15th August 1947 was the day when India marked its Independence from the British Rule. This day holds the utmost importance in every Indian’s heart. Our Independence was not easy. It involved struggles, pain, hardships, and sacrifice of many freedom fighters. Today, when our Nation is celebrating its 74th Independence Day, we at The Uncommon Box bring into light those lives who fought with the same spark of patriotism but remained in dark for one or more reasons.
1. Veerapandiya Kattabomman
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Veerapandiya was born on 3rd January 1760. He belonged to the Bommu and Aathi Kattabomman clan in the village of Panchalankurichi in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. He as the King refused to pay taxes to the East India Company. Alan, the then British commander, attacked his fort but was defeated. Though it was a victory for him, he knew he would be charged to death soon. But still, he never bowed down in front of Britishers and fought against them by waging a war, which is known as the First Polygar War of 1799. It was unfortunate for him to be betrayed by his own allies and he was sentenced to death on 16th October 1799.
2. U Tirot Sing – The Brave hero of hills
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“Better die an independent king than reign as the vassal”
Words of Tirot Sing
He was one of the Tribal Freedom Fighters hailing from North East India. Tirot Singh was the chief of Khasi people in the early 18th century who fought against the colonial rulers for four years. He had formed, trained, and maintained a whole bunch which was known as the Khasi Warriors. Though the year of his birth is unknown, it is claimed in History that Tirot Singh fought against Britishers in 1820s for saving Khasi hills.
3. Rani Kittur Chennamma – The True Warrior
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Kittur Chennamma, the Queen of Kittur, was one of the First Indian Rulers to lead an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824. She was one of the first queens to bund against the British oppression to save her community and state in 1824. In her last battle, Rani Chennamma was defeated and captured by the Britishers. They imprisoned her at the Bailhongal Fort for life. Though She was unsuccessful, she fought like a true warrior and is definitely one of the symbols of Indian freedom.
4. Abadi Bano Begum (‘Bi Amma’)
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“Boleen Amman Muhammad Ali Kee
Jaan Baita Khilafat Pai Daido”.
Born in 1850 in an ardent nationalist family in Uttar Pradesh, she was one of the first few Muslim women to join the fight for freedom. Abadi Bano Begum addressed a political gathering after her son got jailed, wearing a burqa, keeping her culture and dignity intact. She also took part in the Khilafat movement and Freedom movement encouraging other women to join the cause.
5. Begum Hazrat Mahal – The woman who fought rebelliously in the First War of Independence.
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Likha hoga Hazrat Mahal ki lahad par
Naseebo’n ki jail thi, Falak ki satayi
Begum was a vital part of the 1857 Indian Rebellion. After her husband, Nawab Wajid Ali Shahwas exiled, she took the charge of Awadh (Oudh). Holding her valor and courage at the place she stood up in front of British Forces with no fear of life. She fought back leading the strongest revolutionary forces and became successful in seizing the control of Lucknow. It was June 5th, 1857 when the Britishers had to take a complete refuge from her dynasty. She then crowned her 11-year-old son Birjis Qadar the ruler of Awadh, under Mughal suzerainty. With the most powerful and big army size among all the rebel leaders of the 1857 war, she ruled for 10 months as regent marking and leading the way. It was going for all at once or nothing for this fierce lady.
William Howard Russell, Irish reported with The Times, writes in his memoir My Indian Mutiny Diary: “This Begam exhibits great energy and ability. She has excited all Oudh to take up the interests of her son, and the chiefs have sworn to be faithful to her. The Begum declares undying war against the rulers.”
6. Peer Ali Khan
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He was an Indian revolutionary and rebel, who participated in the Indian Independence Movement. He was given capital punishment for participating in the freedom struggle of 1857. He was hanged by William Tayler the then commissioner of Patna, Bihar, marble idols, and parks are named after him in Patna, but somewhere along the way, his name got lost in the pages of history.
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7. Matangini Hazra – a famous Gandhian leader and a humanitarian.
