India to release more files of freedom hero Netaji Subhas Bose online Tuesday

The second batch of fifty declassified files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will be released online by India’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Government officials said these would be available on www.netajipapers.gov.in.

The present batch of 50 files consists of 10 files from the Prime Minister’s Office, 10 files from Ministry of Home Affairs and 30 files from Ministry of External Affairs pertaining to the period from 1956 to 2009.

Earlier, the first lot of 100 files relating to Netaji, after their preliminary conservation, treatment, and digitisation, was put in the public domain on Jan 23.

“The release of 50 files will further meet the continued public demand to access these files and it will also facilitate scholars to carry out further research on the doyen of the freedom movement,” the official said.

Before being displayed, these files went through the close scrutiny of the specially constituted committee having experts from the field of archives.

“The committee mainly emphasised ascertaining the physical conditions of the files and carrying out necessary repair and conservation wherever needed through the conservation unit,” the official said.

The committee took special precautions to stop duplication of the files.

In 1997, the National Archives of India had received 990 declassified files relating to the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) from the Ministry of Defence, and in 2012, 1030 files, items with regard to the Khosla Commission (271 files,  items) and Justice Mukherjee Commission of Inquiry (759 files, items) from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“All these files and items are already open to the public under the Public Records Rules, 1997,” the official said.