People like to believe what they want to believe. Some believe there was no plane crash. Others believe Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was killed by the Communists in Russia. Some others trust that he came back to India in the guise of a Sadhu and lived for another 40 years. And there are yet others who are convinced that Netaji is still alive.
In the same way, it has become an established belief that to escape from the approaching Allied forces, Netaji decided to fly out of Singapore and take refuge in the Soviet Union. But why would he, in the first instance, choose to go further away, to Soviet Russia?
Also read: The Netaji Mystery: Marking the End of Another ‘Baba’ Story
Netaji was in a continuous cordial relationship with both Germany and Italy even after knowing about extermination camps and gas chambers in Europe, about the genocide of Ukrainians, Belorussians, Jews, and Russians. So, could Netaji expect a warm welcome awaiting him in the USSR?
Netaji’s nephew Professor Dwarka Nath Bose, who had visited the Archives in Russia along with the Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry, highlighted Russia’s aversion to Bose. He narrates:
“Subhas…. was eager to visit the Soviet Union as he was an admirer of Soviet planning. However, he was never granted a visa for this purpose…. Jawaharlal had gone to the Soviet Union earlier with his father and so had Tagore. So, why this aversion to Bose? It may be traced to his speech as President of the Indian Trade Union Congress in 1928 when he said among other things, ‘The Communist Party of India has done great damage to the Trade Union movement. They take their instructions from Russia, etc.’…. Even when he obtained a Soviet visa from Afghanistan in 1941 after his escape from India and was eager to get Soviet assistance, he was kept at arm’s length during his two-week stay in Moscow in March 1941 and never met anyone of consequence. Instead, he was put on a flight to Berlin.”
Dwaraka Nath Bose on Soviet attitude towards Bose.
Russia’s assessment of Netaji
The Russian view of Netaji those days – narrated by their analyst V.K. Touradjev – was that Bose was an MI-6 agent, not in the sense of a “paid functionary” but acted as a mole in the Axis camp.
Russian view of Subhas Chandra Bose
Soviet journalist David Zaslavsky – in an article published in Pravda way back on January 7, 1946 – characterised Bose as a “fascist rogue”, “on Hitlerite pay”, “in the pay of Japanese imperialists”, etc. In short, Bose was not trustworthy for them. Records show that during the war, there was no indication that Netaji was welcome in Russia, and Netaji knew it.
Russian view of Subhas Chandra Bose
On November 20, 1944, Netaji sent an appeal to the Soviet Ambassador in Japan, Y. Malik, seeking Soviet support in India’s struggle for independence. This letter was passed on to NKVD (a forerunner of the KGB) on January 3, 1945. The appeal failed.
Netaji’s appeal to Soviet Embassy in Japan, Nov 1944.
Japan refused to take Netaji to Russia
Japan, too, disapproved of Netaji’s plan to shift to Soviet Russia. On a request made to the Japanese government at the end of May 1945, whether they would be in a position to extend facilities to Netaji and some of his associates to go to the USSR, Tokyo flatly refused Netaji’s request, in mid-June. Instead, they asked him to continue his fight for liberation in the spirit of “live or die together”!
Japan’s refusal to take Netaji to the USSR
What next?
By May, it became clear to Netaji that the war in the eastern hemisphere was coming to its logical end. He decided with his inner Council of the Cabinet on May 17 in Bangkok, to switch over to underground activity operating from Indian soil. Directives were issued to the armed forces of the Indian National Army (INA) and to the Indian Independence League (IIL) to start moving clandestinely towards India for an armed revolution. He planned to involve the demobilised British army men, industrial workers of Ordinance factories, the peasants who suffered from the war, and political workers especially those having a leftist tendency.
Netaji himself was to return to Indian soil. It was decided that he would be dropped somewhere in Assam or Bengal. In case that was not possible directly, he was to proceed to Yunan, China, near the Burmese border from where he could slip into India.
Netaji decided to return to India: Debnath Das, GS, IIL Hq East Asia.
Debnath Das, general secretary of the IIL, remained the closest to Netaji during this period. Das was with him from January onwards in Burma and during the crucial months of May-July in Bangkok when Netaji was chalking out plans for post-Japan’s inevitable defeat. Das was the co-founder of the ‘Indian National Council’ set up in Bangkok in December 1941. He was the secretary when Rashbehari Bose was the president. He had the background of being a member of the underground revolutionary teams of Jugantar and Anushilon Samity. Das was appointed to head the mission.
Japan’s surrender
Netaji hurriedly returned to Singapore on August 13 after being informed of Japan’s surrender.
It was an emergency. The discussion at his house with all available military and civil chiefs continued throughout August 14 till the morning of August 15. It was decided that the Army would surrender as a separate entity.
Also read: Still Hidden After All These Years, India’s Official History of the INA and Japan’s Netaji Files
The members suggested that Netaji should leave Singapore and go away to some other safer place as the Allies would adopt a very vindictive attitude towards him.
Netaji said, “No!” He was prepared to face the consequences with his other colleagues. “The worst they can do is to put me against the wall and shoot me and I am prepared for it.”
Despite the strong suggestion that Netaji should not stay in Singapore, it was ultimately decided that he would stay there as he could not look for protection or help from any country.
Later in the day, Sarkar, legal adviser, who arrived from Bangkok, informed that General Isoda, Chief of the Japanese Liaison office attached to the Azad Hind Government in Bangkok, and Hachiya, Japanese Minister-designate to the Provisional Government of Azad Hind, were keen to render whatever service they could in Netaji’s plan to get away from Malaya and Siam so that he would not fall a prisoner in Anglo-American hands.
Netaji decided to leave for Bangkok.
In Bangkok
On arrival in Bangkok on the morning of August 16, before going to the IIL Headquarters, Netaji sat with the Japanese liaison officers at the residence of Isoda for the next stage of action. Isoda offered Netaji four alternatives:
- Netaji fly to Tokyo and seek shelter
- Surrender with his force in Bangkok to Lord Mountbatten
- Fly to Manila and surrender to General McArthur
- Proceed to Manchuria to join Russians who have occupied the area
Dropping Netaji somewhere in Assam or Bengal was totally out of their consideration. Netaji was compelled to choose the fourth option.
That the alternative choices were an eyewash is evident from the deposition made by Col. Yano who was present in the meeting Isoda had with Field Marshal Count Terauchi the previous night. It was arranged such that Netaji would arrive at Saigon and they would take Bose to Tokyo.
Late in the evening, Netaji called a meeting of all officers at his residence. There, he announced his decision to leave Bangkok for an “adventure into the unknown” with S.A. Ayer, Debnath Das, Colonel Habibur Rahman, Captain Gulzara Singh, Colonel Pritam Singh, and Major Abid Hasan, to continue the struggle for freedom.
The team left Bangkok early in the morning of August 17, for Saigon.
Where to? India?
Netaji never disclosed to any of his colleagues where he was going.
However, Debnath Das gave detailed information on Netaji’s plans. Das said, “It was Netaji’s plan to go to India and continue the country’s liberation fight from some underground centre. Japan agreed to take Netaji from Bangkok to somewhere in Bengal and agreed to take responsibility…”
It is “on this understanding, Netaji emplaned for Saigon, as according to the Japanese, it could have been easier for him and his officers to go to India through Saigon, as there was less vigilance of the Allied forces on that route.”
It was Netaji’s plan to go to India
At Saigon
On arrival at Saigon, while Netaji and his team were taking their much-needed rest, Isoda and Hachiya went up to Netaji’s room. Netaji immediately came out and woke up Debhath Das in the next room. He exclaimed, “You see! They are changing the Plan – I don’t know why – I think they are now taking me to Tokyo – just come and have a talk with General Isoda.” He asked Debnath to call all the other officers.
They all came and vehemently opposed Isoda’s plan. Debnath demanded that there should be no change in the plan and Netaji must be taken to India. The logical reason is that “even if we are captured, the people will come to know and help us.”
At Saigon, Japan changed the plan and took Netaji to Tokyo
They resented the idea of giving only one seat to Netaji. Isoda explained that it was not possible to get a separate plane for the party because of the flying restrictions imposed by the Allied forces. But as one plane is on the way to Tokyo, Netaji could be accommodated there. A bit later he agreed to give one more seat.