Matangini Hazra was born to a poor peasant family in a small village, Hogla, in Tamluk in the Midnapore district of West Bengal. She was a child widow eking out a humble existence on the margins of society. Matangini actively took part in salt satyagraha and civil disobedience movement and was part of the Quit India Movement, as well as Non-Cooperation Movement. She played an active role in the struggle for independence from colonial rule and followed Mahatma Gandhi’s creed of non-violence. On 29th September 1942, she led thousands of supporters mostly women, to capture the Tamluk police station. She continued to advance with the Indian flag despite being shot in both of her hands. It is said, when one of the last bullets hit her forehead, she fell down dead, but she kept chanting “VandeMataram” and never let the Indian Flag of freedom touch the ground. She held it high, unwavering until her last breath.
8. Alluri Sitarama Raju
Born in a prosperous Kshatriya family in Andhra Pradesh in 1887, Raju left everything for the freedom struggle. In 1922-24, he led a failed yet important ‘Rampa Rebellion’ with the help of tribal people. Raju was referred to as, “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Jungles) by the local people. He took up the cause of the tribal people in the Agency areas, who were being harassed by British officials under the Forest Act and led an armed rebellion against the British forces. Raju was trapped and killed by the British in the jungle in 1924.
9. Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha – a zealously rebellious young man who played an important role in freeing India from the shackles of slavery
“Swadesh di jindri ye bariaukhi,
galan karnian dher sukhalian ne.
Jinhan desh sewa wich pair paya,
unhan lakh Musibtan jhalian ne.”
Very few of us know Kartar Singh Sarabha who Bhagat Singh himself considered his guru. Kartar Singh Sarabha was born in the village of Sarabha (in Ludhiana district) in 1896. He was the main architect of the Ghadar revolution which aimed to incite a mutiny in British Indian Army during the thick of World War-I. Sarabha sought to take advantage of the war to uproot the British from India. He never missed a single opportunity to hit hard the colonial rulers with facts to prove them wrong. It was then in the month of November (in 1915) when he was hanged to death. Chanting ‘Vande Mataram, he embraced the gallows.
10. Avadh Bihari
Born in 1889 at Delhi, Bihari was a national activist and a freedom fighter. He fought against Britishers in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. On 23 December 1912, He threw a bomb on him along with Amirchand, Balmokand and Basanta Biswas, which is called Delhi conspiracy in Indian History. He was then arrested by rest and was hanged to death at Ambala Central Jail on May 11, 1915.
11. The Trio of Badal, Dinesh, and Benoy
Bengal had given many freedom fighters and these three were also from there. They are known for their attack on the Dalhousie Square in Kolkata. Much like Bhagat Singh and his friends killed Saunders, the trio killed Col NS Simpson Inspector General of Prisons who was known for his atrocities on the prisoners.
12. Baji Rout – India’s Youngest Martyr
The youngest kid to sacrifice his life for the Nation was only 12 years of age. He was a member of Banar Sena (the child wing of Praja Mandal Andolan). One night he was keeping an eye on the ghats of the river so that British policemen won’t be able to ferry through it. When they arrived, he promptly refused to ferry British Police across the Brahmani river in present Odisha. One of the British soldiers hit Baji’s head with his gun but that fractured his skull severely. Baji collapsed but he got up again gathering whatever energy he had left with, raising his voice to the highest pitch and warned the British troops not to ferry them till alive.
“This boat of mine belongs to the Praja Mandal. It cannot be hired out to you — the enemy of people.”
Baji Rout
The above-listed freedom fighters are lost in the pages of history today. But their contributions should be talked about more often as to remind us that the war of Independence was tough and long. It is them, who taught us to be true to our country, to live with our heads held high, to not to take any wraths of enemies against the motherland, and to never compromise with our patriotism.
We wish you all a very Happy 74thIndependnce Day. Let’s hope we never forget how privileged we are to live and thrive in Independent India today.
Vande Matarm!
The article is Written by Meghna Guha Roy. HerInstagram id is @_poetryglam_
Article is Reviewd by Alisha Srivastava. Her Instagram id is @yeah_me_alisha
The article is Curated by Vaibhav. His Instagram id is @frameshade
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