Netaji Bose files de-classified: Understanding Mamata Banerjee's timing

The nation waits with bated breath to find out what exactly is present in the 64 files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which were de-classified by the West Bengal police today.

What is also interesting in this entire episode is the timing to release the files.

Mamata Banerjee in fact took everone by surprise when she announced last week that the files present in West Bengal would be de-classified.

Mamata Banerjee is known to dish out surprises and this move relating to Netaji too was very classic of her style.

She announced that there needs to be transparency on the issue and the people had a right to know about their beloved leader.

Was it transparency alone?

While Mamata must be given her due for taking this step, one must also remember that Netaji still generates a lot of interest and also is a scoring point when it comes to politics.

Anuj Dhar who is a researcher on Netaji and also has written the engaging book, "India's Biggest Cover Up," tells OneIndia that this could well be a move to pre-empt a possible decision by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Anuj says that there could be many reasons behind the decision to de-classify these files. It has been rumoured that the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi was planning on declassifying the files that the centre had ahead of the West Bengal elections.

If that rumour is to be believed that Mamata Banerjee has decided to declassify these files only to pre-empt any such move by the Prime Minister.

Another reason could be that the declassification of these files would create an atmosphere for the centre to declassify the files which have much more material and information," Dhar also says.

A shrewd move

Whether it is politics or not, the move by Mamata does set the ball rolling. It does put the ball in the court of the centre. Dhar says that the centre has around 135 odd secret files.

As per what I can gather, the files with the centre are more incriminating in nature and will give a better idea to the Bose mystery, Dhar also adds.

Many are terming the move by the West Bengal CM as a shrewd one. Netaji has millions of followers and fans. She has earned the good will of most of them by taking this decision to declassify the files.

What she has tried to tell the fans of Netaji is that she has made the first move to de-classify every bit of information West Bengal has.

It is now up to the centre to make the next move and reveal the secret relating to Netaji. She is also trying to tell the centre that it had gone back on its word of de-classifying the files.

Recently information relating to Netaji was denied by the centre on the ground that it could affect international ties.