Wishing everyone a very Happy Independence Day! Today India marks 78 years of freedom. When we think of India’s freedom struggle, certain names shine like stars: Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh etc. But behind the bright constellations were countless smaller yet equally burning flames, especially women whose courage and sacrifices rarely make it to our history textbooks. As we are celebrating 78 years of Independence, here are five remarkable yet lesser-known female freedom fighters whose stories deserve to be told every August 15th and every day in between.
1. Kanaklata Barua: The Teenager Who Carried the Tricolour Into Bullets
Born in 1924 in Assam, Kanaklata was just 17 years old when she became part of the Quit India Movement. She led a procession to hoist the national flag at the local police station, despite repeated warnings. The police opened fire, and Kanaklata fell with the flag in hand, refusing to let it touch the ground.
Contribution: Symbol of fearless youth resistance in Assam; inspired mass participation in the movement in the Northeast.
“She didn’t live to see a free India, but she died holding its future in her hands.”
2. Matangini Hazra: The Grandmother of Gandhi’s Movement
At 72 years old, most people think about grandchildren and peace. But Matangini Hazra from West Bengal thought about freedom. Known as Gandhi Buri (Old Lady Gandhi), she was an active participant in the Salt March and Quit India Movement. In 1942, while leading a protest march, she was shot thrice but kept chanting “Vande Mataram” until her last breath.
Contribution: Mobilised rural women in Bengal; symbolised that age is no barrier to patriotism.
3. Usha Mehta: The Voice of Secret India
A young woman from Gujarat, Usha Mehta was the mastermind behind the Congress Radio, an underground station broadcasting banned messages of the Quit India Movement. From August to November 1942, her voice carried the call for freedom across the nation, despite British attempts to track and shut it down.
Contribution: Kept the freedom movement alive through clandestine communication when leaders were jailed.
4. Aruna Asaf Ali: The Rebel Who Raised the Flag When No One Dared
On August 9, 1942, during the Quit India Movement, while senior leaders were being arrested, Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the Indian flag at Mumbai’s Gowalia Tank Maidan, becoming a national icon overnight. She edited underground socialist publications and mobilised students and women to defy colonial laws.
Contribution: Fierce organiser and symbol of defiance; later called the “Grand Old Lady of the Independence Movement.”
5. Bhikaiji Cama: The Woman Who Took India’s Flag Abroad
Long before 1947, Bhikaiji Cama, living in exile in Europe, unfurled the first version of India’s national flag in Stuttgart, Germany (1907) at the International Socialist Conference. She boldly declared, “This is the flag of Indian independence! You will see it free one day.”
Contribution: Took India’s struggle to the global stage; funded revolutionary activities abroad.
Why Their Stories Matter Today
These women weren’t in it for fame or political power, but they fought for an idea, an idea bigger than themselves. Their weapons were not just guns or slogans, but an unwavering conviction.
They remind us that freedom isn’t always won by those in the limelight. Sometimes, it’s carried forward by:
- a teenager who refuses to lower the flag,
- a grandmother who refuses to go home,
- a young woman whispering freedom through illegal radio waves,
- a rebel who raises the tricolour in the face of arrest, and
- an exile who waves the dream of India to the world.
On this Independence Day, as we celebrate the obvious heroes, let’s also remember the quiet warriors, the women who proved that courage doesn’t ask for permission, and history often hides its boldest chapters in the footnotes. Their courage is not just a chapter of the past; it’s a reminder for us to be responsible citizens, to protect the freedoms they fought for, and to ensure that their legacy doesn’t fade into silence.