With Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announcing his government's decision to declassify documents related to Subhas Chandra Bose beginning January 2016, Bose's daughter Anita Bose Pfaff has welcomed the government's decision. Excerpts from the interview: Were you invited for this meeting of family member with the Indian Prime Minister? If yes, then why did you not attend it? If no, why do you think you were not invited? Members of the Bose family were invited to the meeting with the Prime Minister. So I take it that the invitation included me as well. When the final date was given to our family my nephew Chandra Bose asked me whether my husband and I would be able to attend. Since I had already requested the Prime Minister for an appointment during my next planned visit to India, which he very kindly agreed to, I did not come for this meeting today. (One major reason for not going to India at short notice now was also that I am presently involved in coordinating the volunteer refugee relief work in my town.) I sent a letter to the Prime Minister supporting my relatives' request for classification. If you were to attend the meeting or meet the Prime Minister anytime soon, what would you tell him? Amongst other things I will thank him for his decision and encourage his efforts to convince foreign governments to open their files on matters of interest to India as well. What is your reaction to the announcements made by the Prime Minister today? Will it make a material difference to how you have looked at the narrative surrounding your father's death? I am very pleased that the Prime Minister took this step now. I must confess I was surprised that the decision was announced today already. But maybe the step by the West Bengal Chief Minister to declassify documents held by the Bengal government added a further incentive in this direction. That all depends on whether the files wil contain any information beyond reports on investigations and ongoing speculations. How do you react to the involvement of this extended family to appropriate the legacy of your father, especially when you are clearly his legal heir? Does it disturb you in any way? There is certainly no reason to criticize any relative of mine or any other person to demand the declassification of closed files. On the contrary I am grateful that some persons did and could afford the energy and time to work towards that end. I do not claim a monopoly on that effort. Afterall demanding access to historic files is not a family matter but in the interest of the public at large. Netaji is not my or my family's "property" but part of the Indian heritage. What do you expect to see in the files that are likely to be declassified by the Indian government, and perhaps foreign governments? Do you expect to be surprised by them? I expect a wide range of information - from smaller insignificant facts of interest to specialized historians to some rather surprising facts. Maybe it will also shed new light on some actions of historic persons which will make them appear less than gracious. This would explain why the files were not declassified earlier, it does not excuse this action or rather inaction, however.
