Bring Back His Mortal Remains…: Netaji’s Daughter Amid Tributes On His Birth Anniversary

New Delhi: On Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’ birth anniversary, Anita Bose Pfaff, daughter of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, has urged the central government to bring back her father’s mortal remains from Japan’s Tokyo, reports stated. This comes amid tributes pouring in for the freedom fighter on social media on his 128^th birth anniversary, celebrated as Parakram Diwas.

Pfaff highlighted for decades most Indian government either “hesitated or refused” to bring back Bose’s mortal remains, reported the News 18. Netaji’s ashes have been lying at Renkoji Temple in Tokyo for several decades.

The documents declassified by the Narendra Modi government in 2016 show successive governments believed that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was killed in an air crash in August 1945 but never went public with this assessment for fear of a public backlash, reported News 18.

According to media reports, a Cabinet note of February 6, 1995, signed by then home secretary K Padmanabaiah, read: “There seems to be no scope for doubt that he died in the air crash of 18th August 1945 at Taihoku. Government of India has already accepted this position. There is no evidence whatsoever to the contrary.”

Pfaff has pointed out such ‘hesitations’ in her renewed appeal to the Indian government. “For decades most Indian governments hesitated – or refused – to welcome his mortal remains back home. The priests of Renkoji Temple and the Japanese government were ready, willing and eager to let his remains return to his motherland,” she said, as quoted by News18.

Meanwhile, PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on Parakram Diwas. “On Parakram Diwas, I pay homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. His contribution to India’s freedom movement is unparalleled. He epitomised courage and grit. His vision continues to motivate us as we work towards building the India he envisioned,” he wrote on X.

“We have to remain united for a developed India…”

“Netaji formed the Azad Hind Fauj for the independence of the country. It included heroes and heroines from every region and every section of the country. Everyone’s languages ​​were different, but the sentiment was one – independence of the country. This unity is a huge lesson for developed India today. Then we had to be united for Swaraj, today we have to remain united for a developed India, today we need to stay together for ‘Viksit Bhara,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.