Taiwan, where Netaji's plane crashed, invites Indian scholars to 'rediscover' legacy of him
This is the first time such an offer has come from Taiwan. So far, there hasn"t been any India-Taiwan connections in the research about Netaji"s legacy in the country where he was last seen publically, and believed to have died in a crash, a claim which remains contested by his supporters.
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New Delhi, Jan 24: On the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Taiwan has offered to open its national archives and database to 'rediscover' the legacy of illustrious the Indian freedom fighter. Taiwan, which was under Japanese occupation in 1940s, was the last country that he was seen alive in. Notably, he passed away in a crash in Taiwan in 1945.
"We have national archives and several databases. We can help Indian friends rediscover that will give more information about Netaji and also his legacy, which has huge influence over Taiwan in 1930s, 1940s," Mumin Chen, deputy representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Center or Taiwan Embassy in Delhi said at a virtual event organised by FICCI.
Reports suggest that following the plane crash in August 1945 he was taken to Army Hospital Nanmon Branch in Taipei where he died. The hospital is the present-day Taipei City Hospital Heping Fuyou Branch. Taiwanese deputy envoy explained, "Lot of young historians are conducting researches with South East Asia, even with India. A lot of historical documents and evidence on Netaji, and Indian Independence movement are in Taiwan. Right now, very few Indian scholars know about it."
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He elaborated, "Taiwan and India should re-examine and re-discover the common history of Indo-Pacific" since we have "historical connections". So far, large part of the information about Netaji after the crash has been based on Japanese accounts. Government of Japan has declassified two files relating to Netaji and his ashes are purported to be kept at Renkō-ji temple in Tokyo. Taiwan’s unique history makes it a special place to find research resources about Netaji.
This is the first time such an offer has come from Taiwan. So far, there hasn't been any India-Taiwan connections in the research about Netaji's legacy in the country where he was last seen publically, and believed to have died in a crash, a claim which remains contested by his supporters.