The Indian Council for Historical Research has decided to start a new research project into Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army’s contributions to the freedom struggle, Hindustan Times reported. The top history body has announced this two months before the declassification of all Bose’s files by the Centre. Netaji and the INA and their contributions to the freedom struggle have remained relatively inconspicuous due to the lack of information and adequate sources on the topic. An ICHR member said that most sources were British, which could be deceptive, and that the new research will deal with sources from India, Japan and Myanmar. The declassification of records by the Centre will also provide new material to be looked into.

The historical figure still helps win votes in West Bengal. The move to declassify all Netaji files came earlier this year after intelligence showed that governments spied on Bose’s family till 1968. Netaji allegedly died in a sudden air crash in 1945, but his body was never recovered.