In order to achieve our independence, we had to fight hard. There was a long period of time when the British ruled over our lands. On the other hand, there are also heroes, aren’t there? There will always be heroes in the world. The ones who stand up and fight for what they believe in. There are some people that are in the spotlight, while others remain in the shadow and contribute just as much as the others. The same is true for the freedom fighters of India as well. There are many people who fought as hard as others but never got any of the limelight for the simple reason that they simply didn’t care about it. As far as they were concerned, the only thing they wanted was for India to become independent. As citizens of this country, we should be aware of some of them as well.
The following are some freedom fighters you may not have heard of before:
Matangini Hazra:
Hazra was a member of both the Quit India Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement. As part of one procession, she continued to advance with the Indian flag even after being shot three times. The girl kept shouting “Vande Mataram” all the time.
Senapati Bapat:
As the leader of the Mulshi Satyagraha, he was given the title of Senapati for his leadership. For the first time after independence, he had the honor of hoisting the Indian flag at Pune for the first time. Having been jailed for public speaking as well as vandalism, he turned himself in after getting jailed for committing public speaking as well as vandalism, after which he decided not to pursue the path of violence as a satyagrahi.
Begum Hazrat Mahal:
As a member of the Indian Rebellion of 1857, she played an important role. In the wake of her husband’s exile, she took charge of Awadh and even took control of Lucknow during the rebellion when her husband was exiled. In the process of retreating to Nepal, Begum Hazrat died after a long battle.
Bhikaji Cama:
Despite the fact that there are many roads and buildings named after her all over the country, few people are aware of who she was and what she accomplished. Besides being a part of the Indian Independence Movement, she was also a figure of strength in the fight for gender equality. In terms of personal belongings, she donated most of them to an orphanage for girls. In 1907, she also unfurled the Indian flag at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, where the Indian flag was unfurled.
Aruna Asaf Ali:
It is unlikely that most people have heard of her, but she gained some prominence when in 1942 when she was 33 years old when she hoisted the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement. A great inspiration to modern-day women as one of the unknown Indian freedom fighters.
Potti Sreeramulu:
Throughout his life, he was an avid supporter and devotee of Mahatma Gandhi. Having seen Sriramulu’s dedication towards humanitarian purposes as well as the nation, Gandhi once said: “If I only had eleven more followers like him, I would be able to win freedom in a year.”
Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi:
In addition to being called Kulpati, Munshi was one of the most important figures during India’s freedom movement, especially during the Quit India Movement. The Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan was founded by him as an educational institution. Throughout his life, he was arrested several times by the British regime, which showed his dedication to an independent India and his passion for it. She is one of the unknown Indian freedom fighters, who is the perfect example of motivation for modern-day women. The Indian president Draupadi Murmu is also an inspiration for women today.
Tara Rani Srivastava:
As well as her husband, she led a procession in front of the Siwan Police Station with her. In spite of the fact that he had been shot, she bandaged his wounds and continued to go forward. By the time she returned, he had already passed away. Even so, her determination to keep fighting was stronger than ever, and she continued to carry the flag high as she continued to fight.
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay:
Interestingly enough, Kamaladevi was the first Indian woman to run for a legislative seat in the Indian parliament, as well as the first Indian woman to be arrested by the British regime at the end of the 19th century. A very important role she played in the social reform movement was to bring back handicrafts, theaters, and handlooms to help in raising the socio-economic standard of women in the country.
Peer Ali Khan:
In the early days of India’s independence, he was one of the first rebels. Khan was a member of the 1857 freedom struggle and one of the 14 people who were given capital punishment in response to their role in the movement for freedom. Even so, his work has inspired many who have followed him. However, a few generations later, his name has just disappeared from history.
Tirupur Kumaran:
It is said that Kumaran was one of the founders of the Desa Bandhu Youth Association. An Indian nationalist who was standing on the flag of Indian nationalists that had been banned by the British government was killed during a protest march against the colonial government on the 11th January 1932.
There were many other heroes who played an important role during the partition. These Indian unknown freedom fighters not only need recognition but at the same time respect from all of us.
