President of Patriots Forum, D.C. Nath was superannuated in January, 1995, as the Special Director, Intelligence Bureau, D.C. Nath (IPS-1960) was associated with the International Institute of Security and Safety Management (IISSM), headquartered in New Delhi, for over 14 years, first as the Executive President & CEO and then as the President & Director General, between February, 1997 and March, 2011. The author of a highly acclaimed book, Intelligence Imperatives for India, Mr. Nath earned high plaudits from all around for two of his very significant presentations on: “Revisiting the Future of India” (2005, London) and “Lessons from India for the War On Terrorism” (2007, USA). He is the only one in the field, combining the experiences of a police officer with specialization in intelligence and strategic analysis and an industrial security expert par excellence. More Bio on D. C. Nath…
OPINION>>>>
April 27, 2015
Dear Friends,
Subject: Delhi’s Netaji Memorial Is far & Forgotten
This is all that we have done for Netaji.
Delhi’s Netaji memorial is far & forgotten
Apr 27 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)
New Delhi TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Ishaque Mohammad is waiting for the Metro line to Bahadurgarh to be functional. Then perhaps, Azad Hind Gram, the memorial to Subhas Chandra Bose, will get more footfall than 10-12 in a day and be able to create a new revenue model which at present depends almost entirely on school picnics.
This token tribute to Bose is not just inconveniently located at Tikri Kalan–beyond Mundka in outer Delhi and, therefore, way off any Delhi tourist track–but also lacks many of the basics. The Dilli Chalo Museum situated there has nothing of Bose’s or the Indian National Army’s vintage on display except about two dozen INA shoulder insignia. There isn’t even a brochure explaining why Delhi Tourism thought Tikri Kalan an appropriate spot for a Bose memorial.
Referring to a Bose statue at the entrance, Ishaque says, “He made his last speech, addressing the INA, at Tikri Kalan at that spot.“
What Ishaque believes isn’t congruent with what history says–the INA never got beyond Moirang in Manipur, and Netaji never came back to India at the head of INA. But Ishaque says there were once a few INA members among the villagers in Tikri and they’d stop by.
To be fair, it’s a lovely spot–carefully landscaped with seating and even what was to be a cafeteria–and Ishaque keeps it well. The domed memorial has relief sculptures on the walls and some texts explaining different episodes in Bose’s career.An open area has a replica of a Burma bridge that kids can climb on.
The school package includes two meals, Rajasthani costume and folk dances, puppetry , magic show, camelcart rides and pottery . “We show them a documentary on Bose,“ adds Ishaque.Adult visitors stopping by specifically for Bose are so few, their visits are memorable occasions. “Once a group had dropped in on the way to a biscuit factory further down the road,“ he says, “Else, it’s mostly locals.“
You have to ask for directions to get there. The municipal bodies keep removing the signage, apparently , and the Delhi Metro barricades hide it from the view for practically anyone driving from Delhi and towards Haryana.
The six-acre space was built in 1998 and inaugurated by Sheila Dikshit and Sahib Singh Verma in 2000. Over the first two years, there was plenty of advertising–even a crafts mela was organized–but takers were few. “It is slightly isolated,“ explains Ramesh Tiwari, managing director, Delhi Tourism. A large chunk of it is now a disputed property . The department, he says, gave it to a private operator to run for five years. “We stopped that because there were operational problems and they’ve gone to court. The matter is now subjudice.“ The operator had rented large chunks of the space for weddings and banquets. The cloth barricades and chairs are oddities in a memorial to the freedom struggle.
Vandemataram,
Your sevak,
D.C. Nath
(Former Spl. Director, IB)
(President, Patriots’ Forum)
Source: Patriot Forum
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