Wearing the mantle with grace

"I am proud and happy to be Netaji's daughter. But you have an obligation to your parents and also to others", says Anita Pfaff Bose in a candid interview to KAUSALYA SANTHANAM.

THE NAME inspires awe. He was a "patriot among patriots", the lionheart who raised an army against the British in his fight for freedom. To every Indian, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is a symbol of courage and sacrifice. And to countless, he represents the what might have been, how the country's destiny might have changed had he not been snatched away so soon.

His only daughter, Dr. Anita Pfaff Bose, does not believe in living in her father's shadow. But wherever she went during her recent visit to Chennai, she attracted a large audience. People turned up eagerly to hear her. And to pay tribute to the father through the daughter.

To be Netaji's daughter must be both a privilege and a responsibility. Dr. Anita Bose wears the mantle with the utmost grace. One is struck by the fact that she is so true to herself.

Happy with the road she has chosen, the Professor of Economics at Augsburg University, Germany, addressed the gathering at the Indian Institute of Technology, principally from the perspective of a social scientist. The meeting was organised by the Citizens for Armed Forces. The large number of Indian National Army (INA) members and freedom fighters present made it a memorable occasion.

Prof. Ramani of the Guru Nanak College, introduced Dr. Bose. He said Netaji met his Austrian wife, Emilie Schenkl, during his forced exile in Europe in 1934.

Netaji was looking for a secretary to type the manuscript of his book "My Struggle". The lively and attractive Emily was introduced to him by Dr. Mathur and she became his secretary. He married her in 1937. He then went to India to convince the others about armed struggle. Between 1934-1942, Bose wrote 180 letters to his wife. These letters (edited by Dr. Sisir Kumar Bose, Anita's cousin and his son Dr. Sugata Bose) have been published.

Dr. Anita Bose said Indians might be disappointed that the country had not progressed as envisioned. Netaji would have fought against the Partition of India, she felt. To improve the situation today, she said self interest has to be moderated by social responsibility and a sense of community participation is required, she said.

Later, at an exclusive interview at the residence of freedom fighter and INA soldier, Capt. Dassan, Dr. Anita Bose spoke to this correspondent about what it is like to be Netaji's daughter, what responsibilities it entails and about her mother.

Though rushed between interviews and appointments, Dr. Bose replied in an unhurried manner and one was impressed by how unaffected she is despite the adulation.

Her Western sense of individual identity is obviously very strong and yet she has been able to strike the perfect balance between her Indian legacy and her Western upbringing. Her attractive face is youthful and unlined and it's hard to believe that she is a grandmother. Her children too have been encouraged to nurture their sense of identity; her two sons and daughter also live in Germany.

"Yes, I'm proud and happy to be Netaji's daughter. But you have an obligation to your parents and also to others," she says calmly. "I resolved the problem of whether to be myself or stay in my father's shadow by being my own person and doing it my own way. I solved it by not being in India. I did not want to be taken advantage of because I'm my father's daughter. Perhaps,'' she adds reflectively, "even if I had chosen to stay here, I could have (steered clear of politics?) become a doctor perhaps."

Her decision to stay in Germany was shaped by a coincidence, she says. Anita came to India when she was 18. It was here that she met the young Martin Pfaff who was working on a social service project near Bangalore. "My husband had spent four years here and wanted to go back to Germany."

The couple later went to the U.S. where they both obtained a P.hD in Economics. After living there for a few years, they returned to Europe. The responsibility ty of being Netaji's daughter is greater of course when she is in India.

Dr. Bose is a member of the Social Democratic Party in Germany. Recently, her husband became a Member of Parliament. "Actually when the Party was looking for a new candidate, my name came up. They thought a woman would have a better chance in the electoral system. But I declined and my husband had to face fierce competition." Anita was just three years old when her father's plane crashed and just four months old when he last saw her. What memories of him did her mother pass on to her?

"My mother was a very private person. She didn't talk about her memories all the time. When people asked her about it, she would say "It is my business and not yours". A remarkable aspect was that she never criticised my father. In nine years of marriage, the time they were together would add up to only three years. To have a partner like that must have been difficult but she never complained. She worked on shifts at the Trunk Exchange. In the earlier years (after the war), people would suddenly turn up at our doorstep in Austria to see her. In our country, you don't give darshan and of course, you couldn't turn them away. When somebody landed at home when she was in office, my grandmother had to deal with him. As she didn't know English, it was quite a problem. My mother often returned late from office. On one occasion, a person turned up at seven in the morning to make sure he met her. My mother was furious. She told the Indian Embassy not to give her address to anyone. And not to give it to journalists."

Emilie passed away in 1996. She and her mother were the strongest influences in Anita's life. "Also, my uncle Sarat Chandra Bose who visited us in Austria when I was eight years old. He told me a great deal about my father."

The controversy about Netaji's death bothered her more as a child than as an adult. "The whole thing is nonsensical," she avers. "Ideas should be carried forward, that's more important." She is happy that the INA members are carrying her father's ideals forward.

Which Indian leaders apart from her father, does she admire? "I admire the simple people who fought for Independence", she replies.

"The sacrifices made by the family of the men who were imprisoned, like my aunt who had to look after eight children while my uncle Sarat Chandra was in jail for long periods of time."

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