You Know That

Finally, I shall like to discuss one or two points about the political strategy of Subhas Babu which prompted him to leave his country at a crucial time. I discussed with him this vital question and I can give here only the substance of the talk I had. A verbatim report is not possible. Subhas Babu's conviction was that the British would not quit India until and unless they were thrown out by a bloody revolution. The British had never freed any country willingly. He mentioned Ireland by way of example. Ireland passed through the fire of purgatory and after seven hundred years of struggle and suffering she could win her freedom, but still Ulster was there. The British people were engaged in a mortal struggle in the World War II and for the sake of independence of India Indians should take advantage of the psychological world situation. The British had created such a situation in India as made a successful revolution an impossibility. History tells us that all successful revolutions were brought about with the help of a foreign Power. Russia and America won their independence with the help of Germany and France respectively. He preferred Russian help to the Axis help. He told me very plainly that instead of rotting in prison in India for the duration of the war, he would like to do what he could from outside. He had full faith in God and did not attach much importance to religious dissension in India which were the creation of the British Government. His belief was that India suffered from political ills and the remedy lay in her liberation from the foreign yoke. He had perfect faith in India's destiny and was prepared to stake every drop of his blood for her liberation.

Subhas Babu stayed with me for forty-three days. I feel those hectic days were really the happiest days of my life. I am glad that I was able to render some service to that illustrious and great son of India whose very life-breath was the liberation of our Motherland.

After a few days I was accosted by a person, named Bashi Sahib, who was rumoured to be an agent of the British Secret Service. He told me that he had information that I could tell him the whereabouts of the two Indians hiding in my 'Muhalla', and the two Indians, he said, had recently escaped from India. When I expressed my inability to the British Secret Service agent he told me that nobody else could help him in that matter excepting myself. After discussion Bashi Sahib told me that one of the escapee was Subhas Chandra Bose, a topmost leader of India. I told him that I was a businessman and had nothing to do with politics or political leaders; but I should be obliged to him if he could help me to have Subhas Babu's 'darshan'. But in my heart of hearts I sensed danger and felt that something was brewing in the espionage cauldron of the British Government. I tried to analyse the situation. There were several alternatives. First, the German Foreign office might be the source of leakage of the secret. But in that case it would have been easy to spot me immediately and my doubts were set at rest when few days later Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came to see me. With her came a responsible member of the German Legation who had recently come to Kabul from Berlin. I complained to the German Officer that the British Secret Service agent Bashi Saheb told me what the British agent had learnt from the Afghan Ambassador at Berlin. The German Officer simply laughed and assured me that no leakage was possible from the German Legation. The only possible alternative seemed to be that the Peshawar C.l.D. must have looked for Rahmat Khan and not being able to trace him must have connected him with Bose Babu's escape to Kabul. But it was too late and the tiger had disappeared.

It may not be out of place to mention that after my arrest in May 1941 at Kabul whence I was sent to Jalalabad in fetters and then transferred to the Indian jail, Jiwan Lal was also arrested and thrown into prison. His only fault was that he used to meet me. What and how I suffered later on and how my property at Kabul was confiscated, is a story which throws a lurid light on the helplessness of India under foreign yoke. Independent India alone could have taken up my case.

On March 17, 1941 Subhas Babu left my house at 10 a.m. after bidding good-bye to us. The parting was so affectionate that it stirred our emotions. I bade him good-bye at Signora Karoni's [Quaroni] house.

On March 18 at about 10 a.m. Rahmat Khan came to my shop and told me that Bose Babu had left at 9 a.m. He was accompanied by two Germans and one Italian. In the passport given by the Italian his name was put down as Mozatia [Mazzotta].

One of the Germans who accompanied Bose Babu was Dr. Weller. Dr. Weller was a very clever man. In fact Bose Babu was assigned to the Germans.

