Netaji's 'last remains' create controversy

[Guest guest]

Netaji's 'last remains' create controversy

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Monideepa Banerjie

Thursday, January 23, 2003 (Kolkata):

 

 

How Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose died is a mystery, which has never

been solved and continues to intrigue the public imagination. Today

is the 106th anniversary of the veteran freedom fighter.

 

The last known photograph of Netaji was taken two days before he is

believed to have died in the Taiwan plane crash. Netaji's aide, the

late Habibur Rehman, had testified that Netaji was cremated, his

ashes collected in a metal urn and sent to Japan's Renkoji Temple.

 

Now, for the first time, the ashes have been photographed and

submitted to the Justice Mukherjee Commission as evidence and it has

fuelled fresh controversy.

 

The two main points of contention: instead of a metal urn, the

photographs show a wooden casket. And instead of ashes, there are

fragments of bone and teeth.

 

Justice M K Mukherjee, Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry,

said, "Another objection was, the question of these bones etc found

in the casket examined by DNA experts should not arise at this stage.

Let it be first decided whether Netaji died in that accident. And

then only the question of DNA test will come."

 

The Mukherjee Commission is also investigating claims that a sadhu at

Faizabad who apparently died in 1985 may have been Netaji.

 

The sadhu's possessions will be tested for a DNA match with this man,

one of Netaji's nephews, who has always questioned the plane crash

theory.

 

Subrata Bose, Netaji's nephew and Forward Bloc, MLA, said, "I think

there is pressure, both from internal and external forces, that if

the real information comes out, there could be a turmoil."

 

Sugata Bose, Professor, History, Harvard University, and one of

Netaji's grandnephews, regrets that the remains of the Faizabad sadhu

are being treated with the same seriousness as the Renkoji remains.

 

"And I hope that the Honorable Justice will make the distinction

between absurd stories which have zero possibility of having taken

place and historical events that actually did take place or have at

least a 99 per cent probability of having occurred," said Sugata Bose.

 

The Mukherjee Commission is the third inquiry into the Netaji mystery

in the last 57 years and will, hopefully, put to rest, once and for

all, questions over his death.