New Delhi: Demanding declassification of files related to Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, members of a forum -- Long March 4 Netaji – carried out hunger strike and agitation at Jantar Mantar in the national capital on Tuesday. They demanded that secret files, documents and probes related to the mysterious disappearances and death of the Azad Hind Fauj founder and former Congress national president Subash Chandra Bose be made public.
National Convenor of the organisation Amlan Kusum Ghosh told Express said the foundation’s members will not stop agitation till all the files related to Netaji made public. He accused Congress-led UPA Government as well as the current BJP-Government of not being serious about the issue. “The government is hiding around 70,000 pages and 180 files. These should be made public and the country must know what happened to Netaji,” said Ghosh adding that “all governments have cheated us”.
He also said that the Home Minister Rajnath Singh had promised to declassify all the files in 2013 when he was BJP president. “But now, when he is in the Home Minister, we fail to understand why the government is hiding files related to Netaji.”
He also critcised the snooping done on Netaji’s family members from 1948-68, as was reported by some declassified documents in April. He along with 37 people sat on indefinite hunger strike and vowed to carry out agitation regarding this. Along with Ghosh, family members of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters also sat on indefinite strike.
But later in the day, when they got assurance from the Central Government, they ended the strike. “The government has assured Brigadier (retired) RS Chikara that all the files will be declassified in phased manner so we ended fast,” Ghosh said. Brigadier (retired) RS Chikara is executive vice chairman of the Netaji Trust and has been fighting for to declassification of files related to Netaji.
He also that Prime Minister Office has assured them that their demands will be fulfilled and that they need some time to do so.