Love Story Of Neta Ji Subhash Chandra Bose

While a lot has been said about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 1941 escape from British India and his perilous 90-day submarine voyage, his marriage continues to remain a secret. In the second part of his four-part interview to Arthur Pais, biographer Sugata Bose talks about Netaji's love story.

It was in 1993 that a historian handed over to the author some 165 letters written by Subhas Chandra Bose to his wife Emilie, whom he secretly married in Austria. This came as a huge and pleasant surprise to Sugata Bose, he admits.

"The last major biography of Netaji was published in 1990. Brothers Against the Raj by Leonard Gordon is a very good book but unfortunately he did not have access to the correspondence between Netaji and Emilie," the author said.

Tell us about the letters.

We all knew about the relationship and the marriage when we were growing up but the fact that there were so many letters was something of a surprise. I jointly edited these letters with my father and the book was published in 1994. When we went to see my grand aunt Emilie and her daughter, my aunt Anita, in Augsburg, Germany, and gave her the book, we had a little celebration in 1994. She said she was celebrating the 60th anniversary of her first meeting with Subhas Chandra Bose in 1934, but then she suddenly said, you know there are three letters I did not give you last year, and particularly one. Then she turned to my mother and said, "This is for you. It is a love letter." And it was the most beautiful letter.
While a lot has been said about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 1941 escape from British India and his perilous 90-day submarine voyage