The controversy surrounding the death of Netaji is manifold. Subhas Chandra Bose is fondly known as Netaji by the people of this country for his instrumental role in bringing India freedom.
This controversy was reignited after Sahai Commission, the latest team appointed to investigate the rumor that Netaji lived in Faizabad, UP as recluse ‘Bhagwanji’ or ‘Gumnami Baba. He died there on September 16, 1985.
The official recording of Netaji‘s death is that he died from a plane crash in Taipei, Taiwan ( former Taihoku, Formosa) on August 18 1945. His death was due to smoke inhalation and third-degree burn as is recorded by the doctors of then Japan-ruled Taihoku(now known as Taiwan).
Subhas Chandra Bose is one of the most revered freedom fighters of India and his sudden death was a shock to many Indians. His death gave birth to the most enduring and multi-layered mystery of the country. Many believed he did not die on August 18 and that report of his death was a trick to hoodwink then British Raj and allied force.
Some believe he fled to Soviet Russia after learning about the defeat of Germany and Japan and there he was imprisoned and tortured by Stalin for information in a Siberian gulag.
Another branch of the rumor is that he came back to India and lived as a recluse under the alias of ‘Bhagwanji’ or as named by in eastern Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad till 1985 and he died on September 16, 1985, in Faizabad and was cremated two days later.
His death had sparked various probes at first by the British Raj and allied force to confirm the most uncompromising nationalists were no more. Figgess Report 1946 was such an investigation in Netaji‘s death by the British government and this probe confirmed the death of Subhas Chandra from a plane crash in Taiwan.
After 1947 to 2019 there have been at least four commissions employed by the Indian government to investigate Bose’s death. First was the Shah Nawaz Committee in 1956 then Khosla Commission in 1970 and then Mukherjee Commission 2005 and the last one is Justice Vishnu Sahai Commission formed in 2013 followed by a High Court directive.
Vishnu Sahai Commission stoked the heat of controversy surrounding Netaji anew. This commissions report was tabled in UP’s Legislative Assembly recently in July.
Vishnu Sahai Commission was formed by the UP government followed by a PIL in which petitioner claimed reclusive Gumnami Baba was Netaji .’ Bhagwanji’ or ‘Gumnami Baba’ was called ‘an extraordinary person’ by High Court and then Samajwadi Party government appointed a team headed by Justice Vishnu Sahai. The commission submitted a 347-page report to the Governor in 2017.
But the finding of the commission was made public at the nod of the Yogi Adityanath government at Legislative Assembly in July this year. Justice Sahai said establishing a connection between Subhas Chandra Bose and Gumnami Baba was difficult, given the fact Gumnami Baba died in 1985 and the committee was formed in 2013 and the time gap was a big challenge.
However, the Sahai Commission after checking the articles and huge stack of letters left by Gumnami Baba did draw a parallel between Subhas Chandra and Gumnami Baba. The commission reportedly said Gumnami Baba was fluent in three languages English, Hindi, Bengali-like Netaji.
In the articles left by Baba, there are 555 Cigars and it seems another similarity of Baba with Bose as Subhas Bose loved cigars and music like Gumnami Baba.
There is also a stack of letters corresponding with INA soldier Pobitra Mohan Roy and photograph of Netaji family and Netaji’s parents.
“Gumnami Baba had deep knowledge about politics and would spend most of his time in meditation,” as was reflected in his choice of books and letters.
The commission is not sure if Gumnami Baba was Netaji or not. This seems to be another unwanted knot is already a tightly wound and severely knotted thread of mystery and rumor that swirls around Netaji even so many years after his death.
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