IndependenceDay History Series#4:Your state's greatest freedom fighter

Independence was not only a dream it was shared vision of millions across the geographies. As they then called Atak se Katak tak(now Atak is in Pakistan)

Or the beautiful song from movie RRR..

Har Gali Ghar me hai Lohe ka Banda

In this thread we discuss some of the greatest freedom fighters in each state...

How they contributed to the movement.

Let's together pray tribute to those great souls..

Dr. Rajendra Prasad -- Bihar..

Desh Ratna Dr. Rajendra Prasad was not just the first president of India but also a very dedicated and loyal supporter of Gandhi ji ..

Coming from an impoverished background he excelled in studies.. while in the famous Presidency College of Calcutta (now Kolkata). The question paper asked him to answer a limited number of questions (like answer any 5), he answered all the questions and wrote at the end evaluate any 5...

The examiner was so impressed by this that he mentioned that "examinee is better than the examiner"

He was a lawyer but following the non cooperation by Gandhi ji he quit that lucrative career (remember how poor his family was) and joined the freedom struggle..

Freedom Struggle Contributions

Champaran Satyagraha Leader: Worked closely alongside Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 to secure rights for oppressed indigo farmers.

Non-Cooperation Movement Pioneer: Sacrificed his wealthy law practice in 1920 to protest British imperial rule.

Salt Satyagraha Organizer: Directed major civil disobedience campaigns in Bihar, resulting in multiple jail sentences.

EarthQuake Relief Organizer: Spearheaded the massive 1934 Bihar earthquake relief fund, raising millions for victims.

He was the head of the Constituent Assembly which created the Constitution of India...

It is almost impossible to name just a few when Bengal has given India so many great freedom fighters, but some names can never be forgotten. From Sri Aurobindo, who cleared the highly competitive ICS examination but chose the path of revolution, to Khudiram Bose, who went to the gallows at just 18, Bengal’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle runs deep. Aurobindo fought through revolutionary organisations, writings and the Swadeshi movement before later becoming a spiritual leader. Chittaranjan Das, the “Deshbandhu,” gave up his hugely successful legal practice to join the Non-Cooperation Movement and had earlier defended Aurobindo in the historic Alipore Bomb Case. Rash Behari Bose carried the revolutionary struggle beyond Bengal and worked to build an armed resistance against British rule. Then came Subhas Chandra Bose, Netaji, who also cleared the ICS but resigned to dedicate his life to India’s freedom. These are only a few of the many brave souls Bengal gave to the nation. They came from different backgrounds and followed different paths, but their destination was the same which was freedom. They gave up careers, comfort and safety because they believed India deserved to be free. We remember them not merely as names in history, but as people who dared to stand against an empire.

Do share yours too!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6ZXd7gcgB4

Tanguturi Suryakumari was not merely a gifted singer, beauty queen, Miss India and actress; she was also a young voice of India’s freedom movement. As the niece of the legendary freedom fighter Tanguturi Prakasam, she was introduced to the nationalist movement from childhood. She sang patriotic songs at Mahatma Gandhi's public gatherings, using her extraordinary voice to awaken patriotism and inspire people to join the struggle against British rule.

Her rendition of “Vande Mataram” became especially memorable. At a time when the song itself had become a powerful symbol of resistance and national awakening, Suryakumari's voice carried that spirit to thousands of listeners. She transformed her musical gift into a weapon of the freedom struggle.

She reminds us that the freedom struggle was fought not only on battlefields and political platforms, but also through songs, art, literature and the awakening of the national spirit. Suryakumari's greatest contribution was to make patriotism sing....to turn music into a voice for India's freedom.

Some of the songs associated with her nationalist repertoire include:

“Vande Mataram” — one of her most celebrated patriotic renditions, which became closely associated with her public performances.

“Maa Telugu Talliki Mallepudanda” — the iconic Telugu song celebrating the motherland and Telugu identity, which she helped popularise through her singing.

“Jaya Jaya Priya Bharata” — a patriotic song expressing devotion to India.

“Desamunu Preminchumanna” — inspired by the nationalist spirit of Gurajada Apparao's famous call to love and serve the nation.

" Madi Swatantra Deasam" --

Her singing was significant because music became a means of political awakening during the freedom struggle. She performed patriotic songs before large audiences, turning emotion into national consciousness and encouraging people to think of India as their shared motherland.

Pingali Venkayya (2 August 1876 – 4 July 1963) was an Indian freedom fighter, known for designing the initial version of the Indian National Flag. Apart from his role in the independence movement, Venkayya was a lecturer, author, geologist, educationalist, agriculturist, and a polyglot.

Venkayya joined the British Indian Army at age 19 and served in South Africa during the Second Boer War (1899–1902). During his service, he recognized the need for a national flag for India as Indian soldiers were required to salute the Union Jack, the British flag. Inspired by his experience and later by attending the 1906 AICC session in Calcutta, he developed a vision for a flag representing Indians, opposing the practice of hoisting the British flag at Congress meetings.

Venkayya presented his design for an Indian national flag to Mahatma Gandhi in 1921 during Gandhi's visit to Vijayawada. The flag initially consisted of red and green stripes representing Hindus and Muslims, respectively, and, on Gandhi's suggestion, a white stripe was added to represent other communities in India. This flag design was used informally at Congress meetings from 1921 and served as the foundation for the Indian national flag, which was officially adopted in its final form by the Constituent Assembly on 22 July 1947.

Venkayya was an agriculturist, as well as an educationist who set up an educational institution in Machilipatnam. Despite his contributions, he died in poverty in 1963 and remained largely unrecognized in his later years. In 2009, the Indian government issued a postage stamp in his honour, and in 2012, his name was recommended for a posthumous Bharat Ratna, though no formal response was received from the central government.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQQzfeASjE