Kolkota (Calcutta) to Berlin :

Janakinath Bose, Bivabati Devi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Sarat Chandra Bose in Shillong, 1927

‘The Great Escape of Subhas Chandra Bose’, i.e., his escape from house arrest by the British Government in Kolkata (then Calcutta) to Berlin in 1941 is now part of folklore. Almost every Indian with a basic knowledge of the Indian Freedom Struggle knows that Bose escaped dressed as a Pathan and reached Berlin via Delhi, Peshawar, and Kabul.

Historians have overlooked the role of women in many historical events and this case is no exception. Writers have discussed in detail how Mian Akbar Shah, Sisir Bose, Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rahmat Khan, Uttam Chand, Haji Amin, etc. helped Bose in this journey to Berlin. They have failed to note the contributions of Bivabati Devi, Ramo Devi, Larissa Quaroni, and Mrs Haji Abdul Sobhan in the great escape.

Netaji held Bivabati Devi, wife of Subhas Chandra Bose’s elder brother Sarat Chand, in high esteem. Bhagat Ram Talwar, who had accompanied Subhas in his journey through Peshawar and Afghanistan, writes, “He considered her as his second mother. He said that in times of difficulty, he always turned to her for advice and guidance. He took her into confidence as also did Sarat Chandra Bose and their son Sisir Bose. With their help, he succeeded in dodging the police.”  

Larissa Quaroni and Alberto Pietro Quaroni

It was Bivabati who ensured that after Subhas’ escape all his meals reached his room and empty dishes removed so that police did not know about his absence till 27 January 1941, and by then he had reached Kabul.

Talwar also noted, “He had spoken to me of her (Bivabati’s) capacity to judge a particular situation and understand things and of her tact to adapt and prepare herself to meet a certain situation and thus how she was of tremendous help to him all his life.”

Ramo Devi, wife of Uttam Chand, an Indian who owned a shop in Kabul, was another person who helped Netaji in his escapade. Uttam was a revolutionary who served the jail in India during the 1930s for his nationalistic activities. Subhas stayed at his house in Kabul for a few days.

Talwar recalled, “Ramo Devi played a great and noble role in affording us protection in our difficult days during our stay in Kabul. She displayed wonderful tact and presence of mind in handling the situation. Credit goes to her for the fact that during our stay for such a long period, the neighbours or visitors never got suspicious of us. She spared no pains to make Netaji’s stay in her house as comfortable as possible. She always provided good food for Netaji and looked after him with great care, particularly when Netaji was unwell. She managed the children so well that we never had a reason to suspect that they would let the secret out. Under her control, even the servant proved to be useful and reliable. I think she gave very valuable support to her husband in this difficult task of sheltering a personality so well-known and so much sought after by the police.”

 Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rahmat Khan Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rahmat KhanBhagat Ram

Bhagat Ram Talwar alias Rehmat Khan

Larissa Quaroni was married to Mr. Alberto Pietro Quaroni, the ambassador of Italy in Kabul. After his futile attempts to get help from the USSR and German embassies, the Italian ambassador extended all the help to Subahs to get out of Kabul and reach Berlin. He gave him a new passport with the fake identity of an Italian, Orlando Mazotta.

The government in Kabul would not support anti-British activity on its soil. Larissa acted as a messenger between the Italian embassy and Subhas. She would take the messages from the embassy to Uttam Chand’s shop. She procured Bose’s new Italian passport and also arranged clothes for his travel.

Haji Abdul Sobhan, an Indian revolutionary based in Kabul, had served jail as a member of the Ghadar Party. He married a German woman. He and Uttam Chand looked after Subhas’ stay in Kabul.

Sobhan’s wife was Subha’s link with Germany. She suggested that if everything went as planned the German forces could reach Afghanistan in six months and with their help tribals could attack the British in India. When Subhas was living in Berlin, she kept sending clothes and messages to him through her sister.

There is no denying that Subhas Chandra Bose and other men with him did something heroic but these women were no less. It is unimaginable that the escape could have succeeded if these women were not there. 

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Story / by Saquib Salim / January 23rd, 2025