A small contribution to the Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav launched by our Hon'ble Prime Minister
An thoughtful initiative by the students of Blue Ridge Public School Grade 10 2021-2022
Written under the guidance of Maninder Kaur (HOD History) with support of Mrs. Surinder Sayan (Principal of Secondary Section) and Mrs. Sharmila Kadam (Principal of Primary Section)
Cover page illustrated by Pranshu Thakkar
Edited by Arushi Rohilla
Graphics Editor Pranshu Thakkar
Art illustrated by Mahi Khare, Neha Walwalkar, Yashica Rawat, Advika Bhosle, Nameet Mehta Rashi Rangrej, and Sakshi Sonone
Ode to freedom Many remember Many forget Sacrifices of those Whose stories make our eyes wet Thousands were hanged Millions were tortured Stood very a few to act Rest just showed Hatred Out of these few How many we remember? Surely not more than fifty But there are many in number The number exceeds our imagination Because we don’t really know the stories Of all the freedom fighters Only a few of them we consider glories But there are more They worked behind the scenes They got no credit for their lifelong contribution And no one recognized them, they remained serene No importance to National Days Celebrations have become a formality Children just speak the national anthem Without knowing its morality
Look at the soldiers. Look at their respect. How they show their energy for India What freedom means to them? Inspect. Now its time to have a thinking of soldier Now its time to be united Now its time for the young generation To throw the cast systems created by the English freighted Now its time to know the value of Freedom Now its time that India excels For that we need to know the History We need to make people literate And tell them the stories of the “Forgotten Heroes” And tell them that independence Is not a matter of fate It is the reward of the precious sacrifices It is the reward of the various toils It is the result after decades of years of efforts It is the result of brilliant thoughts of brilliant minds. Read this book ‘Vismrit Shaurya’ It includes the stories of many of the Forgotten Heroes What their contributions were And still they’ve been given recognition in form of zeroes. After reading this, Think with a cool mind what those guys wanted. Do our deeds deserve the freedom? Aren’t we taking it for granted? ~ Nameet Mehta
PREFACE Teaching is an art. It is just not a profession but a passion for me. In this little time span of my teaching career, I always tried to do my best to contribute to my nation by instilling love for our country in the tender hearts of this generation. Being a history subject teacher, one has to shoulder this responsibility. In Grade X, when the struggle for India’s freedom is being taught, it is not only from the point of scoring marks but to LEARN FROM HISTORY AND TO VALUE THE FREEDOM. This book is not only about giving credits to those forgotten heroes of our freedom struggle but to learn lessons from their lives, it is about loving our country unconditionally, putting our countrymen’s interests before our own, sacrificing our comforts, our lives not for any rewards or awards but for a cause and that is patriotism. With this intention, the students were motivated to find about those unheard, unsung heroes and write about them. With my hand on my heart, I truly appreciate the interest of the students for this initiative of theirs not mine who wholeheartedly and with great enthusiasm completed this task. This is a book written, drawn, edited by the students of grade X of 2021-22. I request the readers to shower their love to these little but great writers, poets, artists and editors. Sincere thanks to Mrs. Surinder Kaur Sayan, Principal Secondary who always supported us and encouraged us in our endeavor. Heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Sharmila Kadam, Principal Primary. Seeking blessings of the Almighty to shower His mercy to be more creative in my teaching and to make my teaching more effective and to give my students wisdom to be good human beings. With all the love - Maninder Kaur (HOD History)
Words of Appreciation ‘Let’s salute the unsung heroes who give us beautiful today’ . The freedom of a country depends on its citizens. Every country has a few brave hearts who willingly give up their lives for their countrymen. Freedom fighters play a very important role in making any country independent. India is a land of endless freedom fighters. Many are known and many are unsung. All of them have their way to fight for freedom- like some have chosen the path of non-violence, while others show their bravery with pistols and swords in their hands. Our independence was a herculean task to achieve as the British ruled over our leads for a long time. But then, there are heroes, aren’t they? There are always heroes-the ones who stand up and fight. Some get the spotlight while at the same time the others stay in the dark and contribute just as much as the other freedom fighters. Therefore, there are so many freedom fighters of India who contributed to the independence movement but their names faded into darkness. We ought to honour their sacrifices and appreciate it. The fraternity of Blue Ridge Public School, including the students and teachers have taken efforts to highlight the sacrifice and renounciation of these unsung heroes……… I cherish and acknowledge the endeavour taken up by our dear students along with their History teacher who could make this possible. With lots of love and best wishes, Surinder Kaur Sayan
