By K R Malkani

I take it that Subhas Bose died in the air crash in Taiwan as announced, on August 18, 1945. His most trusted colleague Habibullah who was with him, confirmed it.

The late Mr. Lokumal, Indian National Army (INA) treasurer in Saigon, used to tell that he himself had seen Netaji's dead body. To say that there is no photograph, no post-mortem report and that there are different reports about the time of explosion, his treatment, his cremation among other things is not enough to disprove the fact of the crash and his subsequent death.

There is also a school of thought which says that he planned to seek sanctuary in Russia. This is not possible. Japan had surrendered before the British and it would not have dared to incur the wrath of England by sending away it's enemy No.1 Subhas to the "security" of Soviet Russia.

Also, in August 1945, Russia was an ally of the West and an enemy of Japan. Neither Japan would send out Subhash - nor would USSR accept him. He was too hot a potato for all of them.

In any case, Subhas had never been pro-Russia and the Communist Party of India (CPI), Russia's arm in India, was dead opposed to him. So it must be accepted that Subhas died in that crash on August 18, 1945.

However, a much bigger question is whether it was a bonafide crash or a kamikaze (suicide) crash. I think it was the latter.

It was a brand new bomber which took off vertically when, surprisingly, within seconds one engine flew out and the rear wheel rolled away. The plane broke into two parts and crashed to the ground. It was like one of those circus cars, which, apparently alright, go to pieces before your eyes.

It is true that Japan's senior Commander Gen. Shidei also died in the same crash. But that only reminds us of the plane crash which killed not only Zia but also the US ambassador in Pakistan. Suicides and murders are part of desperate situations.

There is a background to my belief that it was a suicide crash.

It is generally believed that Japan surrendered because of the A-bomb on Hiroshima. This is not true. Even before Hiroshima, Tokyo was burning as a result of the carpet bombing by USA. Japan, therefore, had offered to surrender. However, this offer was not accepted immediately.

Instead, Japan was asked to send a secret high-power delegation to Portugal to meet British and American representatives. If we put two and two together, it is clear that, at this secret conclave, Japan was told, among other things, to finish off Subhas.