Freedom fighters
10) Bahadur Shah Zafur
The last Mughal Emperor of India, Bahadur Shah was a poet and had
little ambitions of expanding his territory which now was merely the Red
fort. The British has already taken power over the majority of the
country. When the Revolt of 1847 started, he and all his sons
participated to free India. He led his army for the sepoy mutiny against
the East India Company. The revolt didn’t succeed and Shah along with
his sons was tried in court for rebelling. He was exiled to Rangoon (Now
Bangladesh). Even after the defeat, he said “Ghāzioń méń bū rahegi jab
talak imān ki; Takht-e-London tak chalegi tégh Hindustan ki” (As long as
there remains the scent of faith in the hearts of our Ghazis, so long
shall the sword of Hindustan flash before the throne of London). It is
believed that on the day of Nouroj (Persian New Years) which is one of
the biggest festivals, he was presented with chopped heads of his sons
by a British Officer. Even then instead of showing remorse of showing
his weakness in front of the colonial powers he said “Praise be to
Allah, that descendents of Timur always come in front of their fathers
in this way.”
9) Annie Besant
Annie Besant was a British Activist who believed in Indian Self-rule.
During the First World War, she campaigned for the Freedom of India and
helped in the formation of the ‘Home Rule League’. She was elected as
the President of the Congress and got extremely involved in the Indian
Politics. She was also a Woman’s Rights Activist. SHe kept campaigning
and fighting against her own country for the establishment of democracy
in India until her death in 1933.
8) Sarojini Naidu
The Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu was a poet and a social
activist. She studied at the King’s College, London and Girton College,
Cambridge. She was the first women to become the Governor of an India
state as well as the Indian National Congress. She was one of the
members who formed the Constitution of India. During the Partition of
Bengal, she came in contact with prominent Independent leaders like
Annie Besant, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru,
Rabindranath Tagore, Gopal Krishna Gokhale and others. She started
travelling from state to state and delivered speeches on social welfare
and spread the message of independence through her poetry. An important
woman leader, her birthday is now celebrated as ‘Womans’ Day’ all over
India.
7) Shubash Chandra Bose
Netaji as he was called was a very prominent figure in the Indian
freedom struggle. His sole aim was the freedom of his country and he
termed it as a necessity and didn’t agree with Gandhiji on the terms
that it can be negotiated. He was well educated and believed that there
should be complete intolerance for caste-differentiation, racism or
religious separation. His was so active in the Indian National Congress
that he was arrested several times by the British Government. Soon he
realised that international backing was a must for India’s freedom and
hence started meeting leaders from Japan, Italy, and Germany who were
against the British forces in the World War 2. He even met Mussolini and
Hitler at different times. He was completely against the racism that
The dictators propagated but he appreciated the discipline and unity of
their men. It was on Hitler’s Suggestion that he went to Japan and
formed the Indian National Army and started the Campaign ‘Challo Dilli’
which though failed, wasn’t enough to break his spirit. The Slogan ‘Jai
Hind’ was also given by him which still prevails.
6) Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
Born in a Dalit family, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was a victim of the
Indian caste System. Being of the lowest caste, he was accosted with
negligible opportunities for his intelligence. But being a genius he saw
the light and converted to Buddhism helped many others from the lower
castes to convert and not oblige to the inhuman behaviour conducted
towards them. His love for books and learning played a major role in his
liberation. It was this hunger for knowledge that made him the chairman
of the committee that founded the constitution of India. Dr. Ambedkar
was the one who scripted the constitution of this democratic country.
5) Mangal Pandey
Mangal Pandey was a soldier in the British troops. In 1847, there
were rumours spreading that the cartridges supplied by the East India
Company had pork and beef in them and this was against the religion of
both Hindus and Muslims. At that time, Pandey convinced his colleagues
that the Company wouldn’t do anything of this sort. But later after a
series of event he realised that the Company didn’t have the best
interest of the Indian population in its mind and was just them like
slaves. The winds of an uprising had already started flowing and soon it
turned into the first ‘Revolt of !857’ and Mangal Pandey, who was at
the forefront of the struggle became the First Freedom Fighter of the
Indian Struggle for Independence.
4) Rani Lakshmibai
‘She fought a man’s war, she was Rani Lakshmibai of Jhanji’ go the
lyrics of a song written in her honour. Lakshmibai was a queen of the
Princely state of Jhansi. During the ongoing Revolt of 1857, The British
government ordered that all princely states that do not have a male
heir will be taken over by the government. Queen Lakshmibai was widowed
and had an adopted son. But she refused to give her reign. When the
troops of the Colonial power arrived to the fort, they found it well
defended by the army of Queen Jhansi. She led her troops and fought the
battle. It has also been reported that she commanded the largest women’s
army till date. When finally she saw that they were losing the battle,
she tied her son to her back and started riding away to save her son
with colonial army chasing her. Unfortunately her luck had passed and
her horse fell and she with it fell over breaking her head. Her words
‘Mein Apni Jhansi nahi Dundi’ (I will not give my Jhansi) have gone down
in history for the sheer bravery of this woman who fought a man’s war.
3) Bhagat Singh
A revolutionary who was brought up in the patriotic atmosphere,
Shaheed Bhagat Singh, where Shaheed means ‘Martyr’, from a very young
age all he ever dreamed was of seeing his country free. He met Rajguru
and Sukhdev who shared his thoughts and together they fought several
guerrilla wars fighting and revolting every British law that was against
the civilians and also against the right of humanity. The Jallianwalla
Baugh Massacre is one such example of the colonial inhumanity. He even
blasted bombs inside the Assembly hall shouting slogans of ‘Inqualab
Zindabad’( Independence Prevails) to revolt against two laws-“Trade
Union Dispute Bill” and “Public Safety Bill”. All three were arrested
and hanged to death. Their death, instead of silencing the people,
actually acted as catalyst that ignited the fire within people as even
while leaving all three kept uttering-“ Sar Kata Sakte Hai mar, Sar
Zhuka Sakte Nahi” ( We can have our heads chopped but not bowed).
2) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
A stoic lawyer from Gujarat, Patel’s was a prominent leader of the
Indian National Congress. He had actively participated in the Civil
Disobedience movement and the Quit India Movement started my Mahatma
Gandhi. But Patel’s true role came after the Independence. At that time
India was separated into numerous princely states. He took the
responsibility of making sure that all the monarchies were abolished and
for the benefit of the nation, the entire country should be under one
government body. India was divided into two independent states of India
and Pakistan (to house the Muslim population). Now one such Moarch-the
Nizam of Hyderabad (A state that is situated in the centre of present
India) was allied to Pakistan. He refused to co-operate with the Indian
Government even after numerous pleas as geographically it was impossible
for Hyderabad to become a part of a different nation when it is right
in centre of India. Hence Sardar Patel made sure that the Nizam was
brought under control by hook or by crook and sent packing alone to
Pakistan. Even the people of Hyderabad wanted to be a part of India.
1) Mahata Gandhi
One of the most iconic men that ever took birth and still continues
to survive in the lessons of passive-resistance and non-violence that he
selflessly gave to the world, hence making it a much better place. He
gave up everything, his law career; his house and wealthy family to
fight for justice and for the betterment of his people who were being
treated as third class citizens by the colonial British. Even in the
harshest of conditions, he never gave up his morals and rules, no matter
what the cost of it. Mahatma Gandhi has right fully been given the
title of the father of the nation as India truly owes its independence
as a republic and a democracy to this Short, thin brown man who needed a
stick while walking to support him but who was strong enough to take
the responsibility of an entire country and usher it to the world of
sovereignty.
