Hyderabad: Freedom fighter and former Indian diplomat Abid Hasan Safrani’s niece Dr Ismat Lateef Mehdi has written to the Indian Navy to to name one of its forthcoming submarines after him, and the Indian Navy has positively responded to it. Dr Mehdi suggested the name ‘I.N.S Safrani’ for a submarine.
In a letter dated June 3, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi wrote to Dr Mehdi stating the same, and that her suggestion has been forwarded to the concerned authorities for consideration, subject to established guidelines.
Abid Hasan Safrani during his youth was a close associate of freedom fighter and founder of the Indian National Army Subhash Chandra Bose, with whom he had undertaken a submarine journey as well.
Dr Mehdi had written to the Chief of the Naval Staff on April 29, requesting him to name one of the upcoming submarines after Abid Hasan Safrani. “Abid Hasan Safrani, was an officer of the Indian National Army who introduced the slogan “Jai Hind” that is used for official purposes including the Indian Armed Forces salutes,” she stated.
She added that Abid Hasan Safrani was also the sole companion of Subhash Chandra Bose on his submarine voyage from Keil in Germany to Sumatra during World War 2. “The submarine voyage was part of Netaji’s plan to reach South East Asia to establish the INA. Safrani and Netaji undertook a mid-sea transfer from the German submarine to a Japanese one near Madagascar,” wrote Dr Mehdi.
During his early life, Safrani completed his schooling from St George’s Grammar School in Hyderabad and then joined Nizam College. However, he left the college after Mahatama Gandhi gave a call to join the struggle for freedom.
In 1935, he travelled to Berlin to pursue engineering as per the desire of his mother, who was also at the forefront of the freedom struggle. In Berlin, he met Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, whose call to join the freedom struggle was promptly answered by him. He left his course and joined Bose as his personal secretary and interpreter.
