New Delhi, Nov 30 (ANI): In a first instance of its kind, the United State Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has declassified and released records that estimate that most Indians believe that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was alive in Siberia and waiting to make a big come back.
"It is now currently rumoured in the Delhi area that the Netaji is alive and is in Siberia, where he is waiting for a chance to make a big come back," the records state.
Recently the CIA has released two documents of 1950 related to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS) said even four years of his reported death Netaji and the spectre of his return from the then USSR remained strong enough in the minds of the people.
Netaji's relative Madhuri Bose and Delhi based writer Anuj Dhar sought the release of these documents under the US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The released documents were prepared by a 'usually reliable source' whose name has been withheld by the agency.
The CIA Information Report on the subject "Comments on Political Situation" [in India and Pakistan] was marked confidential before it was declassified and sent to Dhar last week.
In these documents, the source says that the belief of Bose's presence in USSR after his so-called disappearance was equally rooted among the elite, as with the common man.
According to the source's estimation, India in 1950 faced "some real potential danger", that is in the form of Bose.
In one of the documents the source said: "Recently his (Bose) life story was told in the Indian movies and I attended several different native theatres to study native reaction. Every time that the actor representing. Bose appeared on the screen, he was loudly applauded. This expression of great enthusiasm clearly indicated to me that Bose is a National hero, and in the eyes of the man on the street, I think he ranks next to Ghandi [sic]."
It also added "The native Indian explanation for this is found in the fact that Bose took definite action against British rule."
The records also revealed that "several educated Indians" told the source of their fear of the USSR sending "an imposter for Bose into India".
"If Bose or an imposter should return, it is probable that a great many of the people would accept his leadership," source stated.
Speaking to ANI, Dhar said : "Though the number of documents released is small, but it nevertheless marks a big leap for our nascent drive for ending the excessive official secrecy in India."
He also expressed hope that when the world's top intelligence agency has displayed its fairness in recording that declassified documents, our government will also follow the same.
Dhar, whose RTI application seeking information about the mysterious disappearance of Netaji was rejected by the PMO quoting security reasons asked: "When the CIA can declassify records on Bose, what stops our government from releasing dozens of secret files they are sitting on?"
In the released documents, the source also appeared to be "concerned over the strength of the RSS which was demonstrated last Spring (1950) when Golwalkar [sic] came to Delhi after his release from jail."
"People in Delhi were very much impressed by the number of guards and militant manner in which they guarded every street corner. He drew one of the largest crowd drawn by any person in Delhi when acres and acres of enthusiastic people attended one of his speeches," the record states about Golwalkar's rally.
Talking of Hindu-Muslim friction in the subcontinent in the wake of partition, the source observed that in his impression the differences between India and Pakistan "at the present time are not basically religious, but are largely nationalistic and economic."
Commenting over the remarks the RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya said: "There is nothing new revelation in it. Earlier the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) also made such remarks." By Shreeraj Gudi (ANI)
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