August 18, 2025, is Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 80th death anniversary.

The year 1945 saw the end of World War II: The attack by the United States of America on Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs was the ultimate cause for Japan’s surrender. For India this meant the end of Japan’s support for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's and the Indian National Army’s struggle for India’s independence.

After Emperor Hirohito of Japan had announced the surrender of Japan in a nationwide radio message on 15 August 1945, Netaji set out to fly to Tokyo on 17 August. After a stop-over in Taipei on 18 August 1945, on take-off his plane lost an engine and crashed. He was one of the passengers who suffered severe burns, and he died of his injuries that same day. 

Netaji was cremated in Taipei, and his remains were taken to Tokyo. The head priest of the Renkoji Temple acceded to the request of members of the Indian community in Tokyo to keep Netaji’s remains safe “for a few months”. Almost 1000 months later Netaji’s remains still rest in Renkoji Temple, well taken care of and honoured by the third generation of head priests.

Once asked what he feared and abhorred most, Netaji is reported to have answered, “to be in exile”. In the 1930s he had returned to India from exile in Europe, even though he had been warned that he would be imprisoned immediately. He only escaped from India again when he had to avoid renewed imprisonment. From then on, he fought for India’s freedom from abroad – from exile, never to return alive.

As Netaji’s daughter I invite the Indians of today who still remember him and respect him to support his posthumous return from exile, to support the transfer of his mortal remains to India for a final disposal.

Anita Bose Pfaff is an economist and politician. She is the daughter of Subhas Chandra Bose and Emilie Schenkl.

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