History
is porous
Rajat Das
Gupta 
The
controversy over de-classification of the documents relating to Netaji is about
7 decades old. Starting from day one of India’s Independence, we have watched
‘hush hush’ policy of our clever politicians regarding Netaji, and that legacy
has snowballed rather than waned while with several changes in our Government,
different ruling parties have stepped in as guardian of our nation. (Recent
assurance by Modi to de-classify these effective 23rd January 2016
shows a ray of hope).
Our crooked leaders possibly envisage that they can put history on Netaji under
wraps eternally. But history is porous and one such loophole regarding Netaji
is ‘Netaji Research Bureau’ who have in the course of time surfaced numerous
events/facts relating Netaji and his Army ‘Azad Hind Fouz’ or ‘Indian National
Army’ (INA), which reveal the simple truth that had Netaji’s ‘Delhi Chalo’
expedition been successfully completed, India would not be partitioned and
there would not be Hindu-Muslim divide which is plaguing our nation
exponentially. Before and even after Independence, Netaji was condemned by our
spineless leaders as ‘Tojo’s Dog’, while they themselves were ‘Dogs of the
British’ and none of them were able to think in Netaji’s dimension to launch a
full-scale war against the British.
Based on the said findings of ‘Netaji
Research Bureau’, Late Narayan Sanyal wrote his book in Bengali in 1970 – ‘Ami
Netaji-ke dekhechchi’ (I have seen Netaji) which is based on the narratives of
those who came in contact with Netaji and were part of INA. I earnestly wish,
this 512 page book be translated into English and other Indian languages and be
circulated through Websites for the sake of our posterity who should not be
brain-washed by the malicious propaganda our crooked leaders are trying to
circulate even to-day. I am trying to brief a part of the last chapter as
follows.
Anwar and Hargobind, as a part of INA fought
against the British. After Independence, Anwar joined Pakistan Army while
Hargobind joined Indian Army. They met face to face at the close of Indo-Pak
war in 1965, after long 19 years. I brief their encounter below.
Hargobind was assigned the duty of handing
over Pakistani Prisoners-of-War (POW) to the Pakistan Army. So, one morning
7.30 a.m. he marched the POWs to Atteri village (4.37 KM North East) to reach a
Darga (Muslims’ worship place) there. They halted about 100 yards East of the
Darga. About the same time, Pakistani Army personnel assembled 100 yards West
of the Darga. Hargobind approached the Darga only with one Adjutant. The
Commander of the Pakistan Army (Anwar) similarly came forward only with one
attendant. They stood face to face after long 19 years! They were trying to
assess each other how fogeyish they looked after this long time lapse. They
shook hands and after initial pleasantries exchanged the POWs.
Now it was time for departure. Hargobind
watched Anwar was growing restive. His own mind also was gathering storm. But
how to break the ice of the Army code? At last, Hargobind told Anwar, ‘Worry
not Brigadier, we’ll meet again’. In fact, he returned their dialogue at the
departing time while they were in INA, hoping to melt the ice. But Anwar did
not budge from his Army code and replied, ‘Pray to Allah, let not that misfortune
befall us again!’
Hargobind felt insulted, as his Fouzi dignity
was hurt before his Adjutant. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked. The Brigadier
replied., ‘Nothing much! If we meet again, it’ll be at the Border, you facing
West and I face East. I’ll be pleased to avoid such meet’. Hargobind missed his
words to reply back. He said, ‘Well, let’s depart’.
Now, Anwar looked more uneasy. Bit hesitant,
he asked, ‘Could I meet you in private, if that’s not inconvenient to you’?
‘Not at all, Hargobind replied. ‘ Then let’s go aloof’.
They stood aloof about 25 yards North. Both
of them smiled. Anwar asked, ‘How are you’?’ ‘Quite all right’, Hargobind
replied. Thereafter they exchanged family details. Yet, the ice was not
melting. At last Hargobind requested Anwar to keep one of his request which
was, before their departure, to join hands and give slogan together ~ ‘Jai
Hind’, with which Mantra they were baptized to Azad Hind Fouz.
