Kolkata: The Rashbehari Research Institute (RRI) based in Chandannagore is celebrating 100 years of marriage anniversary of Rash Behari Bose and his Japanese wife Toshiko in a befitting manner.
"100 years have passed and the duo has kept proving real love. Rash Behari Bose and Toshiko are connected by heart and promised each other to stay together for the rest of their life. Hence, we have decided to make this 100 years of marriage anniversary special," said Kalyan Chakraborty, the director of RRI.
The RRI in association with some of their friends based in Japan has arranged an exhibition, which is aimed at boosting the cultural bond between the two countries.
The two-day exhibition that kicked off on Monday at Rashbehari auditorium in Chandannagore, Hooghly district will showcase large Kimano (Japanese dress), Yukata (Japanese dress), Japanese dolls, Japanese paintings, rare Japanese books etc. Nakamuraya Curry hat was introduced by Bose in Japan in the late 1920's and Japanese Black & White Rice will also be exhibited.
The exhibition will be followed by a Japanese Film Festival and films on freedom movement in the evening.
The love life of Rash Behari Bose was brief with the sudden death of his Japanese wife Toshiko, who died of tuberculosis in 1925 only at the age of 28.
Married in July 1918, Toshiko had accepted the life of a social outcast and shouldered all domestic responsibility so that Bose can pursue his goal of Indian freedom struggle with dedication.
When Bose's mother-in-law had proposed him to marry again as Toshiko died leaving two young children, Bose said it was impossible for him to love anyone else other than Toshiko.
Rash Behari Bose, who has been instrumental in doing the spadework for the legendary organisation of Indian National Army or INA, had sacrificed his job as an officer of the British Raj (he worked as the head clerk at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun) to join the Indian
Revolutionary struggle.
"He has been an unsung hero of India's freedom struggle and 16 books written in Japanese by Bose is yet to be translated in local language. We will urge research scholars to come forward in this venture so that many unknown facts of his eventful life can come to light," Chakraborty said.