They felt helpless at the new move, so surprisingly made at Saigon where they were placed at the most disadvantageous position, far away from their own armed forces stationed in Bangkok, Singapore, and Moulmein.
They even pleaded, “If there are unimportant Japanese personnel, why, General, you do not ask them to wait for the next plane; let us all go together.” Isoda replied, “I do not know yet.”
When the team reached the aerodrome, they found the plane almost on the move. The plane was an old heavy bomber Mitsubishi Ki 21. It came from Singapore and had 11 Japanese army men on board including General Shidei, Chief of the General Staff in Burma, on transfer to Manchuria.
Rahman wondered why Isoda and Hachiya did not accompany Netaji to Tokyo. According to Debnath, Isoda was among those instrumental in effecting the change in the plan.
The plane took off late in the afternoon.
Netaji switched plans
Cajoled and forced to board a flight to Tokyo leaving his team stranded at Saigon, Netaji decided to get down at Dairen along with Genl. Shidei. From there, he would journey to Mukuden, the capital of Manchuria. It would have served no purpose to him for continuing the flight to Japan which had already surrendered.
What really happened at Taihoku
No sooner the plane was airborne, at about an altitude of 20-30 metres, there was the sound of an explosion followed by three to four loud bangs. The left engine fell off.
Rahman recorded, “Suddenly I heard a deafening noise as if some cannon shell had hit the starboard side of the plane.”
Habibur to Shah Nawaz Committee on the sound of canon shell hitting the plane (pp 14)
Nonogaki said, “I heard three or four loud bangs coming from the engine side.”
Takahashi said, “There was an explosion.”
Arai said, “I heard two loud noises and the plane started to dive.”
The plane nosedived. On crashing, the plane broke into two. Those at the back escaped through the door with minor injuries.
Netaji’s clothes got drenched with petrol from the explosion of the fuel tank in front and was engulfed in flames. Habibur’s hands and right side of face were burnt
The crash affected different persons differently. Seven people ultimately survived, with various degrees of injuries. Shidei and the pilots in front were burnt to the bones in their seats.
Netaji along with the other injured persons were taken to a nearby small military hospital. Netaji’s condition deteriorated. In spite of all efforts by the doctors, slowly, his life ebbed away. He breathed his last the same night.
The findings
After Japan’s surrender, they did not want themselves to be found by the Americans or the British, shielding Netaji.
If Netaji was found to re-emerge from India or from the Soviet Union with the help of the Communists, the bonafide of post-war Japan towards the British and the Americans would be at stake.
They, therefore, scuttled Netaji’s plan to fly out.
First, they tricked Netaji by not returning him to Indian soil. They diverted his plane towards Saigon on the plea that they could avoid the aerial vigilance of the Allied forces.
Then, they separated five of his six companions at Saigon and told him that he would be taken to Tokyo despite his strong rejection.
After a thorough investigation, the IIL’s finding was that the plane crash was deliberate. It was a manipulated ‘crash’. The intention was not to kill. But to spoil Netaji’s attempt to meet the Communists.
Japan’s secret Bose files
Japan has been continuously maintaining an evasive attitude toward Netaji. While every country in the world has opened up all Netaji files, Japan remains the only country to keep three files on Netaji ‘Secret’ even after 78 years.
This may well be construed as an indication of Japan’s dubious role in the life of Netaji.
Japan has the answer
Netaji was last seen with the Japanese at Taihoku. In the next few days, they declared Netaji is dead. Their investigative reports simply confirm the death. They do not say what led to the crash. They owe an explanation.
Canon shot-like “explosions” were reported by co-passengers Habibur, Nonogaki, and Takahashi, before the plane nose-dived. Would a falling propeller in full pitch, as is believed to be the reason of the crash, give a “deafening noise” inside the fuselage? Was it really a cannon shell that hit the engine? The take-offs at Saigon and Tourane, the previous halts, were okay. Why then the engine blew off at Taihoku despite offloading 600 kg of ammunition? The answers may lie in Japan’s three ‘Secret’ files.
Note: You can read other articles by the same author on the ‘mystery’ surrounding Bose’s death here, here and here.
Sumeru Roy Chaudhury is an architecture graduate from IIT, Kharagpur. He was the chief architect of the CPWD. He has studied the Netaji files and related documents in detail.
