By Vijaya Sharma

For one full year after the reported death of Subhas Bose on August 18, 1945 in an air-crash in Taihoku, the British were still discussing ways of dealing with him.

With the British Intelligence keenly tracking every move of Subhas Bose, they would have been the first to know of his "death". Lord Wavell, the then Viceroy of India had set up a highly efficient secret service and had first hand access to information through the wide network of the Intelligence Bureau.

Of prime importance to the British were the activities of Subhas Bose. His immense popularity in India and reports that he was mobilising forces in Southeast Asia to attack the British had put the Intelligence Bureau on high alert.

Yet, when the news first came on August 24, 1945, Lord Wavell recorded in his diary: "If Subhas Bose had planned to go underground, the crash story is just the kind of story that would be put out."

It is a telling point that nowhere does the British documents record Subhas Bose's 'death'.

There is, on the other hand, documentary evidence to prove that Britain had information of Subhas Bose's whereabouts.

Transfer of Power
In the VIth volume of "Transfer of Power", a letter dated August 23, 1945 and marked "Top Secret" from Sir R. F. Mudie, Home Member, Viceroy's Executive Council, discusses six different ways of dealing with Subhas Bose. The first option, "Bring him back to India and try him," and the sixth option says, "Leave him where he is and do not ask for his surrender..."

It goes on to say, "...if he were tried in India, the pressure for his release would be too great ...".

Another revealing point in Vol VI, "Transfer of Power", is where it talks about the possibility of Bose being in Russia. The final "choice is between deporting and interning Bose outside India or trying him in India and commuting the death sentence. The two might be combined and Bose deported (or "transported") after conviction... ."

Clearly, the British knew his wherabouts as they were discussing ways to deal with him. This discussion takes place four days after Subhas Bose's "death"

British concern on what might happen if Bose were to return does not die down.

On Sep 2, 1945, a letter from Sir J Colville to Lord Penthick-Lawrence L/PO/10/22, Private and secret, No. 32 notes that "... Nehru ... is also anxious about Bose and the I.N.A." and nationalist Press is rooting for full war honours for Bose and his followers and opposing his treatment as a criminal.