Lok Sabha Debates
Issues Related To Surveillance On Subhas Chandra Bose By The Then Government. on 21 April, 2015
Sixteenth Loksabha an> Title: Issues related to surveillance on Subhas Chandra Bose by the then Government.
PROF. SUGATA BOSE (JADAVPUR): Thank you very much, Madam Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to speak after several local and State matters have been raised. I am raising an important issue of national and historical importance.
The whole country has been shocked by revelations in recently opened files such as these that the Government of India through its intelligence agencies conducted intrusive surveillance for two decades after Independence on freedom fighters who made huge sacrifices for the nation under the leadership of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The surveillance included opening, reading and copying the correspondence between Netaji’s nephew and freedom fighter Dr. Sisir Kumar Bose in Kolkata and Netaji’s wife Emilie in Vienna. There is also evidence that veterans of the Azad Hind Movement including S.A. Aiyer, Netaji’s Minister of Publicity were put under surveillance in Mumbai. The Government – I see the Home Minister is present here – must immediately clarify the reasons for this surveillance and under whose orders it was carried out, the date on which the surveillance began, the date on which it ended, and the reasons for the gross invasion of privacy of the law-abiding citizens and freedom fighters. This is not a family matter. It is an important national and historical matter. That must not be allowed to degenerate into party political controversy. A decision should be taken at the highest political level to immediately release all files more than 50 years old in order to put an end to unnecessary speculation.
Madam Speaker, you will remember that at the historic midnight session on 15th August, 1997, the 50th Anniversary – you must have been present – the voices of three iconic leaders of India’s freedom struggle, Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose had been played in the Central Hall of Parliament. Let us be respectful towards all of these great leaders while we address this important and sensitive issue. Let us not forget the primary lesson from Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s life and work that united all of the religious communities of India, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, and all of the linguistic groups in a glorious battle for freedom. To honour his memory, let us make sure that the minorities in this country feel safe, secure and continue to enjoy equal rights in this great country of ours.
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker.
HON. SPEAKER:
Shri Gaurav Gogoi, Shri Rajesh Ranjan, Kumari Sushmita Dev, Shri Bhairon Prasad Mishra, Shri P.P. Chaudhary, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Shri P.K. Biju, Dr. A. Sampath, Shri M.B. Rajesh, Shri Sankar Prasad Datta, Adv. Joice George, Shri M.K. Raghavan, Shrimati P.K. Shreemathi Teacher and Shri Jose K. Mani are permitted to associate with the issue raised by Prof. Sugata Bose.