Netaji's daughter

Subhash Chandra Bose, fondly and demi officially termed as Netaji was perhaps the most dreaded amongst Indian Nationalist leaders for the British colonialists during India's final push for freedom. India, the wealthiest of the nations in the last 1000 years before European colonial exploitation had sucked the country beyond limits (mostly by the British and a big chunk of their heyday exchequer was extracted from Indian soil).

Obviously Indians were up and doing in getting the European monster out of their soil by any means. Many efforts were undertaken during the 20 centuries  reign of the British. But the superior armoury, better political skills, palace conspiracy and divide and rule policy of the colonial British Raj always managed to subdue all the efforts, movements and struggles.

But in the beginning of the 20th century the political forces of India were more matured and the situation turned too complex for the British. Small groups of highly motivated youth resorted to armed struggle and gained short term successes too. Under the backdrop of such  difficult political situation Subhash Chandra Bose, a Congress Leader representing youth and having much more radical views as to the means of achieving Independence of India emerged at the forefront.

The British had no difficulty in fixing him as their enemy number one. Moreover, Subhash had good linkage in Germany, Britain’s arch rivals. Germany was not comfortable with their defeat in the WW1 and the reparations thereof. So, they were trying to build their case to be a free and strong power in Europe again. Subhash Chandra Bose visited Europe from time to time and Germany was on his list often. British powers were suspicious.

Even till date, Subhash Chandra Bose has remained pertinent in Indian politics. Many or most Indians never believed in his death in the air crash in 1945 after his Azad Hind Fauz was defeated in the WW2 together with the Japanese and the Axis forces. His importance could never be discounted. A conspiracy theory always existed and still exists regarding his whereabouts after 1945. But we find almost no discussion about his personal life. We know about all his relatives in Elgin Road.

Many of whom including his brother Sharat Chandra Bose, were very active in Indian politics and Bose's home in Elgin Road till date is almost like a pilgrim centre for many Indians who still treat Netaji as a leader who could lead them to be a much stronger and better country and Nation. Interestingly enough, not much is discussed about his personal or conjugal life. Let us try to throw some light on the subject. Subhash Chandra Bose himself was never interested in bringing his personal life to public. He, of course did not have the time and opportunity to do so. Times were such.

In one of his trips to Germany in 1934 he met Emilie Shenkel, an Austrian girl from Vienna. She knew English and stenography and had worked for Subhash Chandra Bose as his secretary during his stays in Germany from time to time. They developed emotional relationship slowly and by one account they got married in a simple  ritualistic ceremony according to Hindu custom in 1937 though Netaji Subhash never publicised it and was never interested to discuss it in public. Let us not go into details of that ceremony or relationship at this point of time since it is immaterial.

In 1938 Subhash Chandra Bose became the President of Indian National Congress, a huge responsibility and was busy full time with that office. In 1939 he was re-elected to the same office but due to serious difference of opinion with Gandhiji and other senior leaders about the course of action to be taken by the party he had to quit.

As is well known to all he wanted to take revolutionary measures on behalf of Congress to oust the British, he was immediately put under house arrest after he was ousted from Congress and the British thought that he had lost public support. But they were terribly wrong. Subhash rather became more popular.

On a 1940 night he slipped from the eyes of his British watchers from his Calcutta residence which has been coined as the Great Escape in Indian history. He travelled through Lahore, Kabul and Moscow and finally landed in Germany to prepare waging a war for India's freedom.This time he stayed in Germany for about two years. He could master the support of Germany to raise a force named Indische Legion which was formed based on Indian POWs from Germany's Africa campaign.

Youth of Indian origin studying and/or living in Germany and other European countries imbued with Patriotism joined him with a dream to free their motherland. German Government formed a Special Bureau of India in Berlin. Officers of this Bureau in consultation with Indian seniors of Indische Legion conferred upon him the title Netaji which is a close translation of German word Fuehrer. They formed a Free India Fund and ran a Free India Radio.

The armed wing had regular training and were getting prepared to enter India via Iran/Afghanistan after fall of USSR to Germany. Meantime the marital relationship between Subhash Chandra and Emelie continued and on 29th Nov 1942 a baby girl was born to Emelie and Subhash. Netaji was awfully busy and could not even be present while the baby was born.

The course of WW2 was changing fast. He had an audience with Hitler few months prior to the baby was born. In the meeting it was decided that to enter India from the East with Japanese help will be earlier than through the Western front with German help.So, Subhash will be transported by submarine from the German held area to Japan held area in South East Asia. Subhash could spend hardly two months with Anita, his new-born daughter and in February 1943 boarded a sub to get closer to his motherland.

That was the last he met Emelie and their daughter before he lost his life in an air crash at Taihoku in Formosa in the year 1945. By then Netaji's plan of entering India with his Azad Hind Fauj had fallen apart and he was reportedly trying to escape to Manchuria. Though many Indians and some others still do not believe in this version of history, nothing to the contrary has yet been proved.

During the difficult days of the war it was nightmarish for Emilie to bring up the new-born and at the same time she had to support her old ailing mother. She worked in the Austrian Post as telegraph operator and lead a simple life quite different from that in Berlin where she had a lavish life as Netaji's wife/companion.

In 1948 Netaji's brother Sharat Chandra Bose visited her and young Anita and offered financial help as family member. She did not accept any and like Subhash did she too liked to keep their relationship beyond public discussion. She refused Sharat Chandra Bose gracefully. She was alive till 1996 but has never visited India despite many requests from many quarters.

She may have nurtured a feeling of depression and being neglected by the Netaji. But she worked hard all along to look after her own family and bringing up Anita, their daughter well. Anita was not using her surname Bose at school. Rather her mother preferred her to grow as Anita Schenkel. Anita did her studies well and went on to become an Economist in Germany. She was a Professor of Economics in Augsburg University in Germany. She adored her father and was involved in politics too. She was actively associated with Germany's Socialist Party SPD.

At some point of time we find her using the surname Bose and unlike her mother, she visited India many times. Her first visit to India in 1961 at the invitation of the then Premier Jawaher Lal Nehru was an emotional one. That was the first time she was setting foot on her fatherland at the age of 19. During her visits she has been to her father's Elgin Road residence and met all relatives. It was a house very important in Indian and Bengal politics.

Though she kept in touch with India but we have never seen her taking any interest in Indian politics. She was, like many Indians, eager to unearth the alleged mystery over the death of her father. She has even demanded of Japan a DNA test of the declared ashes of Netaji kept in Renkoji Temple. That never happened.

Meantime, in her professional life she met another brilliant German Economist Martin Pfaff. Martin has spent a few years in India associated with his studies and research. He too was interested in German politics and was a member of the Green Party. Later he switched to SPD and was a member of Bundestag. They found common language and likings. Anita became Anita Bose Pfaff. They share a happy married life and have parented three children. Interestingly all three have a part of their names Indian. They are Arun, Krishna and Maya. Let us wish Netaji's descendants happy, successful and prosperous lives.


The writer is a travel enthusiast and history buff.