What Will The First Phase Of Netaji-Files Release Reveal On 23 January?

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When the principal secretary to PM, Nripendra Misra, handed over 33 Netaji-related files to the Director General of the National Archives, we were happy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi meant business. It was not just a promise that the PM made - he showed that the promise would be kept. In a press release issued on the day the files were sent to the archives, the PMO reiterated that all files in its custody will be eventually declassified. This was indeed a huge step when contrasted with the attitude of the previous ten years of the UPA Government, whose Congress spokespersons did not shy away from claiming in TV studios that they supported declassification, after frustrating our efforts for nearly a decade.

Quite understandably, this announcement has given rise to high expectations among many. Some have gone to the extent of asserting that the release of the files will help re-writing history, apart from resolving India¡¯s longest running mystery on the disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It is one thing to be happy about the process of declassification initiated by the PM, but it is another thing to build unrealistic expectations, which might have to do a rough landing soon. It is, therefore, critical to not lose the element of reality in this wave of enthusiasm.

The question that almost everyone is asking is ¨C what to expect on January 23, 2016? Since we at Mission Netaji have been driving this declassification campaign through the last, nearly, one decade, we can answer with a fair bit of confidence -- don¡¯t expect too much. This is of course an informed guess, and we might be proven wrong if Mr Modi chooses to spring a surprise on all of us, especially in view of the fact that the PMO has not released the list of files sent across to the National Archives.

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Let us have a look at the files held by the PMO ¨C classified and unclassified. The story gets a little confusing here, but it is important to understand the details.

Anuj Dhar and SreejithPanickar of Mission Netaji had asked the PMO in 2006 and again in 2014 to provide a list of the files under its custody. In 2008 (yes, it took more than a year to get only the list of files from the PMO, and this after strong intervention by the Central Information Commission). The PMO told us that there were 31 classified files and 11 unclassified files; the numbers changed in 2015 to 41 classified files and 17 unclassified files. Among these 41 files, 5 are so secret that even their subject cannot be disclosed at present. That leaves us with information on 36 classified files.

27 classified files are common to both lists. This should mean that 4 files listed in 2008 as classified are not classified anymore. This should also mean that 9 new files have been generated since 2008, which are classified.

However, a look at the number and description of the files makes it clear that out of these 9 files, 7 were generated before the PMO¡¯s response to us in 2008. Yet, these were not included either in the list of classified files or in the list of unclassified files. In other words, the information provided to Mission Netaji under the direction of the CIC was incomplete, an offence under the RTI Act.

Moreover, there are PMO files mentioned in the report of the Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry (JMCI) which do not figure in any of these lists. Where have they gone? It is possible that they are now treated as unclassified. It will be clear once we have the list of these 17 unclassified files, which we have asked for.

This begs the question whether an independent agency such as the CIC should be approached to audit the files in PMO to prepare a definitive trustworthy list which can clear all confusion.

Now let us look at the information that is likely to be released in the public domain on the 23rd January. The 5 files the subject matter of which cannot be divulged by the PMO are surely out of the question. 3 more files out of the remaining 36 are not being released now ¨C these are most likely the files on ¡°Widow and daughter of Shri Subhash Chandra Bose¡± which the PMO has refused to provide to Mission Netaji twice in the past few years.

That brings us to the 33 files which, in all likelihood, are the ones transferred to the archives. Of these 14 relate to the formation and working of the 3 inquiries ¨C Shah Nawaz Committee (1956), Khosla Commission (1970-74) and JMCI (1999-2006). 2 files relate to communications between Samar Guhaand the Government of India on the issue; 1 file each on communication between Forward Bloc leaders and the Government in 2006, construction of INA memorial, conferment of Bharat Ratna, transfer of ashes from Japan to India, acquisition of Janaki Nath Bhavan by the Odisha Government, properties of the INA in the far east, and ¡°papers regarding Funeral of widow of Netaji¡± (7 files). Only 10 files carry the subject of Netaji and his disappearance. 3 each of these files are of 1970s, 1980s and 1990s vintage, while one was generated in 2006, and most were seen by Justice Mukherjee during his investigation.

The public release of 33 files on the 23rd is therefore unlikely to change anything substantially as far Netaji¡¯s life or disappearance is concerned. But it is a good start, and should be seen as such. It is an initiative with the limited objective of removing the veil of secrecy from Government files related to Netaji. It is not an effort to resolve the mystery of his disappearance.