Laid to Rest

Laid to Rest: The Controversy over Subhas Chandra Bose's Death is the most comprehensive compilation of hard evidence ever presented on the still hotly-debated demise of one of the heroes of the Indian freedom movement. It pieces together a plethora of first-hand, eye-witness accounts of the plane crash at Taipei that resulted in Subhas Bose breathing his last in a Japanese military hospital, his cremation and the transfer of his ashes to Japan, where they remain till date.

In a veritable tour de force, the book presents irrefutable, overwhelming testimonies from survivors of the crash, people who were at Bose's bedside when he passed away, attendees at the cremation and couriers of the mortal remains to Tokyo and ultimately to its current resting place at Renkoji temple. Indian, Japanese and Taiwanese nationals unite to provide an unimpeachable and unanimous verdict. The publication decimates conspiracy theories; and questions successive Indian governments for ignoring the plaintive cry of Bose's Austrian widow and economist daughter to apply closure to a needless and never ending controversy.

"Ashis Ray's book, Laid to Rest, is an ode to our national capacity for credulity, our willingness to absorb any concoction, the more irrational the better. Our malicious political leaders exploit this national weakness, and inflict themselves on us with their fantastic claims and outrageous lies. This is involved journalism at its very best." - Harish Khare, The Tribune