About the ceremony he says: "The temple of which I am the priest is a Buddhist temple. When the ashes were brought, we placed them on a wooden stand. The ashes were contained in a small wooden box, about 8" cube. It was wrapped in white cloth on which was written NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE. I can read printed English a little. At the ceremony I called six other priests. I stood in the front. We burnt incense (aggarbattis). Mr. Murti gave 30 yens wrapped in a piece of paper. I distributed this sum amongst all the priests...The ceremony lasted for one hour, after which people went away, and I stayed behind in the temple by the side of the ashes to make sure that nobody came and took them away."

6. According to Rev. Mochizuki, after the funeral ceremony it is customary for the people to take away the ashes, but in this case he was asked by Mr. Ramamurti, Mrs. Sahay and a Japanese Staff Officer to keep the ashes in a befitting manner, as they belonged to a great man, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He agreed to do so till such time as they could be delivered to the proper authorities. Every year on the 18th of August, Rev. Mochizuki offers prayers to the dead. From 1945 when the ashes were deposited till 1950 nobody came to see or pay respects to the ashes except Mr. Ramamurti. In May 1950, the then Head of the Indian Mission, Mr. K.K. Chettur, visited the temple. Since then, there have been many visitors including Mr. Ayer in 1951. Last year (1955) there was quite a big ceremony on the Death Anniversary Day, the 18th of August. A number of Japanese notables, including Madam Tojo, General Nakamura, General Kawabe, General Mutaguchi, General Katakura, attended. Our Committee visited the Renkoji temple and recorded a note which is enclosed (Annexure I). A series of photographs were taken showing the interior and exterior of the temple and the inner and outer caskets in which the ashes are kept. Copies of these will be found in Annexure II.

7. From what has been said, it will be seen that the ashes were moved in stages from the crematorium to Nishi Honganji temple, from there to Minami Aerodrome, and thence to Tokyo Imperial General Headquarters. The progress thereafter was from the Imperial General Headquarters, first to Mr. Ramamurti's house, and then to Mrs. Sahay's house, and finally to the Renkoji temple. There is no break in the.chain. From the first, i.e., from the crematorium, the ashes were taken charge of by the Formosan Army, and responsible officers were concerned with its keeping in the Nishi Honganji temple, and its delivery to the Imperial General Headquarters. That the ashes were well looked after in the temple, has been deposed by the priest of a neighbouring temple. At the Imperial General Headquarters, the first Duty Officer kept the ashes in his own custody, and the next Duty Officer handed them over to the local representative of Netaji's movement, Mr. Ramamurti. Messrs. Ramamurti and Ayer took delivery and, after due ceremony, installed the ashes in Renkoji temple. Since then, Rev. Mochizuki has looked after the ashes carefully. There is, therefore, good reason to believe that the ashes that were taken out from the crematorium, Taihoku, on or about the 21st of August 1945, were the same ashes as were deposited at the Renkoji temple, Tokyo, on or about the 18th September 1945, and the very same ashes remain in that temple today. It is true that such precautions as were necessary to prove indisputable identity were not taken. At no stage was the casket containing the ashes sealed, no formal receipts issued, nor again continuous watch kept over it. So, although there cannot be absolute certainty, nevertheless, it can be said that, in all probability, the ashes kept in Renkoji temple, Tokyo, are the ashes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

8. Three witnesses have expressed doubts that the ashes kept in the Renkoji temple are not the ashes of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. One of the witnesses who had doubts is Mrs. Illa Pal Chowdhury, M.P. She went to Japan in a party with Mr. J. C. Sinha and another gentleman, in connection with the World Religionists Conference in 1955, and visited the Renkoji temple along with her companions. She says, "I got the feeling that the ashes were not Netaji's ashes, because the temple was in a very dilapidated condition. It is a tiny temple in an out of the way place. It is almost 18 to 20 miles out of Tokyo, it may be a little more or less. The ashes are kept in a casual manner, wrapped up in an old chaddar and the dignity which should accompany Netaji's ashes is not there. That is the feeling which I had and I would like to convey this to the Committee." It will be seen that this opinion is subjective, and not so much based on a study of the facts and circumstances. As for the condition of the temple, the information given by Mrs. Illa Pal is largely incorrect. The temple is not 18 to 20 miles out of Tokyo, but only 6 miles from the centre of the city, and is in that part of Tokyo known as Suginamiku. It is not in a dilapidated condition, but is in an excellent state of preservation. This will be seen from the photos of the exterior and interior of the temple, taken at the time when the Committee was in Tokyo in May-June 1956 (Annexure II).

