- By Radha Basnet
- Tue, 13 Aug 2024 08:44 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Independence Day 2024: India will mark 77 years of independence from British rule this August 15, 2024, and also remember the 200-year-long struggle for freedom. While renowned figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, and Mangal Pandey are widely celebrated, there are many other freedom fighters whose contributions have faded into obscurity.
These courageous freedom fighters dared to challenge the British rulers, boldly demanding an independent India. Some are recognised within the Indian community globally, yet many others, who are equally deserving of honour, remain largely unknown today. Let’s take a closer look at some of these unsung heroes.
77th Independence Day: List Of 10 Lesser-Known Freedom Fighters Of India
1. Bhikaji Cama
Bhikaji Cama was one of the prominent figures in the independence movement and a pioneer for gender equality during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She selflessly donated most of her personal possessions to an orphanage for girls. On August 22, 1907, Cama unfurled one of the earliest versions of flag of independent India and was the first person to hoist an Indian flag in a foreign nation, at the International Socialist Conference at Stuttgart in Germany.
2. Aruna Asaf Ali
Ali was an active participant in the Indian independence movement, notably remembered for hoisting the Indian National flag at Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement of 1942. After India gained independence, she continued to play an active role in politics, becoming Delhi's first Mayor.
3. Matangini Hazra
Hazra is a freedom fighter who, despite her immense sacrifice for India's independence, never received the recognition she deserved. She actively participated in both the Quit India Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement. Tragically, she was shot and killed by British Indian police in front of a police station, marking her as the first martyr of the Quit India Movement in Midnapore. A devoted Gandhian, she was affectionately known as "Gandhi buri," meaning "old lady Gandhi" in Bengali.
4. Peer Ali Khan
Mangal Pandey was widely recognised as the most famous hero of the 1857 mutiny, but fewer people know about Peer Ali Khan. An Indian revolutionary and rebel, Peer Ali Khan played a significant role in the 1857 freedom struggle. He was sentenced to death for his participation, yet his actions inspired many who came after him. Despite his contributions, his name has faded from collective memory over the generations.
5. Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi
Mushi, widely known by his pen name Ghanshyam Vyas, was an activist, politician, and writer from Gujarat who played a key role in the Indian independence movement. He was repeatedly arrested by the British authorities for his involvement in freedom-related activities. Also, he founded the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. Before India's independence, Mushi was an active member of the Indian National Congress.
6. Lakshmi Sahgal
Lakshmi was an officer of the Indian National Army and the Minister of Women's Affairs in the Azad Hind government. In India, she is commonly known as Captain Lakshmi, a title that reflects her rank when she was captured in Burma during World War II.
7. Khudiram Bose
Bose, one of the youngest revolutionaries of India, is frequently mentioned in history books. For his role in the Muzaffarpur Conspiracy Case, he was sentenced to death, for the attempted assassination of a British judge, Magistrate Douglas Kingsford, by throwing bombs on the carriage they suspected the man was in.
8. Velu Nachiyar
Nachiyar was the first Indian queen to confront the East India Company in battle. She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai (brave woman). With support from Hyder Ali's army, various feudal lords, the Maruthu Brothers, Dalit commanders, and Thandavarayan Pillai, she mounted a determined resistance against the East India Company.
9. Kushal Konwar
The President of the Sarupathar Congress Committee was an Indian Tai-Ahom freedom fighter from Assam. He is notable for being the only martyr hanged during the final phase of the Quit India Movement in 1942-43.
10. Benoy-Badal-Dinesh
Benoy Basu, Badal Gupta, and Dinesh Gupta were just 22, 18, and 19 years old when they donned European outfits and entered the Writer's Building with the aim of assassinating Inspector General of Police, Colonel NS Simpson. They succeeded in killing Simpson but were soon overwhelmed by security personnel. To evade capture, Benoy ingested a cyanide pill, while Badal and Dinesh shot themselves.