New book claims Netaji died in 1945

New book claims Netaji died in 1945

Context

Reports by Japanese and other international authorities have conclusively proved that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose died in an air crash on August 18, 1945, a new book has claimed

Book

Findings have been made in the book titled Laid to Rest: The Controversy over Subhash Chandra Bose’s Death by author Ashis Ray

Netaji’s remains

Netaji’s only living child and heir Anita Pfaff, has urged Japan and India to conduct DNA testing on the remains at the Renkoji shrine of Tokyo for final confirmation

Backdrop

The air crash has long been at the centre of speculations as it was reported initially to be the cause of his death. However, mystery persisted over Netaji’s final moments and it was felt that he might have fled the crash site to avoid being arrested by the victorious Allied powers of the Second World War

Why the mystery?

Book claims that the tension between Netaji’s older brother Sarat Chandra Bose and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru might have played a role in preventing a frank conversation about the heartbreaking truth of Bose’s death which was confirmed by Japanese government in an interim report to the American general Douglas MacArthur, whose forces occupied Japan after its surrender in the Second World War

• Book states that the lingering doubts over Netaji’s death in the air crash might have resulted from the early death of Sarat Bose himself in 1950 as he alone could have made a public declaration on his brother’s death