Dr. Weller escorted him to Berlin. From Kabul they drove to the Russian frontier. On March 20 Subhas Babu left by train for Moscow from the Russian border. After some days a German Magazine with the news of Bose Babu's arrival in Berlin was sent to me. Under the picture of Bose Babu was written in German "India's great leader and former President of the Indian National Congress Subhas Chandra Bose who some time ago had mysteriously disappeared from India safely reached Berlin on March 28."

I was informed later on by Signora Karoni [Quaroni] that Bose Babu reached Moscow on March 27, stayed there for a night, and on the 28th March flew from Moscow to Berlin.

In the evening the guide came and he was told that it would not be possible to finalise plans for the escape of my friend across the Russian border owing to his illness.

In the evening the same day we discussed at home whether Subhas Babu should try to cross the Afghan border with the guide or whether he should wait for the Axis Couriers. It was decided after discussion that there was no harm in waiting. With regard to Jiwan Lal also we came to the conclusion that the best course under the circumstances was to tell him the secret that Subhas Babu was staying with me, otherwise there was a greater chance for Jiwan Lal to spread the gossip in the town that some mysterious persons used to visit me. So when I told Jiwan Lal about the whole thing and reprimanded him for his curiosity about the persons who visited me, he was simply stunned.

We again discussed the pros and cons of the two alternatives of going to Berlin or Rome with the help of the Axis Powers or of crossing into the Russian border with the guide without the help of Axis or the Russian Power. Rahmat Khan and I were of the opinion that Bose Babu should cross into the Russian border. But Bose Babu's decision was that he should go out of Afghanistan safely and would not like the idea of being arrested before crossing into Russia. He preferred to go to Moscow but the attitude of the Russian Ambassador at Kabul stood in the way and he said that it would be easier, if need be, to come back to Moscow from Berlin or Rome. So everything was settled under the circumstances in favour of the Axis.

Next day Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and informed me that the photograph was quite alright and the passport was also ready and they were waiting for the Couriers. We then made arrangements for Subhas Babu for his journey. Two suits were made for him, and the next days were spent in the purchase of articles for the journey and a final message also came that Bose Babu was to leave on March 18 and he was to reach the residence of Signora Karoni [Quaroni] by 8 p.m. on March 17. The guide who was to help Subhas Babu in crossing the Afghan border into the Russian had to be got rid of and had to be told that the journey to the Russian border had to be abandoned owing to the illness of my friend and the desire of Rahmat Khan to get back to India.

At 3 p.m. Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and took away Subhas Babu's suitcase.

In the meantime another problem cropped up. A friend of mine from Peshawar named Jiwan Lal visited me at the shop. He used to come to Kabul for wholesale purchases of dried fruits. In course of conversation I asked him what people thought of Bose Babu's disappearance. Jiwan Lal told me that the British had imprisoned him and they were spreading a lie that he had disappeared. Jiwan Lal was anxious to dine with me as usual. I told him that my wife was ill and he had to go away.

Next day Rahmat Khan and the guide came for a further talk about the journey. No sooner had Rahmat Khan and the guide arrived than Jiwan Lal also dropped in. Jiwan Lal had known the guide before and considered him a professional gambler. Rahmat Khan was clever enough and went away. Jiwan Lal took me to task for having friendly relation with a professional gambler. Jiwan Lal also saw me handing over a hundred-rupee note to the guide and naturally he was shocked and scolded me. His impression was that I associated with these two gamblers. Jiwan Lal persisted in asking about the companion (Rahmat Khan) of the guide.

In the evening I told Subhas Babu what had happened. He told me that I was at liberty to do what I liked in taking into confidence Jiwan Lal, but it was better to wait.

Jiwan Lal came next day and while I was talking with him Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and passed an envelope into my hands. This made Jiwan Lal all the more suspicious. I was subjected to a fiery cross-examination by him and he wanted to know about the contents of the envelope. Jiwan Lal was annoyed and went away. The contents of the note were satisfactory. The couriers had left Rome and in a week's time they would be in Kabul. Subhas Babu was requested to come to Darulman for a photograph on the following day at 11 a.m. A car would be waiting for him. After, his photo he will be left at a point whence he would be picked up.

