This has been written earlier about Laxmidas Dani, but his name is nowhere to be found in the documents or books of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's transfer from Kolkata to Kabul. Subhashbabu secretly reached Kabul from his residence in Kolkata and, Russia refusing, reached Germany through the Italian ambassador, where he met Adolf Hitler, founded the Azad Hindu Freedom Union. Azad Hind Radio announced to the residents of Matrubhumi India that your Subhash had reached Germany and the preparations for a decisive battle in the war of independence had begun. His secret journey from Kolkata to Kabul was interesting and adventurous. In those days, the Reuters news agency reported that Hindustan leader Subhash Chandra had been killed in an airship crash off the coast of Japan on March 28, 1942. Then the news organization itself declared that the news was false. On December 13, 1940, Nephew Shishir left Kolkata in a motor. After reaching Burdwan railway station, traveling in second class train to Peshawar, disguised as Pathan. Stayed there for 6 days and then left for Kabul. His journey from Peshawar was initially in a horse carriage and later on foot. Meanwhile Lala Uttamchand, who was doing business in Kabul, Bhagatram Talwar Dwijenchandra, Dibesh Mukherjee, Ila and Arvind Bose, Ramakrishna, Achar Singh Chinna, Abad Khan…etc are mentioned in this trip. At least one of them turned out to be a British spy. … and our Laxmidas? Where did he get there from? In 1980, when I was doing research for the freedom struggle, I received a xerox copy from Bhavnagar in the mail. Then a small booklet came into hand, 'My Life Story.' As stated in it, Lakshmidas was born in Khirsara near Porbandar. Original Surname Madalani. Father Dahyabhai Monji. He was brought up among seven brothers and four sisters. Manubhai used to rent in Bhatia's house in Porbandar's Bhatia Bazar. Stayed in Porbandar Lohana hostel and studied 5th standard. Then satyagraha on liquor shops in Porbandar, non-cooperation struggle of 1930, Namak satyagraha, establishment of gymnasium in Ranawav, struggle of 1932, training at Manekrao gymnasium in Vadodara, Rajkot satyagraha… After this camp, he joins the forward block and reaches Kolkata. Subhash Chandra is under house arrest, he met there. Later narration in his own words- 'I met Hemant Kumar Basu. The other five of the forward block were ready. It also had a Muslim brotherhood. He vowed that he will die but will not tell anyone about this. We rented a house across from Howrah station. Finally the operation was done. From Howrah to Burdwan disguised as a Maulvi and from there to Peshawar. I was disguised as a fakir. In Peshawar we stayed in Muslim restaurants for three days. On 17th January 1941, he disguised himself as a Pathani. From Peshawar to Kabul on foot. Crossing rivers, hills, valleys, snow-covered road faced many difficulties. Four of our six were turned back from Peshawar. Me and my Punjabi brother Bhagatram stayed together. He remained incognito for 13 days in a passenger inn near Lahori Darwaza in Kabul. Subhashbabu Ziauddin, Bhagatram Rehman Khan, and named me Mohammad. After 13 days, Lala Uttamchand stayed there, I in a Muslim restaurant as the police tension increased. From there I used to carry and deliver letters from the offices of all foreign ambassadors. Bhagatram and Uttamchand handled the security and facilities of Subhashbabu. I delivered letters to the Russian envoy and then to the Italian envoy. Then a German office in Kabul was contacted. The Russian envoy declared inaction, but the Italians and Germans prepared. A few days later Signor Coroni of Italy assisted in bringing Subhash Babu from Kabul to Rome in March 1941. He was sent to Rome with a passport disguised as an audit officer of the Italian government. Then I and Bhagatram stayed in the city of Ghazni. From there via Kabul to Peshawar. Peshawar to Burdwan. Now the Fakir's dress is gone. Came to Kolkata and met Subhash Babu's elder brother Sharatchandra Bose. Subhash Babu handed over the two letters given to him. We had a forward block office in Nagpur. After staying there for a month, came to Mumbai. My revolutionary activity increased in Mumbai. I was remanded in December 1941 on charges of bombing a coffee club in Churchgate, I was severely beaten. The case went on and the judge sentenced him to one and a half years of hard labour, to be served in Visapur Jail. Meanwhile my pillow cover factory was occupied. Goods auctioned. The wife died leaving behind two small children. I had several warrants on me, so I went to Lahore from Mumbai. In Mumbai I threw a bomb at European soldiers at the Regal Cinema near Palwa Port, another near Bhuleshwar Bombakhana. This was warranted. Finally thought of going out of the country. The Italian envoy went to Kabul and met Coroni, but no longer in fakir guise! I got a chance to go to Singapore. What a coincidence that Netaji was the commander of the Azad Hind Army here! I met him, became an army soldier. Fought against the British Army as a soldier in Colonel Jagannath Rao's division on Burmese soil. Participated in this war until 1944. Netaji entrusted me with the task of sending grain to drought-stricken Indian regions. Collected such grain with forward block in India and distributed it among the people. Back in Imphal, we were caught near the Tezpur hills, I was kept in Lahore Jail in October 1945…' This heroic end is a shame for us. Laxmidas Dani did the work of lifting the thali. He died in an old age home in Bhavnagar.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