Anwar was silent for a moment and his face
blighted. ‘What the hell he is thinking?’ Hargobind pondered. He stretched his
hand. But, with two hands in his pocket, Anwar stood stiff and said, ‘Pardon me
friend’.
Hargobind – ‘You won’t utter Jai Hind!’
Anwar – ‘No more possible to-day, brother.’
Hargobind – ‘Why?’
Anwar was non-respondent. Hargobind felt
dizzy. Can’t Anwar wish me ‘Jai Hind’! After long 19 years he won’t keep his
request? Hargobind implored, ‘But one day you were even prepared to die with
this Mantra!’
Anwar – ‘I was; so what!’
Hargobind – ‘Why can’t you voice ‘Jai Hind’
to day? This ‘Hind’ is not present day ‘Hindustan’; it comprises ‘West Punjab’,
‘NW Frontier Province’, and ‘East Bengal’.
Anwar – ‘Yet, it is not possible’. Excuse
me!’
Suddenly blood shot up to Hargobind’s head.
With clenching teeth he said, ‘Well, I do pardon you, though you don’t deserve
it.’ Anwar’s eyes blazed up and asked, ‘What do you mean?’
Hargobind – ‘I mean you were unworthy of the
rank ‘Sardar-E-Jung; unfit to become a soldier of INA’.
Anwar retorted, ‘Agreed, I was unfit; but you
were not so! Can you voice all the slogans of INA? Well, then I’ll invite you
to the other side of the border. Standing there, facing East, do join with me
for the slogan, ‘Delhi Chalo’.
In excitement Anwar was thrilling! He
continued, ‘With that Mantra, prepared to die, we fought shoulder to shoulder.
Say if you can! Not me alone, my whole rank will join you in that slogan –
‘Chalo Delhi Puker-ke, Koume Nishan Samhal-ke, Lal Killa pey Gar-ke, Larahe Ja,
Larahe Ja.’ [=March on to Delhi voicing it (Chalo Delhi), holding thy flag,
aiming Lal Killa, go on fighting, go on!’
Hargobind became mum. The ice started
melting, but both of them realized they had borne it in their heart mountain
size! Hargobind then attempted
to raise political points, particularly on Kashmir but Anwar desisted him as it
was not venue for such discussion, which may be arranged later on suitable
opportunity. And they were prepared to depart.
Their heart was heavy. Possibly they had
better not met! Hargobind pondered that Anwar was not wrong in his argument.
They departed, but Anwar after sometime couriered a letter raising a host of
questions relating to cold shouldering Netaji at Govt. level. However, this is
not end of the story. The climax followed next day. Suddenly it was noticed
that a jeep from Pakistan side was crossing border hoisting a Pakistani flag
along with a white flag, with a sole passenger, no other than Anwar. He met
Hargobind and said he had a sleepless night and that he thought of an escape
route from the impasse, which trapped them the previous day. Hargobind wondered
what that might be! Anwar explained, besides the two Fauzi slogans which
sparked controversy among them the previous day, they had in the past voiced
another slogan which did not imply any State, religious bigotry, but which
speaks of humanity, to utter which there would be no bar for any of them. So,
for the last time, with deep emotional embrace both of them voiced, ‘Netaji
Jindabad!!’
Narayan Sanyal gave high literary touch to
this episode, but he had taken the core facts gathered by ‘Netaji Research
Bureau’; so, it cannot be dismissed as Sanyal’s brainchild!
***********************************************
Tagore inducted the factor of ‘Human Mind’ for grasping ‘Truth’ behind Creation, which was a ‘jolt’ to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity (E= m/c2). These two ‘rational minded’ stalwarts hardly met Tagore’s ‘soul’ which Buber did. He and Tagore were on the same spiritual pedestal. I am sure that the poet had Buber in mind when he wrote (in translation) ~
