Remembering Netaji:

Recently I saw the movie Bose:The Forgotten Hero..A couple of scenes from Netaji's Berlin years triggered some questions.

First was Bose telling point blank to Hitler that he committed a mistake by attacking Russia. At a time when entire Germany was under a mesmerising spell of Hitler, speaking against him even in the confines of one's house was open invitation to torture. And here Netaji faults Hitler point blank on face. Did Bose had the guts to say that to Hitler, on his first meeting with him? Remember we are talking May 1942, almost the start of Russian campaign when Germany notched up spectacular success on Russian front, and entire continental Europe was under Hitler's belt.

Second: Bose expressed his open disagreement on Hitler's infamous Mein Kampf comment on India ‘... Quite aside from the fact that I as a man of Germanic blood, would in spite of everything, rather see India under English rule than any other.’ Now if a normal person were Bose asking Hitler in his den for help to attack the British, he would rather be polite and not even dream of picking up a comment from confines of a book that Hitler wrote in prison about 17 years earlier, and which in all probability Hitler would himself not remember. So was this movie scene a fiction? But then we were talking about a guy who could slap British Professor in the staircase of Presidency College.

Third: Hitler getting concerned about Netaji's safety and offering him a ride on U-boat on way to Japan. Was Netaji important enough in Germany, and did Hitler even had the time to think about Japan trip of a person who could not even secure Hitler's appointment for one full year.

If what was shown in movie was true, then historians have definitely glossed over one of the most remarkable achievements in Modern Indian history.