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Unsung heroes: Here are some of the lesser-known freedom fighters whose names fade away in passage of history

Hundreds and thousands of men and women worked selflessly for India’s independence, some even sacrificing themselves for the cause. Not everyone was a household name. While Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, etc, remain the tall names in India’s freedom movement, others swiftly faded away.

Unsung heroes, freedom fighters, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Surya Sen, Peer Ali Khan, Potti Sreeramulu,
As a freedom fighter, Surya Sen took part in India’s struggle for independence.

Alluri Sitarama Raju

A folk hero in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Alluri Sitarama Raju is little-known outside the Telugu-speaking belt. Raju mobilised the Adivasis in the Rampa region, north of the Godavari, and waged a guerrilla war against the British from 1922 to 1924. After the British failed to crush the rebellion, Thomas George Rutherford was called in April 1924. He crushed the rebellion and Raju was captured and killed on May 7, 1924.

Surya Sen

As a freedom fighter, Surya Sen took part in India’s struggle for independence. He was the president of the Chittagong (in present-day Bangladesh) branch of the Indian National Congress and participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement. However, he is most widely known for the 1930 raids on the British armouries in Chittagong in 1930. The attack was met with brutal repression, which led to Sen’s hanging in January 1934.

Peer Ali Khan

While the likes of Mangal Pandey, Rani Lakshmibai, Nana Saheb and Tantia Tope, among a few others, are widely remembered for their role in the revolt of 1857, many have remained unknown. One such freedom fighter is Peer Ali Khan. A bookseller by profession, Khan played a role in the revolt in Patna. Expectedly, the British retaliated brutally, and Khan was captured and given capital punishment for participating in the rebellion.

Potti Sreeramulu

while potti sreeramulu is better known for the creation of Andhra Pradesh, from the then Madras state, his role in the freedom struggle is often overlooked. A staunch Gandhian, Sreeramulu was known for his ability to fast, so much so that an impressed Gandhi once said, “If only I have 11 more followers like Sriramulu, I will win freedom in a year.” He also worked for the uplift of Dalits. He died on December 15, 1952.

Kartar Singh Sarabha

some Non-resident Indians, too, worked for the country’s independence—one such was Kartar Singh Sarabha. Born in 1896 in the then-undivided Punjab, Sarabha moved to San Francisco in 1912. There, he is said to have experienced the humiliation of coming from a colonised land. He became an active member of the Ghadar Party that was formed in 1913 in the US and worked towards overthrowing the British rule in India. 

Bhikaji Cama

While many public places are named after her, the contribution of Bhikaji Cama to India’s freedom is less talked about. It is said that she was drawn to the cause after she met Dadabhai Naoroji in London. Thereafter, she met other nationalists too, such as Lala Hardayal and Shyamji Varma. She became an active member of the movement and went on to publish booklets for Indians living in England to steer them towards independence.

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First published on: 13-08-2023 at 01:30 IST
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