Forward Bloc Revives Netaji Debate, Seeks Acceptance of Mukherjee Commission Report

The Justice Manoj Kumar Mukherjee Commission of Enquiry was the last official inquiry commission appointed by the Government of India to investigate the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose .

The commission was constituted in 1999 by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee–led NDA government following persistent public demand and political pressure to re-examine earlier official conclusions regarding Netaji’s fate. Its mandate was to inquire into whether Netaji died in a plane crash at Taihoku Airport (now Taipei), Taiwan, on August 18, 1945 , as had been officially maintained for decades.

After an extensive investigation that included examination of historical records, eyewitness testimonies, and international evidence, the commission submitted its report in 2006 . The Mukherjee Commission categorically rejected the plane crash theory , concluding that no such crash occurred at Taihoku Airport on the stated date . It further stated that the claim that Netaji’s ashes are preserved at Renkoji Temple in Tokyo was not supported by credible evidence.

Despite these findings, the UPA government in 2006 declined to accept the commission’s conclusions in full , citing the absence of definitive proof about Netaji’s ultimate fate. This decision drew criticism from Netaji’s family members, historians, and political groups, including the All India Forward Bloc (AIFB) , which was founded by Netaji himself.

The AIFB is now demanding the formal acceptance of the Mukherjee Commission Report and the declassification of all remaining official records related to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the Indian National Army (INA) and the Azad Hind Sarkar , the provisional government established by Netaji during the freedom struggle.

According to the AIFB, continued secrecy surrounding these files has fuelled speculation, misinformation and historical ambiguity for decades. The party argues that many records remain classified despite the passage of time, preventing historians and the public from accessing the full truth.

The AIFB has also sought the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to oversee the declassification process, asserting that full transparency is essential to uphold historical integrity, national conscience and democratic accountability .

The party maintains that any attempt to bring the so-called ashes of Netaji from Japan without conclusively establishing their authenticity would amount to a disrespect to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and would deeply hurt public sentiment, especially in light of the Mukherjee Commission’s findings.