There is no reason to believe that the temple was in a dilapidated condition a year back. The ashes are not kept in a casual manner, but well kept, and looked after by the priest, Rev. Mochizuki. The Renkoji temple was inspected by the members of the Committee on the 30th May, 1956. An extract from the note (Annexure I) given below will show the condition of the temple and how the ashes are kept:

"The Renkoji temple is situated in Suginamiku quarter of Tokyo, about 6 miles from the centre of the town, where the Indian Embassy is situated. The temple is of a moderate size, built of timber in the usual style of Japanese Buddhist temples. Around it is a small Japanese garden. The temple, although not very large, is well kept. The ashes are kept in the main shrine just behind the altar in a large glass case. In this case are kept various venerated objects, such as gilded images of Bodhisattvas. On the left-hand side of the glass case is a small wooden casket in the shape of a pagoda about 2 ft. high. In front of it is a small portrait of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A larger photograph of Netaji is kept outside in the left-hand corner of the glass case. Incense was burning before it. Rev. Mochizuki took out from the pagoda-shaped casket a rectangular-shaped wooden box painted red. On opening it was revealed a small container about 8" cube covered with some kind of white cloth. On it was written in large English letters in black ink "NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE." The contents of the smaller container were not examined. As he was handling these objects, Rev. Mochizuki was intoning some sacred mantras. One by one, he put back the containers into their original positions and securely locked with a key the door of the glass case...As in the case of most Japanese temples, the temple was very clean, both inside and outside. The Committee was satisfied that Rev. Mochizuki takes good care of the ashes, and they are being kept properly within the limited means of the authorities of the Renkoji temple."

9. The reasons for doubts given by Mr. J. C. Sinha, who went along with Mrs. Illa Pal in 1955, are somewhat different. He says that he had met one Mr. Virick, a young man, who was one of the Tokyo Cadets (I.N.A.) during the war. He was the cadet who had carried the urn containing the ashes to the Renkoji temple on the day of the original funeral ceremony on the 18th September 1945. Mr. Virick had returned to Japan, and was studying in the Tokyo University. His name was mentioned in this connection specifically by witness Mr. J. Murti. From Mr. Sinha's statement it appears that Mr. Virick who went with him had some difficulty in finding his way to the temple, and in finding out where the urn was kept. Mr. Virick confessed to Mr. Sinha that since depositing the ashes in 1945 he had not been to the Renkoji temple. Mr. Sinha has given the reason for his disbelief. He says,"...had they been Netaji's ashes, as Mr. Virick told me, the person who is in Tokyo for the last three years from today, and if he had been really that person who had carried the ashes to the temple, should have visited that temple a number of times to pay his homage and respects to that great departed leader." Mr. Virick was in Tokyo as a cadet when he was a boy. It is presumed that like others he was repatriated soon after the war terminated. Years have passed and he again came back to Tokyo as a University student apparently in 1952-53. As a young cadet he could not have had much to do with Netaji, and one cannot say how much boyish impression the grown-up man retained. In any case, it would hardly be fair or logical to arrive at any conclusion about the genuineness of the ashes on the basis of personal reactions — apparent lack of attachment for the same ashes on the part of Mr. Virick.

10. The third person who cast doubt is Mr. S. M. Goswami. Mr. Goswami appeared before the Committee twice. In his second statement recorded on the 16th June, Mr. Goswami says that whereas in 1953 he found that the writing on the urn of the words "NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE'S ASHES" was in italics, he was surprised to find a picture in Amrita Bazar Patrika, dated the. 5th June 1956, that the writing "NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE" was in block letters. He concluded that the whole thing had been changed since 1953. On looking at Amrita Bazar Patrika, dated the 5th June 1956, that is, the picture of the urn appearing on its front page, it is seen that the writing is in block letters and not in italics.

Mr. Ayer went to Tokyo and visited the Renkoji temple in 1951. He has submitted a photo of the urn. The Committee also took a photo of the urn in June, 1956. The writing on all these photos "NETAJI SUBHAS CHANDRA BOSE" appears to be identical. They are in block letters. A copy of the photo submitted by Mr. Ayer and the one taken by the Committee are enclosed (Annexure II). It will be seen that Mr. Goswami has made a completely erroneous statement. After having examined the statement of these witnesses, it is clear that the reasons for doubting that the ashes did not belong to Netaji, are either based on insubstantial grounds, or on wrong facts and therefore have to be discarded.