Subhas Babu began to be worried owing to the delay. He was depressed. I requested him to go out for a walk but he did not like to stir out of the house. Only once he went out with me for tea at the residence of Haji who was a great admirer of Subhas Babu. Plans were discussed to cross into the Russian border as he was simply disgusted with the present position in Kabul. I suggested the name of a man who had several times been to the Afghan side of the river Hango which divides Russia from Afghanistan. The man who was to escort Subhas Babu was an absconder from the Frontier side. I had a talk with the proposed guide and he promised that it would be possible for him to smuggle my friend (Subhas Babu) in disguise. The deal was settled for seven hundred Afghan rupees.

Rahmat Khan was brought in contact with the guide and they together discussed plans, and next morning the guide came and was given some money to purchase articles.

On the 10th of February at about twelve o'clock Rahmat Khan came to me and informed me that Subhas Bahu had taken ill. He had dysentery owing to the bad food from the bazar. There was no chance of his being examined by a doctor. So it was decided that he should come back to my place. He came at about 7-30 p.m. the same day and in several days he regained his normal health. This time my wife made fool-proof arrangements against any untoward happening.

A week passed and there was no message from the Italian Legation and Subhas Babu sent another note to Signor Karoni [Quaroni] through Herr Thomas reminding the Italian Ambassador that since he contacted him three weeks had passed and no message had come about his passport from the Embassy at Moscow. The following day Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and delivered a sealed envelope conveying the message that there was some difficulty at Moscow about the passport. This news disturbed us all. Subhas Babu then wrote out a detailed letter for the Russian Ambassador. He narrated in the letter the whole story of his escape from India and requested him for an interview. The letter was strictly to be delivered to the Russian Ambassador himself. In spite of our best efforts the letter could not be delivered direct to the Russian Ambassador.

Two days later Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came with another note. It was quite clear from the note that there was some trouble at Moscow about the passport. With the greatest difficulty Russia agreed to the Axis request and couriers were reported to be coming from Rome and there would be no further difficulty for the passage. Another week passed and there was no message.

On the 6th of February 1941, something happened which disturbed us a good deal. When we were taking our morning tea my neighbour happened to come into our flat. I used to keep the entrance door of Subhas Babu's room closed. That day my daughter forgot to shut the door. My neighbour was an honourable man. But the moment he glanced at Subhas Babu he stood petrified. I was sure that he had recognised him. In the evening my neighbour came and told me that he was too ill to stay in that house. It was necessary, therefore, for the sake of precaution that Subhas Babu should shift to a Serai for a few days. If nothing happened in two or three days Subhas Babu should come back to my residence. My neighbour confessed to me the day after that he had recognised Subhas Babu and he was mentally disturbed so much that he could not stay in the house for the fear of being arrested as the British Government must be hot in the trail of Subhas Babu.

On the 9th of February Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came to my shop and left a letter containing the information that the message of thanks from Subhas Babu had been conveyed to Rome and Berlin and the Italian Embassy at Moscow had been asked to arrange the passport.

It will not be out of place if I were to state very frankly that Subhas Babu was greatly handicapped on account of very bad arrangements his friends made for him to contact the Russian Legation. The language difficulty was another trouble. Even Rahmat Khan was as good a stranger as Subhas Babu. With great difficulty they could locate the Russian Legation but it was not possible to enter the Legation. So they resorted to an uncertain way of contacting the Russian Ambassador. When the Russian Ambassador's car passed by near the Legation Rahmat Khan waved his hand. The car stopped and Rahmat Khan told the Ambassador that Subhas Chandra Bose was with him. In broken Persian Rahmat Khan tried to explain the whole thing. But the Ambassador was not prepared to believe the story. The chances of falling into the hands of the Afghan Police began to loom large. Then Rahmat Khan managed to enter the Italian Legation and told Signor Karoni [Quaroni] the Charge-de-Affaires all about Subhas Babu. Signor Karoni [Quaroni] was mightily pleased to hear of the presence of Subhas Babu in Kabul and promised to send him to Rome or Berlin. He also fixed up the meeting place at the residence of a German living in Kabul. Herr Thomas was the German where Rahmat Khan was to receive a message.

