'Netaji’s statue replacing King George V is of great symbolic value to India's freedom,' says daughter Anita Bose Pfaff

Speaking to ANI News agency, Pfaff, who is a former professor of economics, said the statue, which  replaced the one of King George V (that was removed in 1968), is of great symbolic value to India’s freedom struggle.

“Netaji’s statue will be replacing King George V’s statue, it is of great symbolic value that India has moved to place one of the important leaders of the freedom struggle at such a place where once colonial powers once rested," she told ANI news agency.

The canopy of India Gate, standing on four columns of the Delhi Order devised by Sir Edwin Lutyens, had been left empty after the statue of King George V was removed in 1968.

Bose-Pfaff, who had earlier stated that she won’t be able to attend the programme when PM Modi unveils her father's statue, said she is glad to see Netaji’s name and memory being retained after decades as his role in gaining India's independence was not “officially recognised much."

"(I’m) Glad Indian countrymen retained his name and memory after so many decades. People remember him even when his role in the independence struggle was not really, officially recognised so much. But he played an important role in forming India," she told ANI.

Speaking to India Today, Anita said she would visit the spot when she next visits Delhi.

PM Modi, who paid floral tributes to Netaji at the unveiling, said, "By putting up the Netaji statue here, we have embodied the modern and new India, which was Netaji's vision for a free India."

"Netaji Subhash was the first Prime Minister of Akhand Bharat who had liberated Andaman even before 1947 and unfurled the tricolor. If after Independence India followed the path of Subhash Babu, what heights would the country be at today! But unfortunately, this great hero of ours was forgotten after independence. His views, even the symbols associated with him were ignored," PM Modi added.

Speaking to ANI, Netaji's daughter said, "He could not set foot in free India. I wish at least his remains return to his motherland and find a resting place."

As per Pfaff, documentation proves that her father died in a plane crash in Japanese-ruled Formosa (now Taiwan) on Aug 18, 1945.

Netaji's ashes are believed to be at Tokyo’s Renkoji Temple and Pfaff had earlier too urged political parties to bring his remains to India

“Therefore, I appeal to the people of India and to all Indian political parties to unite in an apolitical and bipartisan manner to bring my father’s mortal remains to India," she had told PTI.

Pfaff has always maintained that Netaji did not survive the plane crash. She has also recently urged the political class in India to bring back the ashes of Netaji from Tokyo's Renkoji Temple to India.

What PM Modi said on Netaji not being given his due recognition by the previous government was earlier echoed by Pfaff on various occasions.

In an old interview with IBNS's feature arm TWF, the revolutionary's daughter had said that after India's freedom, the successive governments had not been fair to Netaji in "giving him due recognition".

Asked if Netaji got his due in independent India, she had said: "I don’t think so."

"The acid test was the way the INA (Indian National Army led by Netaji) was treated. I think INA was treated in a rather poor and dishonourable way in the beginning. Many of the INA members died of hunger. It took till the 1970s to even recognise the INA people as freedom fighters.

"Some lip service was given to Netaji as a person but you may argue that that too could have been better. We now have documents available that very clearly show that the INA was successful in dislodging the hold of Britain on the British Indian Army," she had said.