CONTENT 1. Bibi Gulab Kaur 23 - 25 2. Bhikaji Cama 26 - 28 3. Chandra Singh Garhwali 29 - 32 4. Chaphekar Brothers 33 - 36 5. Durgawati Devi 6. Gopal Ganesh Agarkar 37 - 39 7. Kartar Singh Sarabha 40 - 42 8. Krishnaji Gopal Karve 43 - 46 9. Laxman Naik 47 - 48 10. Moje Riba 49 - 53 54 - 56
11. Peer Ali Khan 57 - 59 12. Potti Sreeramulu 60 - 62 13. Saraswati Rajamani 63 - 65 14. Tara Rani Srivastava 66 - 68 15. Udham Singh 69 - 72 16. Usha Mehta 17. Vasudev Phadke 73 - 76 77 - 79
Bibi Gulab Kaur Ghadri Gulab Kaur, also known as Bibi Gulab Kaur, was born in 1890 in Punjab, India. The name of her village was Bakshiwala. Unfortunately, we cannot quite recollect the details of her childhood and lifestyle besides that the economic position was agonizing enough for her to want to leave her country. These difficulties faced by her resulted in her marrying Mann Singh. Together, they planned to reach the United States via the Philippines. On their memorable journey to Manila, they encountered the Ghadar Party. The Ghadar party had one motive; to eliminate British rule from India. The perseverance and determination of the members touched her heart, and she revealed a will to join the members on their journey. However, her husband wanted otherwise. Her husband rather wished to establish a life in the United States. But she didn't obey these conditions and left him. This selfless act today should serve as an inspiration to fight for your rights despite the sacrifices you might need to make. Dominated and controlled by society, she chose India's freedom over their opinion. 23
Illustrated by: Mahi Khare 24
Within a few long years of working under the Ghadar party, she traveled back to India with fifty other members. On returning to her home, her struggle for freedom did not cease. She wouldn't rest till she achieved her goal; another admirable aspect of her life. She had an impressive eye for literature which enabled her to make people aware through literature about freedom. She pretended to be a journalist for the sake of staying in touch with the press and played a significant role in distributing arms to the party. Proud and moved by the work the other members were putting in to establish our country, she often encouraged the youth of India to join it through passionate speeches. Woefully, the British accused her upon sedation and sentenced her to two years of imprisonment at Shahi Qila, Lahore. A few years before her death in 1931, frequent assaults put her in unbearable pain, but she fought through. The excruciating pain she had to bear eventually caused her death. It is a shame that Gulab Kaur, a freedom fighter who contributed as much as our celebrated freedom fighters did for our country's freedom, is no longer known by our people. We need to recognize that had she not joined the Ghadar Party and fought for India under so much pain, India's independence would have been put to delay. May she rest in peace and get the respect she deserves. ~Anwesha Rath 25
Bhikaji Cama Bhikaji Cama was the first Indian who unfurled the Indian flag on foreign soil. Her story of freedom began when she was born in a Parsi family on 24th September 1861, with a merchant father who was also a widely known lawyer. She learned many languages in Alexandra Native Girl’s English Institution. In the year 1885, she wedded a successful lawyer, Rustomji Cama. Rustomji was interested in British politics and desired to be a part of it, whereas Bhijaki longed for freedom. Their marriage comprised many complications due to which she engaged herself in social work for the better of the community around her. She was considered the 'Mother of Indian Revolution' and held a great liking for those who wished to work towards Indian freedom. The year 1869 was one of the most tormenting years of her life. This was the year when the Bombay Presidency was hit by famines and a severe plague outbreak. Being a notable social worker, she couldn't stand to watch her people mourn and decided to help medicate them. However, this put her health at hazard, and she was diagnosed with plague. Day by day, her health deteriorated. She moved to London to heal in 1902. Moving to a new place didn't stop her from working towards her motive. She worked in promoting India’s freedom struggle, despite her excruciating health. She met Shyamji Krishna Varma and Dadabhai Naoroji during this time. 26
Illustrated by: Neha Walwalkar 27
