The Disappearance or Death of Subhas Chandra Bose

Bose Meeting Hitler courtesy of Bundesarchiv Digital Picture Archives

Subhas Chandra Bose was an Indian nationalist who spent years as an activist and rebel leader while Britain still had control of India. During World War II, he was first put on house arrest by the British and then escaped to seek help from the Nazis. His years of trying to make India an independent country and running from its foreign rulers eventually led to a mysterious disappearance that was said to have been the result of a plane crash.

Subhas Chandra Bose was born on January 23, 1897. He was one of 14 children. Despite this, he got a decent education from an early age and went on to study at the Presidency College. However, he did not complete his studies there. He attacked a professor who reportedly spoke out against India. Bose was expelled for the incident. He then studied philosophy at Scottish Church College and managed to secure a B.A. with assaulting anyone.

After graduating, Subhas Chandra Bose moved to Britain and went to Fitzwilliam College. However, he came home rather quickly because he did not want to work for Great Britain. His early sentiments foretold his future. He became involved in nationalist activities and found himself in tumbles with British authorities. While in jail in 1925, he came down with tuberculosis. This did not stop him from continuing his rebellious actions and appears to have made no difference in the length of his life.

In 1927, Subhas Chandra Bose began working with the Indian National Congress as their general secretary. This led to even more trouble with the law, but did nothing to curb his success. He became mayor of Calcutta in 1930. He was even briefly president of the Indian National Congress. However, opposition from Mohandas Gandhi led to his resignation. It was not this, but his massive protesting that saw him put under house arrest by the British. Once he escaped, his strategy was to turn to Britain’s enemies — the Axis powers.

Subhas Chandra Bose went to the Nazis for help, which only deepens the mystery surrounding his final years. With the help of many connections, he made it out of India through Afghanistan, Russia and Rome before he finally arrived in Germany in April of 1941. There, he had a great deal of support, or so it seemed. He was allowed to start the Special Bureau for India and raise an army of 4,500 Indian prisoners of war.

The soldiers of Subhas’ army answered to Hitler. Their allegiance was with him, but they recognized Subhas Chandra Bose as the leader of India. Though his power was actually very little, he did manage to make many connections. He met with men like Heinrich Himmler and Adolf Hitler himself. Bose discovered through these meetings that his German support was for appearances. They were very unlikely to help him invade India and win it back from the British. Those of us who can see this in hindsight may find it surprising that it took him nearly three years to figure that out. With Axis powers stretched to the brink and India being a much lesser target than the Soviet Union, it would have been foolish for the Nazis to invade there. Furthermore, it is surprising that a nationalist who loved his country would want the Nazis to invade. They were not exactly known for quick withdrawals.

In response to his discovery that his work in Germany was in vain, Subhas Chandra Bose snuck away to Japan, leaving his small army behind. By a stroke of luck or genius, he was able to take control of the Indian National Army, which had already been formed in Japan. Unfortunately for him, that army’s fate was tied to that of Japan. As Japan suffered defeat and was forced to surrender, so did the Indian National Army. So, up until this point, Bose is an enemy of Great Britain, an ardent nationalist, a supporter of violence for his cause, a friend of the Nazis, a deserter of the Nazis and a loser of World War II by association with Japan. Then, one day in August of 1945, he seemingly disappeared.

Subhas Chandra Bose’s alleged disappearance only lasted five days before there was an explanation. Granted, the explanation was a shoddy one in the eyes of many. It is said that his plane crashed in Taiwan. He survived the crash, but did not survive his injuries. Once he passed away, he was cremated, and the Japanese took him to the Renkoji Temple. Neither the body nor the ashes were presented to his countrymen or family. Skepticism was immediate, though his death was confirmed by a British spy whose name has not been revealed.

Those who believe Subhas Chandra Bose lived fall mainly into two camps. Some believe he went into hiding in the Soviet Union and faked his own death. Others believe he was imprisoned in the Soviet Union. Bose certainly had a lot of friends and enemies in many places. Either scenario is possible. Nonetheless, he is certainly dead by now.

Source

67 years on, govt can’t continue sitting on secret Bose files, retrieved 8/18/12, http://www.rediff.com/news/special/govt-cannot-keep-netaji-subhash-chandra-bose-files-secret/20120818.htm

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