Rahmat Khan went to Herr Thomas on the appointed day where he found a letter from Signor Karoni [Quaroni]. The contents of the letter were very encouraging as Berlin and Rome expressed great pleasure at the news of arrival of Subhas Babu and Signor Karoni [Quaroni] had orders to help him.

In order to avoid any possible suspicion it was decided that I should take messages to Herr Thomas instead of Rahmat Khan. I was a declared Radio-dealer and could go anywhere, and Rahmat Khan was in danger of being spotted by the Lahori Darwaza C.I.D. man. I carried a message from Subhas Babu to Herr Thomas who had to transfer that letter to the Italian Legation. I was informed that Herr Thomas had no message to give.

I was very anxious to hear from Subhas Babu himself how he managed to penetrate the British barricade of espionage and came to Kabul. So I made a request to him and he was pleased to tell me the whole story. The following is the substance of the story in his own words:

"I was anxious to get out of India in order to render greater service to my country. I was to be smuggled out to Moscow by a party which promised to make all arrangements but I could not avail myself of that opportunity then. There were two reasons for my refusal. First, I had to attend to some urgent business of the Calcutta Corporation, secondly, I had no beard which I considered so essential for proper disguise. The person who was to accompany me to Kabul had excellent contacts in the Russian Embassy here.

"After attending to the Corporation business I ceased to get out of my house on the pretext to my shattered health. I gave very strict instructions that none should see me. Only a telephonic talk was possible in cases of urgency. Visitors were strictly prohibited. On the 15 of January, 1941 when my beard was forty days old, I set out of the house at midnight in the guise of a Maulvi. I got into a car, and 40 miles away from Calcutta I caught the Mail. The next day a military Sikh passenger came into the compartment. During the course of conversation I told him that I was coming from Lucknow, and was going to Rawalpindi as an Insurance Organiser and that my name was Ziauddin.

"I was putting on a sherwani and a fez cap. The tight pyjama and my long beard made me look like a perfect Maulvi. I reached Peshawar at 9 p.m. on the 17th January. An already waiting car for me drove me to the appointed place. I spent two days in Peshawar and the arrangements which my friend made at Peshawar for my stay were simply splendid. Nobody knew anything about my stay. On January 19, I put on Pathan clothes, entered a car and drove out of Peshawar on my way to Jamrud. A little distance from the Jamrud Fort a kachcha road bifurcates. We proceeded on that road and reached a village, Gurhi where I had to leave the car as the road was not motorable. I passed the night in Gurhi. Next day Rahmat Khan, the two Pathans and myself started on foot for Kabul. The friends who had escorted me returned to Peshawar with the car. From Gurhi I was to pretend that I was deaf and dumb.

"Next evening we crossed the Indian border and spent the night in the famous shrine of Addah Sharif as guests of the Pir. The two armed Pathans were replaced by three others who were equally armed. We reached Lalpura in the evening and were the guests of a very influential Khan of the place.

"I left Lalpura with a very important letter of introduction from the Chief. The letter was in Persian and its contents were that Rahmat Khan and Ziauddin were going on a pilgrimage to Sukhi Saheb's shrine and that they were inhabitants of the tribal area and that nobody should molest them. That letter of introduction when shown to the Afghan C.I.D. man saved us from his clutches. But that C.I.D. man was more after money than after a certificate of good character.

"The next day we reached Buttkhak. The passports are checked here. Rahmat Khan produced Lalpura Khan's certificate and he told the officer that I was deaf and dumb. After taking tea, we got into the lorry and reached Kabul between four and five in the afternoon. We had taken care to bring sufficient Afghan currency with us."

I was thrilled to listen to the adventurous journey of Subhas Babu. Food was served and after meals we listened to the Radio.

