Two days later Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came with another note. It was quite clear from the note that there was some trouble at Moscow about the passport. With the greatest difficulty Russia agreed to the Axis request and couriers were reported to be coming from Rome and there would be no further difficulty for the passage. Another week passed and there was no message.

Plan to Smuggle into Russia

Subhas Babu began to be worried owing to the delay. He was depressed. I requested him to go out for a walk but he did not like to stir out of the house. Only once he went out with me for tea at the residence of Haji who was a great admirer of Subhas Babu. Plans were discussed to cross into the Russian border as he was simply disgusted with the present position in Kabul. I suggested the name of a man who had several times been to the Afghan side of the river Hango which divides Russia from Afghanistan. The man who was to escort Subhas Babu was an absconder from the Frontier side. I had a talk with the proposed guide and he promised that it would be possible for him to smuggle my friend (Subhas Babu) in disguise. The deal was settled for seven hundred Afghan rupees.

Rahmat Khan was brought in contact with the guide and they together discussed plans, and next morning the guide came and was given some money to purchase articles.

A New Problem and its Solution

In the meantime another problem cropped up. A friend of mine from Peshawar named Jiwan Lal visited me at the shop. He used to come to Kabul for wholesale purchases of dried fruits. In course of conversation I asked him what people thought of Bose Babu's disappearance. Jiwan Lal told me that the British had imprisoned him and they were spreading a lie that he had disappeared. Jiwan Lal was anxious to dine with me as usual. I told him that my wife was ill and he had to go away.

Next day Rahmat Khan and the guide came for a further talk about the journey. No sooner had Rahmat Khan and the guide arrived than Jiwan Lal also dropped in. Jiwan Lal had known the guide before and considered him a professional gambler. Rahmat Khan was clever enough and went away. Jiwan Lal took me to task for having friendly relation with a professional gambler. Jiwan Lal also saw me handing over a hundred-rupee note to the guide and naturally he was shocked and scolded me. His impression was that I associated with these two gamblers. Jiwan Lal persisted in asking about the companion (Rahmat Khan) of the guide.

In the evening I told Subhas Babu what had happened. He told me that I was at liberty to do what I liked in taking into confidence Jiwan Lal, but it was better to wait.

Jiwan Lal came next day and while I was talking with him Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and passed an envelope into my hands. This made Jiwan Lal all the more suspicious. I was subjected to a fiery cross-examination by him and he wanted to know about the contents of the envelope. Jiwan Lal was annoyed and went away. The contents of the note were satisfactory. The couriers had left Rome and in a week's time they would be in Kabul. Subhas Babu was requested to come to Darulman for a photograph on the following day at 11 a.m. A car would be waiting for him. After, his photo he will be left at a point whence he would be picked up.

Decision to Go to Berlin

In the evening the guide came and he was told that it would not be possible to finalise plans for the escape of my friend across the Russian border owing to his illness.

In the evening the same day we discussed at home whether Subhas Babu should try to cross the Afghan border with the guide or whether he should wait for the Axis Couriers. It was decided after discussion that there was no harm in waiting. With regard to Jiwan Lal also we came to the conclusion that the best course under the circumstances was to tell him the secret that Subhas Babu was staying with me, otherwise there was a greater chance for Jiwan Lal to spread the gossip in the town that some mysterious persons used to visit me. So when I told Jiwan Lal about the whole thing and reprimanded him for his curiosity about the persons who visited me, he was simply stunned.

We again discussed the pros and cons of the two alternatives of going to Berlin or Rome with the help of the Axis Powers or of crossing into the Russian border with the guide without the help of Axis or the Russian Power. Rahmat Khan and I were of the opinion that Bose Babu should cross into the Russian border. But Bose Babu's decision was that he should go out of Afghanistan safely and would not like the idea of being arrested before crossing into Russia. He preferred to go to Moscow but the attitude of the Russian Ambassador at Kabul stood in the way and he said that it would be easier, if need be, to come back to Moscow from Berlin or Rome. So everything was settled under the circumstances in favour of the Axis.

Next day Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and informed me that the photograph was quite alright and the passport was also ready and they were waiting for the Couriers. We then made arrangements for Subhas Babu for his journey. Two suits were made for him, and the next days were spent in the purchase of articles for the journey and a final message also came that Bose Babu was to leave on March 18 and he was to reach the residence of Signora Karoni [Quaroni] by 8 p.m. on March 17. The guide who was to help Subhas Babu in crossing the Afghan border into the Russian had to be got rid of and had to be told that the journey to the Russian border had to be abandoned owing to the illness of my friend and the desire of Rahmat Khan to get back to India.

At 3 p.m. Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came and took away Subhas Babu's suitcase.