She even worked as a private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji. During her time in London, the British grew aware of the contagious nationalism. The British asked her to sign a document that expected the end of all nationalist activities. The request left her furious at the audacity of the British, and she rejected it. The British took this negatively and forbade her to return to India. This courageous act influenced more people to take part in India's independence. The British discovered her rapidly advancing popularity and elaborately schemed her murder. She apprehended what danger was following her and decided to flee to France where she made an even bigger contribution. In France, she undertook active participation in sending money and gear to parts of India. The British once again were aggravated by her power. They sent a proposal to the French Government to exile her, but they declined. Singh Rewabhai Rana, Munchershah Burjorji Godrej, and Bhikaji Cama found the Paris Indian Society in 1905. The launching of the society was followed by her hosting the flag of India. Chants of Vande Mataram diffused in the air; a proud moment for all Indians. She petitioned for human rights and elaborated on the famines that pounded India. She was hurt by the British as they overlooked these hard times, thus permitting the Indians to simply suffer and die because of the famines. In 1907, the same flag spread across the sky with the tri-color at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. Her death in 1936 left numerous people weeping but also fetched a sentiment of nationalism and the spirit of Indian freedom. Let us commemorate her contributions to India's liberty. 28 -Janhavi Aherrao
Chandra Singh Garhwali Chandra Singh Garhwali was a brave fighter who exhibited unity and sacrifice. The birth of this freedom fighter was on 25 December 1891. His father was an uneducated farmer with not much knowledge. Chandra Singh was a servant of the wholesalers in Moradabad. He was from an inadequate background, so his father failed to furnish him with an education. However, he understood the value of literacy and became a self-taught man in reading and writing. During the First World War, he played a reputable position in the army. He had joined the army when he had gone to Lansdowne. He fought in several battles on behalf of the British. The thoughts of fighting for the British did not disturb him initially until the British executed a heinous stunt of inequity that infuriated him and shook him to the core. The British arranged to withdraw soldiers from the army and demote highly ranked officials. Most of these soldiers were Indians. Chandra Singh, who was now a Sergeant, fell into the entrapment of this oppressive act. He supposed he should exit the army. However, he was swayed by the British to stay and take a break for some time. During this blessed time, he came in touch with Mahatma Gandhi. 29
The British sent him to Baziristan in 1920. The British awarded him by promoting him. Despite the upgrade, he was fatigued by the orders of the British. When he came back, he joined the Arya Samaj. Regardless of still being a part of the army, he spent less time with them and more on social work. The British, discontented with him sent the members to Khyber Pass. The spirit of nationalism was brighter and more prominent than ever in Peshawar. Nationalism was blowing with strength. It became unmanageable on account of the British. So they sent out their army to mass murder the unarmed civilians. On 23 April 1930, Chandra Singh was told to travel to Peshawar to open fire on innocent civilians. He left obeying the British, but little did they know, the Garhwali soldiers had other plans. When the masses became erratic, the British Commander yelled over to him. \"Garhwali, three rounds fire.\" He paused for a moment. The Garhwali soldiers lowered their weapons on the ground and stood still. The voice of their commander was ringing in their ears but they refused with all will and might to fire at unarmed people. The people of Peshawar referred to him as the hero of the happening. He was penalized by the British and convicted to 14 years of jail. However, he departed earlier. Banned from practically all of India, he journeyed to Wardha and met Mahatma Gandhi. He wanted to take part in the movement. 30
Illustrated by: Yashica Rawat 31
IIn 1942, he was charged and sent to prison again for three years. In December 1946, he set foot in Garhwal after the British authorized him. He expired of an ailment on 1 October 1979. Mahatma Gandhi's remarks about Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali were memorable. \"If I had one more Chandra Singh Garhwali, then India would have become Independent much earlier.\" Is it right for us to forget his bravery? His time in the army? His suffering in prison for the sake of India's freedom? ~Yashica Rawat 32
Chaphekar Brothers Damodar Hari Chaphekar (eldest), Balkrushna Hari Chaphekar, and Vasudeo Hari Chaphekar (youngest) were the Chapekar brothers. They were from a remote village in Pune, Maharashtra. Today, this village is now an evolved area called Chinchwad. They did not obtain proper education but were skillful artists and musicians. People often requested them to perform in their traditional functions and parties. The eldest brother's biography, published in 1987, describes some of their most indelible experiences. 'The company of good people, hearing of kirtans, traveling, witnessing darbars of great princes, and seeing assemblies of eminent scholars was a source of knowledge far more enriching than a few examinations passed in school,\" Damodar wrote. It is a well-known reality that the plague broke out in 1896 in Mumbai. Within a year, it advanced to Pune. In February 1987, the circumstances were at their peak. To downsize the spread, they decided to assemble a committee to survey the crisis and take detailed measures to ensure suitable health and protection. 33
