The Tale of Unsung Heroes - Lesser Known Freedom Fighters

Back in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, freedom for Indians meant getting rid of the British, who had ruled over India for around 200 years. Tales of the Indian freedom struggle- right from the first war of independence to the Quit India Movement have been narrated in books, documentaries, and by the media so that the centuries-long struggle does not fade over time. 

The inspiring stories of well-known freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chandra Bose, Chandra Shekhar Azad have been told and retold so that future generations can marvel at India’s triumph over the British.

And yet the awe-inspiring stories of martyrs like Rani Gaidinliu and massacres like the one that had taken place in Patharughat in Assam haven’t yet received as much recognition as they should- tales of their sacrifice are lost in oral traditions initiated by the previous generations. Their contribution to the Indian freedom struggle is often overlooked but priceless nevertheless.

Rani Gaidinliu - The Fighter from Nagaland

Rani Gaidinliu was a freedom fighter from Nagaland that had scared the British into sentencing her to life imprisonment; with the help of her iron determination to remove them from India’s throne. 

A prominent member of the Heraka movement in her region, Gaidinliu had transformed a religious group into an act of disobedience aimed against the British. Keen to preserve her cultural identity, she had mustered enough support to go against the cultural administration.

However, her defiance against the foreign power soon led to her rebellion against the Nagaland National Council. This council had wanted a separation of Nagaland from the then mainland India- something Gaidinliu was strongly against. 

Perhaps that is the reason why she doesn’t receive enough recognition from the people of some parts of Nagaland itself. Setting this political feud between her and her own people aside, she was indeed the ‘daughter of the hills’ as Jawaharlal Nehru named her.

Laxman Nayak - An Activist from South Odhisa

An activist of the Bhuyan tribe in South Odisha, Laxman Nayak had united the tribal people of his village against the British. A devoted follower of Gandhian principles, Nayak joined the Non-Cooperation movement at the young age of 22 and was later a member of the Quit India movement as well. 

His revolt against the oppression of poor farmers by the British officers made him quite popular among the people of his village and the issue was brought to the spotlight because of Laxman’s protest. But this victim of a false conspiracy was given a death sentence in 1943.

Komram Bheem - Fought for The Protection Of His Adivasis

Fondly called the ‘brave warrior of Telangana’, Komaram Bheem was yet another tribal leader who had led his people in protests against the British. He had fought for the protection of the Adivasis identity which was under threat during the colonial period. 

He is a revolutionary icon for all Adivasi movements in the country. A statue was installed at the Tank Bund, Haryana, in his memory. 

Forgotten Massacre

Another forgotten massacre was the one in Patharughat, a place in the Darrang district in Assam. It was supposed to be a peaceful and democratic gathering but apparently had been a threat to the British sepoy of that region. 

After dismissing the people’s grievances, the British officers opened fire on the protestors. Around 15 people were killed and 37 were wounded or so is claimed. 

However, official records claim that the accurate number is 140. This incident comes second only to the Sarighat incident in Assam but is rarely discussed in mainstream books and movies of the horrors of British rule. 

This, however, is slowly changing as works based on this incident by notable authors like Arup Kumar Dutta have highlighted it to a certain extent.

There are tons of such incidents and martyrs that are not talked about yet; so many martyrs of the freedom struggle and massacres still haven’t received the deserved recognition. 

Giving Recognition

That hopefully will not be the case in the coming few years, what with government campaigns and other measures whose sole aim is to highlight unpopular stories of the freedom struggle. 

An example of such a campaign is the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ which was launched on March 12, 2021. The government has drawn up a list of all the unsung heroes that had fought for India’s freedom struggle and plans on bringing their sacrifices to the limelight. 

Written By - Swagat 

Edited By - Akash Verma