought, which clung to the notion of cottage industries and benefiting from the use of the country’s own resources. Bose’s vindication came in 1939 when he defeated a Gandhian rival for reelection. Nonetheless, the “rebel president” felt bound to resign because of the lack of Gandhi’s support.
Subash Chandra Bose and the Formation of forwarding Bloc
All India Forward Bloc was a left-wing nationalist political party in India which emerged as a faction within the India Congress in 1939, led by Subhas Chandra Bose. Subash Chandra Bose was well known for his leftist views in the Congress. The prime objective of the Forward Bloc was to bring all radical elements of the Congress party. So that he could spread the meaning of complete independence of India with adherence to the application of principles of equality and social justice.
Subash Chandra Bose and Indian National Army (INA) or Azad Hind Fauz
An important development in the struggle for freedom during the Second World War was the formation and activities of the Azad Hind Fauj, also known as the Indian National Army, or INA. Rash Behari Bose, an Indian revolutionary who had escaped from India and had been living in Japan for many years, set up the Indian independence league with the support of Indians living in the countries of south-east Asia.
When Japan defeated the British armies and occupied almost all the countries of south-East Asia, the league formed the Indian National Army from among the Indian prisoners of war with the aim of liberating India from the British rule. General Mohan Singh, who had been an officer in the British Indian Army played an important role in organizing this army.
In the meantime, Subhas Chandra Bose had escaped from India in 1941 and go to Germany to work for India’s Independence. In 1943, he came to Singapore to lead the Indian Independence League and rebuild the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) to make it an effective instrument for the freedom of India. The Azad Hind Fauj comprised of about 45,000 soldiers, among who were Indian prisoners of war as well as Indians who were settled in various countries of south-east Asia.
On 21 October 1943, Subhas Bose, who was now popularly known as Netaji proclaimed the formation of the provisional government of independent India (Azad Hind) in Singapore. Netaji went to the Andaman which had been occupied by the Japanese and hoisted there the flag of India. In early 1944, three units of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA) took part in the attack on the north-eastern parts of India to oust the British from India. According to Shah Nawaz Khan, one of the most prominent officers of the Azad Hind Fauj, the soldiers who had entered India laid themselves flat on the ground and passionately kissed the sacred soil of their motherland. However, the attempt to liberate India by the Azad Hind Fauj failed.
The Indian nationalist movement did not view the Japanese government as a friend of India. Its sympathies were with the people of those countries which had fallen victims to Japan’s aggression. Netaji, however, believed that with the help of the Azad Hind Fauj, supported by Japan and a revolt inside India, the British rule over India could be ended. The Azad Hind Fauj, with the slogan of ‘Delhi Chalo’ and the salutation Jai Hind was a source of inspiration to Indians, inside and outside the country. Netaji rallied together with the Indians of all religions and regions, living in south-east Asia, for the cause of India’s freedom.
Indian women also played an important role in the activities for the freedom of India. A women’s regiment of Azad Hind Fauj was formed, which was under the command of Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan. It was called the Rani Jhansi regiment. The Azad Hind Fauj became the symbol of unity and heroism to the people of India. Netaji, who had been one of the greatest leaders of India’s struggle for freedom, was reported killed in an air crash a few days after Japan had surrendered.
The Second World War ended in 1945 with the defeat of the fascist Germany and Italy. Millions of people were killed in the war. When the war was nearing its end and Italy and Germany had already been defeated, the U.S.A. dropped atom bombs on the two cities of Japan-Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Within a few moments, these cities were burnt to the ground and over 200,000 people were killed. Japan surrendered soon after this. Though the use of the atom bombs brought the war to a close, it led to new tensions in the world and to a new competition for making more and more deadly weapons which might destroy all mankind.
Busts of Veer Savarkar, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose removed from campus by DUSU
The ABVP-led Delhi University Students’ Union has removed the busts of V D Savarkar, Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose from the campus, the student outfit said in a statement on Saturday.The ABVP, however, claimed that Delhi University has assured them that the busts will be reinstalled in accordance with the procedure after the DUSU polls are concluded.
The busts of the trio were installed on August 20 by outgoing DUSU president Shakti Singh without taking permission from the varsity authorities. They were removed on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday. “ABVP-led DUSU has removed the busts of Veer Savarkar, Bhagat Singh, and Subhash Chandra Bose till permission is obtained from the DU Administration. The busts have been kept (at a) safe (place) by the varsity,” the RSS-affiliated outfit said in a statement.
Earlier, the ABVP had asked DUSU office-bearers to install the statues as per the procedure, it claimed.
The students’ body also demanded “stringent legal action” against members of the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) for allegedly blackening the bust of Savarkar on Thursday.
The ABVP claimed left-affiliated student organizations along with AAP’s CYSS and the NSUI had “stooped to a low level” and were harming the “the culture of debate and discussion, prevalent in the university”.
“ABVP strongly believes that the Left, AAP, and the student organizations affiliated to the Congress should stop insulting freedom fighters to meet their trivial political interests,” it said.
ABVP Delhi’s State Secretary Sidharth Yadav said: “It is very unfortunate that the DU administration turned a deaf ear to DUSU’s demand for installation of busts of freedom fighters, for a very long time. The university should restore these idols, as per their assurances, at the earliest.” The manner in which other student organizations have carried out such extremely unfortunate acts reveal the real and degraded mindset of these student organizations towards freedom fighters, the repercussions of which they will face in the times to come, he added. “At the same time, Congress should understand that its ‘Kaalikh model’ is not going to hide the reality. We have decided to remove the busts because we don’t want to do politics over the name of freedom fighters,” he said. No immediate reaction was available from the university.
