19.

While under house arrest by the British, Subhas made plans for his escape from India. His decision was taken after months of prayer and meditation. Initially Subhas confided only in his beloved nephew, Sisir. Together they spent hours formulating the details. When all was settled, Subhas took his brother Sarat and Sarat's wife, Bivabati, into his confidence.

Subhas escaped at one-thirty in the morning on 17 January 1941, wearing Muslim dress. Fully sixty-two members of the British C.I.D. (Criminal Intelligence Department) were staked outside and near Subhas Chandra's home. His nephew drove him to the train station and Subhas made his way north towards Kabul, Afghanistan. He carried with him only a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, a picture of Mother Kali and his tulsi japa beads. When the C.I.D. learned of his disappearance after 10 days, they searched for him throughout the length and breadth of India. Following two months and eleven days of danger and suspense, Subhas arrived safely in Berlin in the guise of an Italian nobleman, Signor Orlando Mazzotta (as shown in the above photo). His journey from Calcutta, in the middle of the war, ranks among the most sensational escapes of history.