Times
of India: Kolkata: Tuesday, 10 February 2015.
Mystery
behind the secret Netaji files is unlikely to be resolved soon. Sticking to the
stance taken by the previous Congress-led UPA government, Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's office has refused to disclose records related to Subhas
Chandra Bose's death in response to an RTI filed in Delhi. It has also rejected
RTI activist Subhas Chandra Agrawal's contention that there was a larger public
interest involved in disclosing them.
The appellate
authority, too, has rejected the appeal that was first filed about
one-and-a-half years back in September 2013. The refusal evoked reaction from
activists across the country, including Kolkata, who have been seeking a
disclosure of the files.
"It is
observed that the disclosure of the records was withheld under Section 8(1) (a)
of RTI Act on the grounds that it would prejudicially affect relations with
foreign countries," the PMO wrote back to Agrawal. In addition, the CPIO
of PMO refused to give out copies of requests made by various persons to make
files relating to Bose public. "Collating of the information, if any, will
require diversion of resources," the order stated.
Delhi-based
rights activist Agrawal had sought records from the Prime Minister's Office
related to the mystery surrounding Netaji's alleged death in a plane crash 70
years back. Agrawal had also asked for information on the steps taken by the
top office to make such records public and the action taken on requests seeking
such documents.
But toeing
the line of the UPA government, the PMO cited an exemption clause in the RTI
Act which allows withholding of information that could prejudicially affect
relations with foreign countries. The PMO, however, did not even give the names
of the countries with which the relations may get affected once the said
information is made public.
Anuj Dhar,
author of 'India's Biggest Cover-up' a book on Netaji's disappearance and an
activist, said the PMO response was a setback for the movement seeking
disclosure of files. "This is exactly what the previous government had
said when I had filed an RTI in 2008. The present government had responded
similarly to my queries last year. We had expected the BJP government to be
different, but sadly they have let us down," said Dhar, who is based in
Delhi.
Purabi Roy,
scholar and author of several books on Netaji's disappearance, argued that the
documents being held back didn't qualify to be 'classified'. "These files
have always been accessible to a group of influential politicians and leaders
in Delhi. Classified documents are archival material that are not supposed to
be disclosed to selected people who hold power. The fact is that a particular
political group has been historically against declassification and it has been
hand-in-glove with all relevant political forces over the years. Unless all
major parties join hands and choose to disclose the files, they will never be
disclosed," she said.
Dhar said the
declassification demand has to be kept alive through campaigns and messages on
the social media. "We plan to file yet another RTI and will keep lobbying
on various platforms for the files." Apallellate authority Krishan Kumar
cited: "It is observed that Central Information Commission (CIC) had ruled
in 2008 in an order that it is not for them to substitute their judgment on the
applicability of exemptions to that agency duly authorized to determine such
issues. The same argument was cited by CPIO, PMO to withhold similar
information to Chandrachur Ghosh on July 17 last year. Given that, the stand of
CPIO, PMO...disclosure may not be a valid proposition."
Roy said it
was ridiculous to conclude that the declassification had no larger interest.
"This is our country's best kept secret. Why do you think people are still
talking, writing and reading about it 70 years after Netaji's
disappearance?" she asked. She also questioned the PMO's argument that the
files could affect India's relation with foreign countries. "They are
actually talking about just one country and not several. And that is clear from
the papers that are accessible," said Roy. There are 30 classified files
on Netaji, as per the PMO. These include three 'top secret' files.
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