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Anuj Dhar
There is something about Netaji that frightens the government "57
years after his death".
The government had given the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry
six months to end the mystery. Two and a half years on, despite
reminders, the government refuses to part with files on Netaji,
calling them 'Top Secret'
The Prime Minister's Office told the Commission that some of files
on Bose, including 'Circumstances
Leading to the Death of Subhas Bose' were destroyed on an "order',
it said, "it cannot locate". (Incidentally, this is one
of the files which HindustanTimes.com reported as missing
during the previous phase of the probe.)
Similarly, the Ministry
of External Affairs said that records on the Shah Nawaz Committee
proceeding are missing. Also, the Research and Analysis Wing, India's
foreign intelligence arm, refused to file an affidavit and the Intelligence
Bureau, the agency on home intelligence, said some of the files
it had with it, were destroyed.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) initially told the Commission
that it only had files
on Netaji's presumed ashes and the announcement conferring Bharat
Ratna on him, and since they "did not have any bearing on the
inquiry," they could be overlooked. However, when the Commission
persisted, the MHA claimed
privilege on them.
Later, Home
Secretary Kamal Pande said: "I have examined the documents...
the disclosure will lower the image of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose…,
cause injury to the public interest…, hurt the sentiments of
the people at large and may evoke wide-spread reactions. Diplomatic
ties with friendly countries may also be adversely affected..."
These files indicate, among other things, that the Cabinet Secretariat
was discussing the controversy of Netaji's death even in 1994. The
Government had been rattled over articles hinting at Netaji's life
after death in a Russian weekly 'Asia
and Africa Today'.
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