THE TASHKENT MAN

THE TASHKENT MAN

Now it is widely suspected that Lal Bahadur Shastri was poisoned to death in Tashkent. Who was it that he had met there that brought about his untimely demise? Was it Netaji? If so, how? What are the credible facts available to us that would convince us thus? Who was the Tashkent Man? Was he Netaji? But his face does not apparently quite match with Netaji's it seems. Does it? He seems to be quite young for a 68 year old man and looks younger than Netaji was in 1945. Moreover, the shape of the ear does not quite seem the same as Netaji's. Even the looks of the gentleman does not have the same luminosity of Netaji's. Yet, the British face-mapping expert, Neil Millar, when commissioned to unveil the mystery of this 'Mystery Man', came to the rather astounding conclusion that the facial features of both Netaji and the Tashkent Man are uncannily alike. So, what is your take on this issue? Who was the Tashkent Man? Was he Netaji?

Written by Sugata Bose

P.S. : Sugata Bose : But, Fraeortis Satarawalla, believers say that Netaji had thus disguised himself to avoid detection, that is, he had hair implanted on his scalp. I guess that is what the faithful believe it to be. Again, as Saurav Bhattacharjee rightly says, it could have been a wig as well.

Sugata Bose : [@Fraeortis Satarawalla] That is hardly ever likely for all such will invariably come under some sort of political compulsion, complex as the case is with its national and international ramifications. At least that is what has been the stated position of the Government of India in the past and that is how it has conducted itself with utmost secrecy about the Netaji Files.

Sugata Bose : You are very right, Keka. Your artist's eye caught keenly the difference.

Sugata Bose : Not quite, Prasenjit Ghosh. Gumnami Baba was not in India at that time.

Sugata Bose : Netaji biographer Mihir Bose had said in an interview that this Tashkent Man was a Pakistani diplomat. View this video at 4.48 min and thereafter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XilgZJsGICE...

Sugata Bose Apparently no one. I have read in Abhirup Sarkar's comment that no one was allowed in those days to go near the room where the sage stayed for the period of time that Bhagavanji stayed out of India. In other words, no dummy, empty room, none allowed to see inside.

Sugata Bose : It is necessary to solve the Tashkent Man mystery in order to counter the claims of the recently published book that Bhagavanji suffered from Post Trauma Stress Disorder or PTSD.

Sugata Bose : [@Joy Deep] The Tashkent Pact took place in 1966 and Bhagavanji arrived at Faizabad in 1983. Am I getting it right? So, perhaps, he was elsewhere located in Uttar Pradesh at around that time and not Faizabad. Moreover, I have read in a comment of Abhirup Sarkar that at the time of the talks in Tashkent, Bhagavanji was absent from his location in India and there was no dummy whatsoever doing replacement duty for him there. Rather, no one was allowed to go near or enter his residential room where a strict vigil was kept up to uphold the secrecy so as to avoid detection of his absence. This is hearsay evidence for me and you may have other references whereby you may judge better. Abhirup Sarkar may also corroborate on this with added information.