DVD on Netaji launched

Ahead of the 122nd birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a DVD on his life was launched on Monday by the Netaji Research Bureau.

This is a narrative of Netaji's life told in simple language and aimed particularly among young people, eminent academician Prof Sugata Bose said.

The English narration in the DVD was done by Chairperson of Netaji Research Bureau Krishna Bose, the niece-in-law of Netaji and former MP.

"I had two points in mind (while doing the narration). Generations who did not see him should learn what sacrifice for an ideal means - for him it was freedom.... Another point was Netaji's ability to unite people of different communities," Krishna Bose, author of several books on Netaji said.

"Ours is a multi-cultural, multi-religious nation but there is one bond somewhere. Netaji said you must not give up your other identities. If you are a Muslim, go to a mosque. If you are a Hindu, pray at a temple. But you must not forget there is a bond - we are Indians first," she said.

Krishna Bose's son and eminent academician Prof Sugata Bose said, an "engrossing story" has been told in the DVD.

Images used in it were taken from archives of the Netaji Research Bureau.

He said the narration has been done spontaneously and extempore by his mother.

A spokesman of the makers of the DVD said, Krishna Bose described the most dramatic episodes of Netaji's life - his escape from Calcutta in 1941 with the help of her late husband Sisir Kumar Bose and how final war of India's freedom movement was waged by Netaji.

Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Masayuki Taga was present at the programme.