RTI crusade: Frequently asked questions

June 20, 2008 by anuj

Q: What\\'s making Mission Netaji try out RTI?

A: We are trying to access the official documents on the controversy surrounding Netaji\\'s "disapperance into the Soviet Russia", as we see it. In doing this, apart from getting facts of the matter, we want to better our understanding about the Government\\'s decision to dump the report of Justice MK Mukherjee, a top criminologist and former judge of the Supreme Court of India, in favour of the reports of Shah Nawaz Khan and GD Khosla.

The findings of Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry is that the news of Netaji\\'s death was a stratagem for his escape towards the USSR. Shah Nawaz Khan and GD Khosla, a High Court judge, on the other hand, had ruled that Netaji had died following an air crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945.

Q: So there are TWO REPORTS in favour of the crash theory!

A: Shah Nawaz Khan was a loyal Congress party MP when Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appointed him the chairman of Netaji inquiry committee. Justice GD Khosla, a friend of Nehru\\'s, authored a eulogistic book on Prime Minister Indira Gandhi while he disposed off the Bose death probe in early 1970s. Can you read in between the lines or shall we elucidate?

Related link: Guilty men of India

Q: I see. But what will the Government-held documents prove?

A: They could bolster Justice Mukherjee\\'s report. For instance, a document produced before Khosla Commission stated that Netaji\\'s plan was to "be within Soviet sphere after the surrender of the Japanese". "He (Bose) suggested that ... it would be desirable to be arrested by the Soviet authorities in Manchuria because we could later negotiate with them and might persuade them to accept us as their friends and not enemies."

For details see: RTI and Netaji\\'s fate

Q: But do you really expect the Government to release such sensitive documents?

A: Nopes. We are giving it a shot. At least people will realise that they are hiding something.

Q: OK, what all have you sought under RTI?

A: Here you go!