"What can I do for you then?"

"I am on a mission. I have brought Subhas Chandra Bose here to smuggle him across the Russian border," said Bhagat Ram, the stranger. The very name of Subhas Babu made my heart jump up and I felt as if I was in a trance. Bhagat Ram continued, "We are staying at present in a Serai but an Afghan C.I.D. man has been pestering us. He has also been bullying us. I had known your brother by face and as we are in a tight corner we have to think of every possible means to get out of this impasse. This C.I.D. man has been harassing us for five days, and we have to bribe him every time he comes. But he is getting more and more importunate and dangerous, and so we had to think of you. You may not be able to help us in sending Subhas Babu across the frontier, but certainly you can help us in getting shelter and devising means of escape, and the greatest relief to us under your shelter will be that there will be no apprehension of betrayal. We have been here for the last thirteen days staying in a small room of the Serai near Lahori Darwaza. The place is awfully filthy. I tried to establish contact with the Russian Ambassador but my attempt failed."

"After my failure with the Russian Legation, I tried to contact the Italian Ambassador who promised to send Bose Babu to Berlin or Rome after the arrangements were complete. But our first anxiety is to find a safe place for the period we have to stay here."

"You are welcome to my place; but you should bear in mind that there is another person sharing the house I live in. My neighbour occupies the ground floor while I am on the upper flat. And then my house is in the dirtiest locality." I said to Bhagat Ram. Bhagat Ram simply laughed and said, "Do not worry about dirt and filth. The only consideration is safe quarter." It was arranged that Bhagat Ram should come with Bose Babu at four o'clock. At the time of his departure I asked him whether he was passing by his real name, Bhagat Ram said, "I go by the name of Rahmat Khan and Subhas Babu's name is Ziauddin."

After Rahmat Khan's departure I felt a sense of weakness creeping over me and there was a battle royal in my mind about the consequences in case of the discovery of Subhas Babu in my house. A veil of darkness about the fate of my children and wife hung heavily before my eyes, but soon this weakness passed away.

Hours passed by and at ten to four Rahmat Khan arrived all alone. He told me that Bose Babu was waiting on the opposite of the Kabul river which flowed in front of my shop. I accompanied Rahmat Khan, crossed the river bridge at a distance of a furlong from my shop. Subhas Babu was not to be found at the bridge and therefore we proceeded ahead and then Rahmat Khan pointed out a man dressed in an unwashed salwar and a dirty shirt. Every inch of him looked like a Pathan. The new man was coming to us negotiating with difficulty the snow-covered road. The man — Rahmat Khan told me — was Subhas Babu. I was simply nonplussed to see Subhas Babu in that disguise. His identity could not be betrayed. The road was treacherous and there were deep holes and Subhas Babu sometimes stumbled. We decided from our place of meeting to walk one after another in order to ward off any lurking suspicion. By the time I reached my house, followed by Rahmat Khan and Ziauddin, my neighbours had closed their doors owing to intense cold and one or two stray travellers could not be a source of any difficulty.

In the Writer's House

Once inside the house Subhas Babu felt at home and changed his clothes and put on spectacles. With spectacles on it was very easy to recognise him in spite of his beard. Tea was ordered and we all felt refreshed after taking tea. Rahmat Khan was asked to bring the luggage from the Serai and my servant Amarnath was sent to help him. Subhas Babu instructed Rahmat Khan that he should be very careful lest he should be shadowed by any C.I.D. man. Rahmat Khan was to give the luggage to Amamath and was to follow him later on. In case of any suspect on the track Rahmat Khan was ordered to loiter about till he could give him the slip.

After the departure of Rahmat Khan and Amarnath to bring the luggage from the Serai I had my difficulties in my own petticoat Government. My wife sensed trouble and was suspicious. She wanted me to tell her categorically who the strangers were and why I wanted her to take a Muslim for a Hindu. She got furious and said that she had known every thing about them as the stranger first talked to me in Pushto and then in Hindustani. I knew that Subhas Babu was going to stay for a few days with me, but it was difficult to keep my wife ignorant about my distinguished guest. So I promised that she would know everything later on.