A fictional account of Subhash Chandra Bose’s life
Interest in Subhas Chandra Bose’s life continues unabated. Even today claims and counter-claims regarding his death in a fatal plane crash in Taiwan rage on. In the recent past, a lot of attention had been directed to historical research seeking to trace the chronology of Bose’s later life, especially his stays in Germany, Italy, Singapore, Japan and Burma.Such works have often led to diverse inferences, continual speculations, occasional wild allegations and intermittent demands for declassification of files and documents pertaining to Bose’s life. The the past decade, in particular, has witnessed a plethora of critical explorations of various aspects of Bose’s life as researchers have ceaselessly tried to stitch together the sequence of events following his miraculous escape to Germany.
Notable among these recent efforts include Sugata Bose’s His Majesty’s Opponent: Subhas Chandra Bose and India’s Struggle against Empire, Kingshuk Nag’s Netaji: Living Dangerously, Ashis Ray’s Laid to Rest: The Controversy over Subhas Chandra Bose’s Death, Shreyas Bhave’s Prisoner of Yakutsk: The Subhash Chandra Bose Mystery Final Chapter, Vera Hildebrand’s Women at War: Subhas Chandra Bose and the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, Rudrangshu Mukherjee’s Nehru & Bose: Parallel Lives, Marshall J. Getz’s Subhas Chandra Bose: A Biography, Krishna Bose’s Emilie and Subhas: A True Love The story, Leonard A. Gordon’s Brothers Against the Raj: A Biography of Indian Nationalists Sarat and Subhas Chandra Bose as also several other works. Bose’s eventful life continues to fascinate historians, researchers, politicians, bureaucrats and readers alike.
The historical fiction, Mahanayak: Subhas Chandra Bose — A Novel, by the Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Vishwas Patil, is no exception to this cult. In fact, Keerti Ramachandra’s brilliant translation (from the original work in Marathi) not only makes for an absorbing evaluation but also provides access to a wider cross-section of readers across the world. What sets Patil’s work apart is his sensible and extremely intelligent attempt at writing well-researched fiction, and not another research-based biography of Bose. Historians and scholars compiling his biographical details invariably hit the stumbling block of the sheer lack of evidence. Such lacunae, however, fail to dampen Patil’s narrative — as the veil of fiction allows him to consider aspects of Bose’s life which perhaps an assiduous biographer would have desisted from exploring.
Patil traverses crucial political spaces in Bose’s life based on meticulous research across various countries, often braving diverse, unenviable obstacles. His imaginative reconstructions not only fill spaces in the curious readers’ minds but also lead to a riveting reading experience as readers gain a unique insight into interactions between notable political personalities — largely based on a rare amalgamation of historical research and ingenious imagination. In fact, such an interesting interface between the mind’s eye and historical scrutiny takes the reader on an enthralling journey through the most turbulent period of India’s freedom struggle.
Patil initiates his narrative focusing on the steadfast loyalty that Bose’s personality inspired through a brief account of the die-hard commitment of the imprisoned Azad Hind fighters: Shah Nawaz Khan, Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon and Prem Sehgal. Their indomitable resilience against the British authorities open the door for an inspiring biographical expedition — a journey which gathers momentum with the mushrooming of ideological differences between Bose and contemporary political giants like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and others. In this context, mention must be made of Gandhi’s reactions to the convincing defeat his candidate, Pattabhi Sitaramayya, suffered in the historic Tripuri Congress against Bose.
Gandhi made his feelings known the very next day through a statement. “Subhas Chandra Bose has won a decisive victory over Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya. I was opposed to his re-election from the beginning. Also, I was solely responsible for not letting Pattabhi withdraws his nomination. That is why I take it as my personal defeat and not Pattabhi’s.”
Running parallel to such depictions of political upheavals, frictions and clashes of personality is an adequate insight into Bose’s personal life: the reassuring presence of media or Sarat Chandra Bose and his wife, Bibhabati, his deep attachment to his parents, Janakinath Bose and Prabhabati Bose, and the ever accommodating love and assistance of Emilie Schenkl. Patil’s recreation of Bose’s thrilling escape from his Elgin Road residence conjures up a rare visual spectacle of trepidation and expectation.
His short, perilous stay in Kabul, his incredible journey to Berlin (incognito: disguised as Orlando Mazzotta), his subsequent reunion with Emilie has been convincingly delineated.
Bose’s rendezvous with Hitler (May 29, 1942) marks the culmination of Patil’s fictional narrative. Bose’s gift for Hitler, a copper-colored statue of Buddha, paves the way for an interesting yet extremely amusing conversation. However, in spite of such indulgences, Patil resists the temptation of making ineffectual speculations. He ends his novel with a vivid description of Bose’s demise at the Nanmon Military Hospital, where he succumbs to his injuries suffered in the fatal plane accident. The narrator justifiably shifts his focus to an exploration of the ambiance of overwhelming loss and bereavement, transcending geographical barriers: “Who were all these people — nurses, ward boys, army staff? What nationality? What race? Grief had dissolved all boundaries. The Taipei Military Hospital was deluged in tears.” Patil’s fictional account of Bose’s life should be an absorbing read for all, irrespective of an individual’s political allegiance or ideological stand-in turbulent times.
Final words
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