SchoolBesties

India has a rich history of freedom fighters who played significant roles in the country's struggle for independence from British colonial rule. These individuals fought tirelessly, sacrificing their lives and liberties for the cause of freedom. Freedom fighters of India have struggled and sacrificed their lives to free India from British rule. A big group of revolutionaries and activists from various racial and ethnic backgrounds came together to abolish the control of foreign imperialists and their Colonialism in India.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875 – 1950)

He served as the secretary of the Gujarat Sabha, an organization that later evolved into the Gujarati branch of the Indian National Congress. At the direction of Mahatma Gandhi, he launched the Kheda Satyagraha in Gujarat in 1918. It was against the British government, which imposed excessive agricultural taxation during the famine. He advocated in 1928 for the Bardoli people, who had increased tax rates amid the financial crisis. Finally, he could reverse the higher tax rates and return the people's confiscated lands. Known as the Iron Man of India, Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and first Minister of Home Affairs of India. He earned the title "Sardar" for his work in Bardoli Satyagraha on behalf of his nation. He retired from his career and chose to contribute to the nation's liberation even though he was a well-known lawyer.

Mahatma Gandhi (1869 – 1948)

Mahatma Gandhi is known as the “Father of the Nation .” He was the leader of the Indian independence movement. He carried out a nationwide campaign after his return to India in 1915, where he learned about the issues Indians were facing. Therefore, he organised and led three significant movements: the Ahmedabad mill strike in 1918, the Kheda Satyagraha in 1918, and the Champaran Satyagraha in 1917. He founded the Satyagraha Sabha in 1919 in opposition to the Rowlatt Act, which he called the "Black Act." He began the Non-Cooperation movement in 1920 to win Purna Swaraj and self-rule. In 1930, he organised the Salt Satyagraha, popularly known as the Dandi March, to protest against the salt law. He started the Quit India Movement in 1942 at the All India Congress Committee meeting in Mumbai after the defeat of the Cripps Mission.

Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964)

Jawaharlal Nehru was a close associate of Gandhi and the first Prime Minister of independent India. He played a crucial role in shaping India's political landscape and was instrumental in drafting the Indian Constitution. Nehru's leadership and vision guided the country in its early years of independence. He established India's economic policy in 1938 by forming the National Planning Commission. Gandhi named him his political heir in 1942. On August 15, 1947, he became India's first prime minister.

Lala Lajpat Rai (1865 – 1928 )

The Punjab Kesari, Lala Lajpat Rai, joined the Indian National Congress in 1881. He was one of the founding members of the 1894-founded Punjab National Bank. In 1885, he founded the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic school in Lahore. The Indian Home Rule League of America was established by him in New York in 1917. He established the Servants of People Society in Lahore in 1921 to recruit and educate native missionaries to serve their country. He participated in the rallies against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, the Rowlatt Act, and the partition of Bengal.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856 – 1920)a

Bal Gangadhar Tilak, also known as Lokmanya Tilak, was an Indian nationalist, social reformer, and freedom fighter who played a significant role in the Indian independence movement against British rule. Tilak was a prominent leader who advocated for self-rule and the complete independence of India. He believed in the power of education and worked towards the upliftment of the masses. Tilak emphasized the importance of Swaraj, or self-rule, and popularized the slogan, "Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it." His political philosophy focused on uniting the Indian people and creating a sense of nationalism to challenge British colonial rule.

Bhagat Singh (1907 – 1931)

Bhagat Singh believed in a political philosophy called revolutionary socialism.
In 1926, he founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha, which aimed to revolt against the British by gathering the peasants and the workers (especially the young ones). He served as the secretary of the Sabha.
He joined the Hindustan Republican Association and became an active member. Later on, he became the leader of that association.
After the death of his leader, Lala Lajpat Rai, due to severe lathi charges in the protest against the Simon Commission, Bhagat Singh and other revolutionaries decided to kill the police officer responsible for it. But because of the mistaken identity, he shot another police officer named John Poyantz Saunders.
To oppose the Defence of India Act of 1915, on April 8, 1929, along with Batukeshwar Dutt, he threw two bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly. He threw leaflets while chanting the slogan ‘Inquilab Zindabad,’ which means long live the resolution.
Later, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru were arrested and hanged to death for their revolutionary activities.

Subhas Chandra Bose (1897 – 1945)

Subhas Chandra Bose, known as Netaji, was a prominent Indian nationalist leader and one of the key figures in the Indian independence movement against British rule. Bose is particularly remembered for his efforts in establishing the Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army or INA), which aimed to liberate India from British control. He started a newspaper called Swaraj. During World War II, Bose sought assistance from Axis powers, including Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, to free India from British rule. Under Bose's leadership, the INA engaged in armed conflict with British forces in Burma (now Myanmar) and played a significant role in the Battle of Imphal and Kohima. Bose aimed to reach India's eastern border and launch a full-scale attack against British rule. To unify the radical side of the Congress party, he founded the All India Forward Bloc within the Indian National Congress in 1939. In 1943, he established the Provincial Government of Free India in Singapore.

Chandra Shekhar Azad (1906-1931)

He played a significant role in organizing and leading armed resistance against British colonial rule during the early 20th century. Azad was a prominent member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), a revolutionary organization that aimed to overthrow British rule through armed struggle. One of the most notable incidents associated with Chandra Shekhar Azad was the Kakori Train Robbery in 1925. Along with his comrades, Azad carried out the robbery to acquire funds for revolutionary activities. The incident grabbed significant attention and made him a hero among the masses.

Mangal Pandey (1827-1857)

Mangal Pandey was an Indian soldier in the British East India Company's army and is remembered as one of the early leaders of the Indian rebellion against British rule, often referred to as the Indian Mutiny or the First War of Independence. Mangal Pandey's actions played a significant role in sparking the rebellion of 1857. He is famously known for his defiance against the British officers, which led to a larger uprising by Indian soldiers in Barrackpore, present-day Kolkata, on March 29, 1857.