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First Post
4 days ago
- General
- First Post
Women who fought for freedom: Unsung heroines of India's Independence
India's freedom struggle was shaped not only by its male leaders but also by countless women who defied colonial rule with unwavering courage. This Independence Day, we remember their sacrifices, resilience, and the indelible mark they left on history. The tale of India's independence is often narrated via the actions of its male leaders, but it is also characterised by the courage and determination of women who, as combatants, visionaries, and patriots, resisted the British rule. These women frequently entered the line of fire with little more than their goals, resolve, and passion to see India free. They battled not just against British colonial control but also against the limitations of a strongly patriarchal culture. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD From leading armed uprisings to promoting widespread civil disobedience, their achievements and sacrifices represent a crucial period in the nation's history that deserves much greater recognition. 1. Jhalkari Bai: A trusted confidante and advisor to Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, Jhalkari Bai disguised herself as the Queen during the Siege of Jhansi (1857), courageously taking the frontline and enabling Rani Lakshmibai's escape from the fortress. This selfless act has immortalised her as a symbol of valour and sacrifice. 2. Matangini Hazra: Also known as 'Gandhi Buri', Matangini Hazra was inspired by Gandhian ideals and became a veteran participant in the struggle for India's freedom. She led a procession of around 6,000 volunteers to seize the Tamluk police station during the Quit India Movement (29 September 1942) at the age of 72. Despite being shot, she marched forward, holding the tricolour aloft and chanting 'Vande Mataram' till her last breath. She became an enduring symbol of patriotism. 3. Kanaklata Barua: Kanaklata Barua was 17 years old during the Quit India Movement (1942) when she led villagers to raise the Indian flag at a police station in Assam. However, she was shot by British police in the act, becoming a symbol of youthful bravery and sacrifice. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 4. Tara Rani Srivastava: While leading a protest in Bihar to raise the Indian flag, her husband, Phulendu Babu, was struck by fatal gunfire. Unflinching in her resolve to defend the cause of independence, Tara Rani marched on by herself. 5. Dr Lakshmi Sahgal: Dr Lakshmi Sahgal, a physician turned revolutionary, headed the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, an all-female combat unit in Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. Following independence, she maintained her activism via public service and politics. 6. Pritilata Waddedar: Pritilata Waddedar, Bengal's first woman martyr, was a prominent philosophy graduate who worked as a schoolteacher before joining the Revolutionary Group of Bengal, led by Master Da Surya Sen. In 1932, she led a group of fifteen revolutionaries in an armed attack on the Pahartali European Club, which injured eleven people and killed one. To evade capture and preserve the cause, she committed suicide by consuming cyanide. 7. Rani Gaidinliu: Rani Gaidinliu joined Haipou Jadonang's social, religious, and political movement at the age of 13 and rose to the rank of lieutenant. Her four-year connection with Jadonang, beginning in 1926 or 1927, prepared her to battle the British. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After Jadonang's execution, Gaidinliu assumed leadership of the movement. Gaidinliu began a strong insurrection against the British following the death of Jadonang, for which she was imprisoned for 14 years before being freed in 1947. 8. Sucheta Kriplani: A committed Gandhian, Sucheta Kriplani was arrested during the Quit India Movement and went on to become India's first female Chief Minister. 9. Aruna Asaf Ali: Aruna Asaf Ali was famous for hoisting the Congress flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan during the Quit India Movement, she was arrested and later organised political prisoners. 10. Bhikaji Cama: A fierce revolutionary and advocate for independence overseas, Bhikaji Cama helped raise awareness abroad and played a key role in designing the Indian national flag. 11. Sarojini Naidu: Also known as the 'Nightingale of India', Sarojini Naidu was a leading figure in the Congress and a compelling voice for freedom. 12. Kasturba Gandhi: A steadfast companion to Mahatma Gandhi, Kasturba Gandhi supported his campaigns and shared his commitment to nonviolent resistance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Born in Japan, India's freedom fighter Lt Asha Sahay passes away in Patna at 97
Born in Japan, one of the oldest surviving freedom fighters of India, Bharati Asha Sahay — better known by her wartime name 'Lt Asha Sahay', a lieutenant of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose-led Indian National Army (INA) — who took up arms against the British for India's Independence, passed away at her son's residence in Patna's Sri Krishna Puri locality late on Tuesday evening. She was 97. Bharati Asha Sahay aka Lt Asha Sahay 'My mother passed away peacefully in the presence of her family at 11.55pm on August 12, after a brief bout of recent illness. The cremation is at 4pm today,' said younger son Sanjay Choudhry, 68, former chief of public relations at Tata Steel and Coca-Cola. Ambassador of Japan to India, Keiichi Ono and Anita Bose Pfaff, daughter of Netaji, were among the first few to have mourned her death, said Choudhry. She also leaves behind her daughter-in-law Ratna Choudhry, grandsons Tanuj Choudhry, his wife Tanvi Choudhry, and Harsh Choudhry, his wife Kanika Choudhry, and four great grandchildren. Her elder son, the late Capt (Dr) Praveer Choudhry with the Indian Army, died early at the age of 29 years during a road accident in 1979. Sahay's husband the late Dr LP Choudhry, a doctor with Tata Steel, died in 1985. Sahay was born on February 2, 1928, at Kobe in Japan to the couple Anand Mohan Sahay and Sati Sen Sahay, the vanguard of India's Independence movement. Her father was the founding secretary of the Indian Independence League, which in partnership with the Japanese government and the Indian soldiers of the British government, set up the INA, and called Netaji to lead it. Sahay grew up in Japan and lived through the Second World War. She completed her schooling in Japanese and graduated from Showa Women's University in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. She was popularly known as 'Asako-san' in Japan. 'I vividly remember my meeting with Asako-san this past April — as if it were only yesterday. With her warm smile and remarkably fluent Japanese, she shared with me fond memories of her student days in Japan, as well as her memories of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi. These moments will always remain in my heart. In honour of Asako-san's legacy, I am committed to continuing her mission and will dedicate myself to further strengthening the ties between the countries she so dearly loved — Japan and India,' wrote Keiichi Ono, Japan's ambassador to India, in his condolence letter to her son Sanjay. Sahay first met Netaji at the age of 15 when her mother took her to the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. She asked to join the INA, but Netaji told her to wait a year. At 17 years of age, she travelled to Bangkok and joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment as a lieutenant in May 1945, when she met Netaji the second time. Thereafter, she met Netaji the last time when he disbanded the INA before his last journey, which ended in a plane crash in Taipei, Taiwan, on August 18, 1945. Sahay returned to India in 1946 with her father and uncle, Satyadev, head of INA's intelligence wing, after their release from Pearl Hill Prison in Singapore. She then accompanied her father on a national tour to recount the sacrifices of the INA, which helped spark both popular uprisings and mutinies in the British Indian armed forces, fast-tracking India's independence.
