Netaji's Family Urges Return of Ashes in Urn from Japan Temple

Photo: PTI

A long-standing request to bring back the remains of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose believed to be in an urn at a Buddhist temple in Renkoji, Japan, has gained fresh attention. Some of Netaji's descendants have provided documentary evidence, claiming that the temple authorities have always been open to handing over the 'ashes' to India. This has countered the belief that there were roadblocks in retrieving the remains.

The demand to bring Netaji's remains back to India and perform DNA tests to confirm if they truly belong to him has been a strong wish of many of his admirers. These people are seeking closure to one of the biggest mysteries in India's history: whether Netaji died in a plane crash in Taiwan on August 18, 1945, or if he survived.

Reports from up to 10 national and international inquiries into Netaji's disappearance, now available in the national archives in New Delhi, have confirmed that he died in a Japanese military hospital in Taihoku (now Taiwan) due to the severe burn injuries he suffered in the crash. However, the Commission led by retired Supreme Court judge Manoj Kumar Mukherjee, which was the last panel formed by the Indian government, did not agree with the conclusions of the other committees. The Mukherjee Commission, which submitted its report in November 2005, said that Netaji was indeed dead but did not die in the plane crash, as widely believed. The Commission also claimed that the ashes in the Japanese temple were not of Netaji. The Indian government rejected these findings.

Some members of Netaji’s family argue that the confusion about a "lack of cooperation" from the Renkoji temple might have started after the Mukherjee Commission's report. The Commission had blamed the "reticence" of the temple authorities for not allowing experts to inspect the urn and take bone samples for DNA testing.

On the eve of Netaji's 128th birth anniversary, Chandra Kumar Bose, Netaji's grand-nephew, urged the Indian government to respond to the many letters sent by Prof. Anita Bose Pfaff, Netaji’s daughter, and other family members regarding the arrangements to bring Netaji's remains back to India. He emphasized that Netaji had sacrificed his life for India's freedom and it was disrespectful that his remains were still in Japan. He added that there was conclusive evidence supporting the claim that the remains in the urn were indeed of Netaji, based on 10 different inquiries. If the government disagreed, he said, they should issue a clear statement. "Silence is an insult to the memory of this great leader," he said.

Madhuri Bose, Netaji’s grand-niece, also pointed out that Reverend Mochizuki, the head priest of Renkoji temple, as well as the Indian and Japanese governments, had been supportive of DNA testing on the remains. She added that some key parts of the translation from Japanese in the Mukherjee Commission report were "missing." According to her, these missing parts showed that the temple authorities were willing to let the remains be tested, with the hope that returning them to India would bring peace to the spirit of the first Reverend Mochizuki.

Many members of the Bose family firmly believe that Netaji died in 1945 due to his injuries from the crash. They insist that those who believe otherwise should bring solid proof to support their theories. Surya Kumar Bose, the eldest son of Netaji’s nephew, Amiya Nath Bose, confirmed that during his visit to Renkoji temple in 2019, the priests there were still open to handing over the remains for scientific testing. He met the current head priest and the widow of the priest who had spoken to Justice Mukherjee and found them consistent in their willingness to cooperate.

Sumeru Roy Chaudhury, an author and researcher, also highlighted that declassified government files revealed at least two letters exchanged between the Indian government and Japan—one from the 1990s and another later on. These letters showed that the Indian government had no political interest in bringing back the remains. Despite this, the question of Netaji's remains remains unresolved, and many people still seek closure.

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