DHAKA: One of India's greatest mysteries is likely to be resolved soon as the Centre has agreed to make public all files related to freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

The decision came after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the family members and well-wishers of Netaji at his residence in the capital on Wednesday.

The first round of declassification of files will take place on January 23, 2016, which is also Netaji's birth anniversary, ibnlive.com reported.

Narendra Modi also tweeted after his meeting with the family members of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. He said: "Process of declassification of files relating to Netaji will begin on 23rd January 2016, Subhas Babu's birth anniversary."

He also tweeted that he would request foreign governments to declassify files on Netaji available with them, starting with Russia in December.

Welcoming the decision, Netaji's grandnephew Surya Bose said, "It is an excellent move by the PM. We have been waiting for this for the past 70 years. "

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Home Minister Rajnath Singh were also present in the meeting. Netaji's family presented a unique gift to Modi, a designer jacket with the silhouette of Netaji's profile printed on it.

While the government has till now maintained that Netaji died in a plane crash in Taiwan on August 18, 1945. However, Krishna Bose, widow of Netaji's nephew, said she had met survivors from the crash and there is no conspiracy.

There are many theories put forward by his family members about what happened to Netaji. While some claim that he survived and spent several years in a Russian prison, others say he came back to India after a few years and led the life of an ascetic.

Previous governments have claimed that declassification of Netaji files will hamper India's relations with some foreign countries.

The West Bengal government had in September 2015 declassified 64 files pertaining to the freedom fighter. The files have as many as 12,744 pages, which were kept hidden from citizens for over seven decades.

Yet the files declassified by the Mamata Banerjee government reveal that he was presumed dead in the air crash in 1945.

The files also confirm surveillance by successive Congress governments on Netaji's elder brother Sarat Bose and nephews Sisir and Amiya.

BDST: 1532 HRS, OCT 15, 2015
RS