Although both the Centre and the Odisha Government had betrayed Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Azad Hind Fouz, many leaders like Pundit Godavaris Misra had tremendous regards for Netaji and his family, said Netaji Janma Mati Jatra convenor Debiprasad Prusti.
Citing a letter of Godabaris Misra, which is placed in the page 71 of file number 48 that was recently declassified by the Mamata Banerjee Government in WestBengal, he said the letter dated July 19, 1949 written by Misra to Sarat Bose, elder brother of Netaji, congratulated him for his victory in the South Kolkata by-election defeating the ruling party candidate. In that letter, Misra described his close link with Sarat Babu ten years back when he was functioning as the secretary of the Utkal Provincial Congress Committee. Mishra narrated Bose’s victory as people’s victory against the corrupt Government and sought to meet him after Sarat Babu’s return from london. It is worth mentioning that Misra had left Congress and joined Forward Bloc in 1939
Prusti met Subrat Bose an ailing former MP, who is the nephew of Netaji at his residence in Kolkata recently. Bose pointed out Misra’s letter to his father Sarat Bose and uncle Suresh Bose.
Misra has expressed deep disgust at the Odisha Government’s attitude towards Netaji and his family. He also was unhappy that the Azad Hind Fouz soldiers had to suffer a lot because of the apathy till Gangadhar Paikray became an MlA and took up their issue. It is because Paikray was pro Subhas and many people from Begunia constituency joined in Azad Hind Fouz and Paikray was representing that area that he took up the cause, Prusti expressed . Even today 100 years old INA soldier Seikh Ramzaan Quereshi is suffering in Mandosil village in Paikmal tehsil in Bargarh district. Many like laxmi Panda have gone into oblivion, Prusti lamented.
Many interesting chapters about Odisha will be unearthed from the files, he hoped.