Skip to main content

Nehru "called" Netaji war criminal? Fresh document nails the lie, "Modi govt sources" behind fake letter

The fake letter which triggered controversy
By A Representative
Amidst raging controversy over whether Jawaharlal Nehru considered Subhas Chandra Bose a war criminal, a fresh document from the Netaji files released by the Government of India has come to light, which shows that Nehru rejected any such attempt which may have been made after Netaji’s death.
Marked “Secret/Immediate”, and dated April 2, 1956, the document, which carries the National Archives of India stamp, relates to Nehru’s meeting with Suresh Chandra Bose, Netaji’s brother, and Shah Nawaz Khan in the morning. It is marked “Prime Minister’s Secretariat” at the top.
Here, Nehru has been quoted as saying, “I told Shri Suresh Bose that the question of War Criminals does not arise and we are not going to ask the USA or any other country as to whether Netaji is in the list of their War Criminals. Possibly, their answer would be that he believed he was dead.” 
Authentic Nehru document
Nehru underlines in the document, on pages 130-31, “Anyhow, we do not propose to do anything in the matter. There can be no question whatever of our handing over any person, even a non-Indian who seeks refuge in out country, to a foreign power, much less an Indian national of repute.”
Forming part of the 202 pages of Netaji documents (click HERE), the Nehru quote has come to light following the recent release of another set of Netaji files, in which a stenographer quotes Nehru as writing to Prime Minister Clement Attlee, “I understand from a reliable source that Subhas Chandra Bose, your war criminal, has been allowed to enter Russian territory.”
The stenographer, in his affidavit before the Khosla Commission, further quotes Nehru, “This is clear treachery and a betrayal of faith by the Russians. As Russia has been an ally of the British-Americans, it should not have done it. Please take note of it and do what you consider proper and fit.”
The stenographer’s affidavit is qualified by, “contents of the letter as far as I remember”, and does not say whether the letter was sent to Attlee. It merely states, “Nehru gave me four papers from his writing pad to make on the typewriter four copies of a letter, which he would dictate to me on my typewriter with which I also complied.”
While top historian Ramchandra Guha immediately declared that the stenographer was “seeking publicity and Nehru would never have written such a letter”, another National Archives document on the Imperial War Museum of London came to light, which said that UK “did not draw up a list of Indian war criminals.”
Pointing out that such a list was “drawn up only for Japanese and German nationals”, the document further says, “Even if Netaji’s name had been on any such list, his name would have been removed following his death soon after World War II.” 
Rahul's Kanwal's post quoting Modi sources
Meanwhile a fake letter, purportedly “leaked” by circles close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, started taking rounds. While the letter was supposed to have been written by Nehru, it misspelled Jawahalal as “Jawharlal”, calls British Prime Minister UK Prime Minister, apart from several other glaring errors which Nehru would never have made. Unsigned, it does not bear any stamp of National Archives of India, either.
The letter went viral on social media after Rahul Kanwal, “India Today” managing-editor wrote in a Facebook post (subsequently withdrawn, though available on social media as a screenshot) just ahead of the release of 100 new Netaji documents, “Sources in the Modi government who have knowledge of the Netaji files have told India Today that in one of the files Jawaharlal Nehru referred to Subhas Chandra Bose as a 'war criminal’.”
Kanwal claimed, “This letter was written to the Prime Minister of England Clement Attlee on Dec 27, 1945”, after which it quotes from the Nehru “letter”. He adds, “This letter is likely to set off political furore in India, as if feeds the long-held notion that Nehru was unfair to the legacy of the great Netaji Bose.”

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.