File picture of Netaji’s daughter Anita Bose Pfaff
In a significant resurgence of calls for national recognition, Anita Bose Pfaff, the daughter of legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, has united with family members to demand the repatriation of her father’s mortal remains to India.
On the occasion of India’s 77th independence anniversary, Bose Pfaff emphasized that the remains of one of India’s greatest freedom heroes should be welcomed back home. “For 79 years, Japan, particularly three generations of head priests at Renkoji Temple in Tokyo, have provided a burial site for his remains. It is heartening to know that many in our country still remember him with both gratitude and affection,” she stated.
She reflected on the tragic events of August 18, 1945, when Netaji was believed to have perished in a plane crash in Taipei, unable to return to his beloved homeland.
Recently, Chandra Kumar Bose, Netaji’s grandnephew, contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging action to bring the remains back to Kolkata. While the family largely believes in Netaji’s death in the crash, there remains a segment that disputes this account.
“Every effort must be made to bring the mortal remains of an immortal hero back to India, the very land he fought to liberate. I earnestly request that the remains be returned from Renkoji by August 18, 2024,” Mr. Bose articulated in his letter to the Prime Minister, dated July 28.
However, G. Devarajan, General Secretary of the All India Forward Bloc, released a statement condemning the calls for repatriation as “ill-intentioned.” He cited the findings of the last inquiry commission led by Justice Manoj Kumar Mukherjee, which purportedly concluded that Netaji did not die in the alleged plane crash.
