Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: It has been a mystery which has remained unsolved for the past 68 years – that of the death of the founder of Indian National Army, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. But as time went by, most of the people in India came to believe that he had died in a plane crash in Taipei even though a section of people never accepted the theory.
In an exclusive interview to Zee News, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s daughter, Anita Bose Pfaff, said on Saturday that she was fairly convinced that her father had died in the unfortunate plane crash. “The most likely cause of Netaji’s death was the plane crash. That is more or less a consistent story beyond just mere speculation. Yes, I am fairly convinced that he died in the plane crash.”
Talking about the impact that it had on her mother, Anita said, “When my mother heard the news she was devastated. But then as time went by, she accepted the fact.”
On the mystery surrounding her father’s death, Anita maintained that there was no reason that if Netaji was hiding somewhere as many believed, then he would not have contacted his family later on and come back to India after the country became free.
“After India became independent, there was great speculation that he had gone underground and would eventually return to his country, which never happened. History is not always consistent,” she said.
Anita Bose does feel sad that the ashes of her father could not be brought back from Tokyo. “The government of India did try to bring back the ashes from Tokyo but I have a feeling that whichever political party was in power did not try enough to bring it back. There are many people in India who would have wanted Netaji’s ashes to be brought back to his own country," she said. “His ashes should be immersed in the River Ganges,” she added.
On a sad note, Anita Bose said, “In many ways Netaji was not given his due. My father worked for India and gave up so many things for his uncompromising beliefs about his country’s independence. So just to remember the mystery surrounding his death is certainly not a very respectable way of dealing with him.”
With a tinge of nostalgia, she added, “I was only four weeks old when my father saw me last.”
To the young people of India Netaji’s daughter said, “Take example from the life of my father and contribute to the nation in some way.”
Her husband, Prof Pfaff and Netaji’s son-in-law, said in a proud voice – “Not only for India but also for Germany and other countries, he was an idealist who was ready to devote his whole life for a cause. He is a role model for everyone all over the world.”
Anita Bose lives in Germany with her husband.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose disappeared on August 18, 1945 when he was just 48 years old. Three commissions were set up subsequently by the Indian government after 1947 to find out the cause of the plane crash.
The first two commissions said that there was credence to the theory of plane crash but the third commission set up in 1999 did not support the theory and said that no plane crash had taken place in Taiwan on the said date.
The Mukherjee commission's final report was submitted in Parliament in 2006. The report was rejected by the Congress-led UPA government.
First Published: Saturday, February 02, 2013, 20:30