Departure from Kabul

On March 17, 1941 Subhas Babu left my house at 10 a.m. after bidding good-bye to us. The parting was so affectionate that it stirred our emotions. I bade him good-bye at Signora Karoni's [Quaroni] house.

On March 18 at about 10 a.m. Rahmat Khan came to my shop and told me that Bose Babu had left at 9 a.m. He was accompanied by two Germans and one Italian. In the passport given by the Italian his name was put down as Mozatia [Mazzotta].

One of the Germans who accompanied Bose Babu was Dr. Weller. Dr. Weller was a very clever man. In fact Bose Babu was assigned to the Germans.

Dr. Weller escorted him to Berlin. From Kabul they drove to the Russian frontier. On March 20 Subhas Babu left by train for Moscow from the Russian border. After some days a German Magazine with the news of Bose Babu's arrival in Berlin was sent to me. Under the picture of Bose Babu was written in German "India's great leader and former President of the Indian National Congress Subhas Chandra Bose who some time ago had mysteriously disappeared from India safely reached Berlin on March 28."

I was informed later on by Signora Karoni [Quaroni] that Bose Babu reached Moscow on March 27, stayed there for a night, and on the 28th March flew from Moscow to Berlin.

British Secret Serviceman and My Arrest

After a few days I was accosted by a person, named Bashi Sahib, who was rumoured to be an agent of the British Secret Service. He told me that he had information that I could tell him the whereabouts of the two Indians hiding in my 'Muhalla', and the two Indians, he said, had recently escaped from India. When I expressed my inability to the British Secret Service agent he told me that nobody else could help him in that matter excepting myself. After discussion Bashi Sahib told me that one of the escapee was Subhas Chandra Bose, a topmost leader of India. I told him that I was a businessman and had nothing to do with politics or political leaders; but I should be obliged to him if he could help me to have Subhas Babu's 'darshan'. But in my heart of hearts I sensed danger and felt that something was brewing in the espionage cauldron of the British Government. I tried to analyse the situation. There were several alternatives. First, the German Foreign office might be the source of leakage of the secret. But in that case it would have been easy to spot me immediately and my doubts were set at rest when few days later Signora Karoni [Quaroni] came to see me. With her came a responsible member of the German Legation who had recently come to Kabul from Berlin. I complained to the German Officer that the British Secret Service agent Bashi Saheb told me what the British agent had learnt from the Afghan Ambassador at Berlin. The German Officer simply laughed and assured me that no leakage was possible from the German Legation. The only possible alternative seemed to be that the Peshawar C.l.D. must have looked for Rahmat Khan and not being able to trace him must have connected him with Bose Babu's escape to Kabul. But it was too late and the tiger had disappeared.

It may not be out of place to mention that after my arrest in May 1941 at Kabul whence I was sent to Jalalabad in fetters and then transferred to the Indian jail, Jiwan Lal was also arrested and thrown into prison. His only fault was that he used to meet me. What and how I suffered later on and how my property at Kabul was confiscated, is a story which throws a lurid light on the helplessness of India under foreign yoke. Independent India alone could have taken up my case.

Subhas Babu's Strategy

Finally, I shall like to discuss one or two points about the political strategy of Subhas Babu which prompted him to leave his country at a crucial time. I discussed with him this vital question and I can give here only the substance of the talk I had. A verbatim report is not possible. Subhas Babu's conviction was that the British would not quit India until and unless they were thrown out by a bloody revolution. The British had never freed any country willingly. He mentioned Ireland by way of example. Ireland passed through the fire of purgatory and after seven hundred years of struggle and suffering she could win her freedom, but still Ulster was there. The British people were engaged in a mortal struggle in the World War II and for the sake of independence of India Indians should take advantage of the psychological world situation. The British had created such a situation in India as made a successful revolution an impossibility. History tells us that all successful revolutions were brought about with the help of a foreign Power. Russia and America won their independence with the help of Germany and France respectively. He preferred Russian help to the Axis help. He told me very plainly that instead of rotting in prison in India for the duration of the war, he would like to do what he could from outside. He had full faith in God and did not attach much importance to religious dissension in India which were the creation of the British Government. His belief was that India suffered from political ills and the remedy lay in her liberation from the foreign yoke. He had perfect faith in India's destiny and was prepared to stake every drop of his blood for her liberation.

Subhas Babu stayed with me for forty-three days. I feel those hectic days were really the happiest days of my life. I am glad that I was able to render some service to that illustrious and great son of India whose very life-breath was the liberation of our Motherland.

Note: Certain names in this article were spelt differently by Uttam Chand (for instance Karoni, instead of Quaroni). The correct spellings have been give within brackets, wherever applicable. Ed - Mission Netaji