Week-long programme to mark 75th year of Netaji's 'great escape'

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the exhibition at Netaji Bhawan, the residence from where in 1941 he had escaped house confinement

To mark the 75th anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's "great escape" (Mahanishkraman), the Netaji Research Bureau (NRB) will arrange a week-long programme and exhibition here from January 15.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the exhibition at Netaji Bhawan, the residence from where in 1941 he had escaped house confinement, Chairperson of NRB and Sisir Bose's wife Krishna Bose said.

Banerjee will also unveil a marble plaque in front of the entrance of Netaji Bhawan to commemorate the route Netaji's nephew Sisir Bose had taken to drive him out, she said.

On January 16, a book, 'A True Love Story - Emilie and Subhas', written by Krishna Bose on the relationship between Netaji and his Austrian wife Emilie Schenkl, will be released by Netaji biographer and historian Leonardo A Gordon.

"Though we (Krishna and Emilie) had an age difference of 20 years, we shared a great rapport... We shared the same birthday... In this book I have put down my understandings of the relationship between Emilie and Netaji," Bose said.

On Netaji's birth anniversary (January 23), a special CD set of his favourite songs will also be released by actress Sharmila Tagore. It will have 15 songs out of the 17, listed as his favourite by Netaji in a notebook during his stay at the Mandalay Jail in 1925-27, she said.

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, who will be the chief guest on that day and will deliver a lecture on "Contemporary Relevance of Netaji", Bose said.

On January 22, this year's Netaji Oration would be delivered by Gordon on "The Red Fort Trial: Justice by a Dying Colonialism" at the Netaji Bhawan, she added.