Netaji's daughter slams Govt

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Netaji's daughter slams Govt

Chennai, Feb 20

Dr Anita Bose Pfaff, daughter of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose,

regretted that the Government had not given due prominence to her

father and justified the family's refusal to accept the Bharat Ratna

a few years ago.

 

Talking to mediapersons, Dr Bose, who was in the City on a private

visit, said the Government had not given official recognition to her

father's eminence.

 

She said her family turned down the Bharat Ratna, the country's

highest civilian award, as it felt that it was belated and looked as

if it was an 'after-thought' on the part of the Government.

 

"My father was, however, held in high esteem by the people of the

country, especially the people of Tamil Nadu from where he had huge

followers," she said.

 

The award offered by the Government was only a symbolic act, she said

and wanted it to do something substantial for freedom fighters.

 

"It would have been better had the Government helped the members of

of the Indian National Army floated by my father even though it had

failed to give him due recognition," she added.

 

Replying to a question, Dr Bose said her father though a staunch

socialist, was forced to make a compromise with fascist forces.

 

Asked whether it was because of such a compromise that the Government

had failed to give him official recognition, she said: "Probably yes."

 

On the controversy over the mysterious death of her father, Dr Bose

said this issue, which was being raked up from time to time, was

totally unwarranted and irrelevant. ""It is strange that there is

more focus on his death rather than his achievements," she pointed

out.

 

Instead of wasting time and money on the circumstances under which

Netaji died, it would be better if people followed his ideology which

was relevant even today.

 

Netaji had a vision for the empowerment of the downtrodden and women,

she added.

 

Capt Lakshmi of the INA, who was present at the Press conference,

dismissed the controversy relating to Netaji's death, as 'stupid and

irrelevant'.

 

She said papers relating to seeking refugee status for Netaji in

Russia were the only reliable document pertaining to him and the rest

were all forged.UNI