I then had a prolonged talk with Subhas Babu. He told me that he had left Peshawar on January 19, 1941 and reached Kabul in three days. He was a perfect stranger to Kabul and Rahmat Khan was no better. After great hardship in the way he tumbled into the Serai near Lahori Darwaza. The little knowledge of Pushto which Rahmat Khan had, was of considerable help. They were ushered into a shabby dingy cell filled with smoke. Some dry faggots were procured and a fire was prepared. Rahmat Khan purchased some dry bread and meat. It was not possible to eat that bread and so the bread had to be dipped in tea. But more trouble was in store as soon after a man in white clothes began to pay special attention to them. This happened after they had spent a week only in the Serai. Theman in white clothes was one of the Afghan C.I.D. men. The C.I.D. man asked in Pushto who they were and why they had come to Kabul. Rahmat Khan told him that they were travellers and that he (Subhas Babu) was Rahmat Khan's elder brother and was deaf and dumb and he was being taken to pilgrimage to Sukhi Saheb. As a heavy snow-fall had closed the route to Sukhi Saheb, they were forced to stay. They would start on their journey as soon as the road was open. But the C.I.D. man did not believe them and wanted them to go along with him to the Kotwali. Rahmat Khan then changed tactics and prepared himself to accompany him to Kotwali telling him that his brother was sick and could not go. The C.I.D. man then softened a little and asked Rahmat Khan to stay till the road was clear and requested him to give him some money for tea. He was given a two-rupee Afghan note but the C.I.D. man had tasted the blood and returned on the third day and threatened to take them to Kotwali. It was then that Subhas Babu decided to shift to some other place. It was equally dangerous to shift to some other Serai and therefore it became necessary to find out my residence. A true revolutionary has to take risks and Subhas Babu then ordered Rahmat Khan to take risk in finding me out.

But the C.I.D. man again returned to the game and threatened them with severe consequences as the sub-inspector of Afghan police had wanted to see the two strangers. He told Rahmat Khan that he suspected them to be rebels as the road to Sukhi Saheb was open. The C.I.D. man further asserted that he would care a two-pence for a dumb and deaf man. The situation was getting serious. It was plain that the C.I.D. man had come to squeeze as much money as possible. Rahmat Khan got ready to accompany the C.I.D. man and handed over a five-rupee note to him with the request that his dumb and deaf brother should be spared. This led to a great deal of haggling and bargaining and the settlement was made for Rupees seventeen, but the C.I.D. man further extorted a fine wrist-watch which Rahmat Khan had on his wrist. That watch belonged to Subhas Babu. After the departure of the C.l.D. man, it was with great difficulty that Rahmat Khan could contact me. But for the creative imagination of Subhas Babu it would not have been possible for Rahmat Khan to locate my shop.

The return of Amarnath and Rahmat Khan with the luggage from the Serai gave great relief. After dinner we listened to the Radio news and I had to summarise to Subhas Babu all the important news of the last week as he had not listened to or read any news since January 19, 1941. Subhas Babu was simply amused to hear the radio story of the Sadhu's arrest in Hardwar and Sardar Sardul Singh Caveesher s view of his renunciation and becoming a Sadhu.

Before I could request Subhas Babu to tell me the story of his escape from India I had to pacify my wife who had grown more suspicious. She seemed to conjure up fantastic ideas and she told me plainly that it was not possible for her to keep the two strangers in my absence, so I had to take her into confidence. I told her the whole story, with the result that her agitated mind took a new turn. Fear and suspicion gave place to trust and responsibility and she considered it her moral duty to help me and Subhas Babu in our project. It would not have been possible to give such a safe shelter to Subhas Babu without her meticulous care. I was instructed by Subhas Babu to attend my shop at exact hours and the room in which Subhas Babu was staying used to remain locked up so that any neighbour or relative might not get into that room even by a chance.