Why is the Indian Govt afraid to open files on Netaji ?

       It is an intriguing fact that the governmeny of India has never been forthcoming in relation to the last days of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.       

      Sixty years after independance the public is still being denied accesss to all documents.

      So what if the names of foreign countries are mentioned in those files? In case any foreign government has been involved in any act against the interest of a Indian hero is the public not entitled to know?

      Or is it that the government of India did not take adequate actions to bring the hero home?

      Who is the government trying to protect?

Extracts

CIC asks PMO to make public list of 29 files on Netaji

New Delhi: Rejecting the PMO’s refusal to provide a list of classified files relating to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has asked it to make public a list of 29 such files.The Commission’s decision came after the PMO produced before it 33 classified files on the revolutionary leader.It, however, exempted four related files as they had reference to foreign states.

Acting on an RTI application of ‘Mission Netaji’ – a Delhi-based research trust – challenging the PMO’s refusal to make public its classified files on Netaji, the CIC had, in its order of January 25, asked the latter to produce in a sealed cover a list of classified files for its perusal.

The Prime Minister’s Office while declining to produce the list of the classified files had earlier said that divulging their contents could affect India’s sovereignty and relations with foreign nations.

Perusing through the files as produced by the PMO, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said four of the 33 classified files had a reference to foreign nations. Therefore, the remaining 29 files should be given.

In its order passed yesterday, the CIC also noted that out of the 29 files, seven were classified “top secret,” three “confidential” while the rest were marked “secret.” Apart from the 33 files, the PMO also informed the Commission about two recently de-classified files.

Right notes after 100 yrs

       The lively and non-tiring antique pipe-organ at the Christ Church in Shimla seems to exude real history. When this organ is played, the notes reach out and surround the congregation. The pipe-organ — the biggest in the subcontinent — has been encouraging and supporting singing at the prayers even after 100 years of its existence.

       “The organ is played on special occasions now. The organs that tend to ‘speak’ most eloquently to listeners. The sound that this pipe makes is similar in harmonic content to the human voice,” says a caretaker of the church. After the erection, the church held its dedication and opening recital on September 28, 1899.

      The beautiful “king of instruments” was built by Morgan and Smith of Brighton (England) at a cost of Rs 23,000. It was extensively repaired in 1932.

     The two most expensive stops were presented by Air Mackworth Young and Sir James Walker, while the cost of decorating the pipes was defrayed by the Countess of Elgin to commemorate the marriage of her daughter Lady Elizabeth Bruce to H. Babington Smith on September 22, 1898. 

By Mail Today Bureauin New Delhi

Jamia to open school for Muslim girls in April

     (Extracts)

      IN A bid to increase participation of girl students in Urdu medium schools, Jamia Millia Islamia University is planning to open a school for Muslim girls. The school, proposed to be on its campus, will have classes from IX to XII.

       “The proposal to open this school was passed in the academic council meeting of the university. The details are at the initial stage and have to be finalised,” said a source at the university.

      The school is being planned to make girls a part of mainstream education.

       The ministry of human resource and development had directed Urdu medium institutions to take steps to include girls in the higher education stream as the dropout rate was very high among them. “We decided to go ahead with this school as per the directives of the ministry,” added the source.

      The school is expected to be operational by April, which marks the beginning of the new academic session. Also being planned is a school for nursing and a revival of the aircraft maintenance engineering course.
garima.pant@mailtoday.in