We met PM Modi to declassify files: Why Netaji must not end as a mystery
October 14, 2015. Number 7, Race Course Road in the capital city. It is 6 in the evening and there is a cold wind blowing. Leaves from the nearby trees fall on the beautifully scythed lawns. The sky darkens. A light drizzle starts to fall. In his trademark Gujarati-accented Hindi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks: "Look, your arrival has turned around the weather. I feel even the nature was awaiting this moment. At a time when the nation celebrates Durga Puja, this drizzle after my annoucement certainly bodes well for the future. We can create history only by correcting it."
All the people gathered in front of him, including me, and my "Mission Netaji" friends, gave him a standing ovation. Yes, Indian history is going to be rewritten after a long wait of 70 years. With that, the world will come to know the truth about a patriot who has been stifled by bureaucratic red tape. The story of a man who had urged his countrymen to sacrifice their lives at the altar of the freedom movement is going to be unveiled. The man, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, is still the prince among patriots.
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Officially, Netaji died in a plane crash in Taiwan on August 18, 1945. But our government has been sitting on a pile of secret information about him. It is baffling this happens in a country which re-examines secret records every five years. In light of new evidences, the majority disbelieve in the plane crash story about Netaji's death.
The prime minister said that it does not befit the nation to still keep files about Netaji secret. He blamed the bureaucracy for turning down the Right to Information (RTI) appeals in this matter citing several reasons that do not make any sense today. Modi said he believes in transparency and will continue to show respect to national heros like "Subhas babu". No doubt his decisions will create uneasiness among the bureaucrats, but his hinting that the bureaucracy dictates things in a democracy must be looked at with the seriousness it deserves.
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The files are kept secret because they, according to the government, will affect India's soverignty, foreign relations, and law and order. But Modi said the government is studying those aspects carefully, which is why he also invited home minister Rajnath Singh and foreign affairs minister Sushma Swaraj to the meeting. He said he would study all aspects of declassification, but would still go ahead with the release of "all files" about Netaji - a decision that is no less than commendable.
One of the main requests we had for the prime minister was that he should ask the heads of foreign countries to declassify any information they might have about Netaji. Modi said, "You wanted me to do it, and I am going to do it." It is no secret today that countries like Russia, US, Britain, Germany, France, China, Japan, Myanmar and Vietnam are holding secret information about Netaji. He promised he would contact the heads of state of these countries and do his best to reach a closure in this matter.
As the first step, Modi said he would raise the matter directly with Russian president Vladmir Putin during his Russian visit in December. Then he would declassify the first set of files on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji, next year. Modi is of the view that history, if written incorrecty, should be rewritten. The factual errors in school text books must also be corrected.
The meeting was historic on several counts. It also created several "firsts". It was the first time a prime minister was hosting the Netaji family. It was the first time a prime minister was discussing this matter with researchers. It was the first time a prime minister was announcing the decision to declassify the files. It is the first time a prime minister is going to discuss the matter with foreign governments openly. Though I am happy that I was also a part of this historical event, the efforts of "Mission Netaji" will reach the destination only after the mystery is resolved once and for all.
One of the gifts we presented to Modi was a large photo collage of Netaji portraits. The following lines were written on it - "Embodiment of the past. Product of the present. Prophet of the future". These were the words a young 16-year-old Subhas wrote to his friend Hemanta Kumar Sarkar about his vision for the Indian youth. The life of a man who walked ahead of time must not end as a riddle in the pages of history. With optimism, the research continues - miles to go before we sleep.