‘Bose is dead, govt should make it clear’

No, I don’t accept the findings. I am extremely disappointed with what Justice Mukherjee has inferred after investigating the case for seven years. What is the conclusive evidence that Justice Mukherjee has after so many years? He said he has circumstantial evidence that Bose did not die in the Taihoku crash but we spoke to all the seven survivors of the aircrash. My husband and I visited Taiwan several times 1965 onwards and several of our Taiwanese friends told us that documents from 1945 were not available since the new Government came into the picture only in 1949. Even Habibur Rahaman, who accompanied him on that last trip, said he died.

• The Government, like you, has rejected the Commission’s report. What should be done now?

I think the Government should come up with a clear-cut statement on Bose’s death. You do not need to waste so much of public money to say Netaji disappeared after the 1945 aircrash. Besides, Justice Mukherjee never even got the DNA of the remains examined. It was a gas cremation and there are plenty of bones among Bose’s remains as my husband found out when he visited Renkoji Temple in 1965. How can Mukherjee conclude that the ashes are that of a Japanese national and not Bose’s? I think the Government must seek clarifications from Justice Mukherjee. Also, the crash could have been an international conspiracy in a post-World War scenario.

• What would you want to be done with the ashes now?

Bose’s daughter, Anita Pfaff, and I both want the ashes to be returned to India with full honours. Anita said during her visit in January that she would take back the ashes to Germany if nobody in india wanted them. But that was a sentimental outburst. Even if the ashes are not Bose’s, we want to preserve them and the country wants to pay homage.

• So you do not want to know what happened to Bose in August 1945?

The people’s hope that Bose would come back one day to relieve them of their distress is a welcome idea. But the fact remains that he is dead now. He managed to escape twice but wasn’t third time lucky.