Declassified MI-5 records could spark off controversy about Subhas Boses personal life The declassification of the MI5 file on AC Nambiar, an associate of Subhas Chandra Bose in Germany, could revive the old controversy about Boses marriage with his one-time Austrian secretary Emilie Schenkel. A reading of some of the documents in the file No KV2/3904 released last Friday at the National Archives in the United Kingdom wont go down well with many. Nambiar, who was depicted as a witness to Boses secret Hindu marriage to Emilie in Nazi Germany in 1941 in Shyam Benegals 2004 movie Forgotten hero, comes across as making irreverent remarks about Boses personal life in the MI5 file. It is safe to assume that the choice of words used in the file reflects the mindset of the British officers and their Indian lackeys, rather than that of late Nambiar. In September 1945 Nambiar was interrogated over 5 weeks by Captain Naurang Singh Bains of the Indian Army. Expressing appreciation for Bains good work, the Intelligence Bureau in New Delhi stated that an improvement in language may have occurred when the original statement was being abridged. (Pls see the document image on the right) Bains interrogation report made the following comments about Subhas Boses personal life in Germany: In December 1942, Bose went to Vienna to spend Christmas with Frl. Schenkel and his daughter. The child had been born in September after a period of acute indecision for Bose. He had rejected any other course and had decided to keep the matter a very close secret, although he had considered marrying Frl. Schenkel and accepting what he considered to be the inevitable consequence of retirement from his political career, when the story should become known to his followers in Europe and in India. Faltes had advised against marriage and Frl. Schenkel had accepted Boses decision but hoping that with the success of his mission he would be able to regularise their relationship. I believe that with the failure of all his plans Bose will now give up political activity in order to be able to rejoin Frl. Schenkel and his child. In the appendix to Bains report, Emile Schenkel has been described as Boses mistress who stayed throughout with Bose in his house as his wife. She left Berlin in July 1942, as she became pregnant and a daughter was born to Bose in September or October 1942. ...In December 1942 Schenkel returned to Berlin in Boses house until the time of his departure (8.2.43). She knew all the secret correspondence which Bose had with various people to start his movement. A noting on the file elsewhere suggests that MI5 possessed a file on Emilie. Probably its still there, classified. Subsequent documentation on the file relate to Intelligence Bureaus S B Shetty forwarding the MI5 the text of a August 1947 letter Nambair had written to Amiya Nath Bose, nephew of Subhas Bose. The MI5s reading of the letter is shown on the right in the combo image. It reads: There can be little doubt that AC Nambiar in his letter to AN Bose is referring to the existence of an illegitimate daughter born to Subhas Chandra Bose in Viennat towards the end of 1942 by the latters companion and secretary and Emilie Schenkel. There were very few Indians who were aware that Bose had become the father of a child during his stay in Germany, but Nambiar was one of them. One may hazard the conjecture that the very prominent person referred to by Nambiar is Pandit Nehru, who undoubtedly knows the main facts, and that the person who has returned from Europe is possibly NG Ganpuley, who was one of Boses co-workers in Berlin. Germany-based Surya Kumar Bose, eldest son of Amiya Nath Bose, has the following reaction to make after taking a look at the MI5 file. Nambiar was not a witness to Netajis Hindu marriage ceremony in January 1942. Netaji confided in Girija Mookerjee [who was also in Germany at that time] about his marriage to Emilie Schenkl. In legal terms this was not a valid marriage between a German citizen and a foreigner during the Third Reich. Netaji did not want to ask favour of the German government for permission to marry and also for reasons of secrecy and safety for Emilie and Anita, it was necessary to keep the relationship on a low key. I remember Girija Mookerjee telling me that quite often when Netaji wanted to discuss in secret with him, they would take a walk in the garden and speak in Bengali. Netaji was quite aware that the Nazi government had set up bugs (microphones) in his home as well as office and were keeping a close watch on his movements! One of the few persons he trusted apart from Emilie was Girija Mookerjee. A clarity on all controversies relating to Netaji could only be achieved when the Government of India, the repository of the biggest chunk of secret records about him, undertakes a declassification drive with a view to bring about a closure to all pending issues. All members of the Bose family, except a small influential section with links to the Congress party, are in favour of declassification. Contrary to what many believe, classified Indian government files are not just about Netajis disappearance but also his life and times, including the question of his marriage. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modis office turned down an appeal from Chandrachur Ghose of subhaschandrabose.org to reconsider the 2013 decision of the PMO not to release three files about the widow and daughter of Shri Subhash Chandra Bose. The PMO upheld the previous decision of the office to deny Ghose these secret files because their release would prejudicially affect relations with foreign countries. ----------------------------------- Related news: Latest batch of MI5 files released (National Archives, Kew) nationalarchives.gov.uk/news/968.htm PMO refuses to release files on Netajis widow, daughter (Times of India) timesofindia.indiatimes/india/PMO-refuses-to-release-files-on-Netajis-widow-daughter/articleshow/21825213.cms Via:Anuj Dhar
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 17:30:03 +0000