National

Netaji's family surprised by Taiwan's denial of air crash

By Marcus Dam

KOLKATA, FEB. 4. A niece (by marriage) of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and chairperson of the Netaji Research Bureau, Krishna Bose, is both "intrigued and surprised" at the Taiwanese authorities' ruling out any air crash at Taihoku on August 18, 1945, in which Netaji is widely believed to have died.

The authorities have reportedly assured the one-man Netaji Commission of Inquiry of Justice M.K. Mukherjee that proof substantiating the claim will be provided. The disclosure is expected to raise fresh questions about Netaji's death, events leading to which are presently being inquired into by the Commission.

Prof. Rajat Kanta Ray, historian, who has studied Netaji's life, is sceptical. He said there was "overwhelming evidence in favour of Netaji dying in a plane crash in Taihoku."

"Records of the Taiwanese Government of that period in the Second World War when the Japanese-occupation was collapsing are not expected to be complete and exhaustive," he said. "The easiest way of resolving the matter is to have a DNA test done on his remains" (kept in an urn in Renzogi in Tokyo), said Prof. Ray.

Many stories

"For 60 years and despite some initial reluctance on the part of the incredulous we have held on to this theory concerning his death... 99 per cent sure that the crash had occurred," said Mrs. Bose.

Mrs. Bose, along with her late husband and nephew of Netaji, Sisir Kumar Bose (driver of the car in which Netaji escaped from Kolkata and subsequently the country on January 16-17, 1941), has enquired into Netaji's death over the past few decades.

"Many stories have been floating around regarding the death, some saying that he had gone into sanyas... But at least seven survivors of the crash have deposed to two previous Commissions inquiring into Netaji's death stating that he was killed in the crash at Taihoku," Mrs. Bose said.

PTI reports:

The Taiwan Government has informed the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry that the air crash had never taken place on August 18, 1945 .

Mr. Justice Mukherjee told newspersons here that the Taiwanese authorities confirmed to him, during his recent visit to that country, that there was no record of any air crash at Taihoku — the old name of Taipei — between August 14 and September 20, 1945.

Mr. Justice Mukherjee, who was speaking to the media after a routine hearing of the Commission, said the authorities had promised to provide documentary proof within 15 days.

They confirmed the genuineness of two e-mails sent by the Taipei Mayor and Minister of Transportation and Communication to Anuj Dhar, a journalist, stating that there was no air crash during that period. "The Mayor of Taipei and the External Affairs Ministry of the Taiwan Government confirmed to us the e-mails were genuine," he said. The message by the Minister of Transportation and Communication, Lin Ling-San, stated: "... during the period August 14 to October 25, 1945, no evidence shows that one plane had ever crashed at the old Matsuyama Airport (now Taipei Domestic Airport) carrying Mr. Subhash Chandra Bose."

He said that the Commission would wrap up its findings and finalise its report by May 15, 2005, after cross-examining more witnesses this month.

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