Illustrated by: Neha W. and Akshita M. 34
Walter Charles Rand, as its chairperson, was in authority of the committee. The associates had to go on testing and sanitizing drives. But they adopted abusive and inhumane techniques that left individuals devasted. Some of these motions comprise visiting people at midnight, harassing women, and hurling the furniture out of their homes for the sake of sanitization. No measures were taken against this by the chairman. Instead, he encouraged it for better efficiency. These damaging procedures wounded the sentiments of the masses. Bal Gangadhar Tilak published about the ill-doings of the committee to spread awareness about what was going on in Pune at the time. Hearing about this riled the Chaphekar brothers. The tyranny of the committee sincerely harmed them. They did not hold meetings, initiate discussions, or protest against the committee. They understood that these meetings would hinder time and cause people to suffer more. They chose to assassinate W.C. Rand. They arranged their equipment. It was 22 June 1897. People were assembling for the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s coronation. The brothers favored a spot on the Ganeshkhind road beside a yellow bungalow to execute their scheme. Rand was returning to his carriage after the event. He was with his military escort when Damodar screamed ‘Gondya Ala Re’. The phrase meant 'the goon is coming.' This signaled Balkrushna to attack, and he began following the carriage. 35
Balkrushna came across the carriage the military escort and his wife were traveling in. Without reluctance, he heroically shot Rand's escort. Damodar with Vasudeo shot Rand. Soon the three brothers, Balkrushna, Damodar, and Vasudeo were arrested. During their arrest, Damodar met Lokmanya Tilak. \"We should not fear death,\" he expressed and promised that he would not let his sacrifice go to waste. The brothers were executed. They are not criminals who were killed, they are martyrs who perished for the cause of their countrymen. Their valiant act stunned some of the nationalist leaders and uplifted them to toil towards the Indian freedom struggle. ~ Harshini Vinod Dere 36
Durgawati Devi Durgawati Devi is one amongst many freedom fighters and revolutionaries who aren't celebrated as considerably as some of our prominent nationalists. She was born on October 7th, 1907. Child marriage was a widely conducted practice during that period and her matrimony was one of many such examples. She was married to a man when she was only eleven years old. She stood as one of the very few women amongst numerous men during the armed rebellions. She was a companion to Bhagat Singh on his notable train expedition to flee from the Saunders execution. The 1929 bomb-throwing incident compelled Bhagat Singh to surrender himself to the lord. Durgavati attempted to assassinate Lord Hailey. Amid the procedure, multiple officials were killed but the lord managed to escape. The police caught hold of her shiftings and captured her. After that, she spent three years in prison. A few years thereafter, she played a noteworthy part in assisting Vimal Prasad Jain to launch a bomb factory named Himalayan Toilets. This peculiar name owes to their desire to maintain the factory as a secret to ensure that the administrators don't come to know of their operations. 37
Durgawati Devi ~ Neha Walawalkar 38
Durgavati willfully bestowed her cash and sold her jewelry to furnish funds for arms and supplies. Her assistance was rewarded when she was given the identification of Durgavati Bhabhi. Furthermore, she proved to be a reliable comrade to Bhagat Singh numerous times. When the police were on a hunt for him due to the killing of Jhon Saunders, she sheltered him. She often wore disguises to get through their several missions, and once even disguised as Bhagat Singh’s wife, with a three-year-old son to protect him from police officers. Durgavati willfully bestowed her cash and sold her jewelry to furnish funds for arms and supplies. Her assistance was rewarded when she was given the identification of Durgavati Bhabhi. Furthermore, she proved to be a reliable comrade to Bhagat Singh numerous times. When the police were on a hunt for him due to the killing of Jhon Saunders, she sheltered him. She often wore disguises to get through their several missions, and once even disguised as Bhagat Singh’s wife, with a three-year-old son to protect him from police officers. - Dhruv Bobade 39
Gopal Ganesh Agarkar Gopal Ganesh Agarkar was an Indian Social reformer, educationist, and thinker from Maharashtra. He was born on 14th July 1856 in Tembhu. His social reform program included women's freedom, fighting against superstitious rituals, removal of caste discrimination, widow remarriage and promotion of education for men as well as women. He completed his M.A. just for teaching in a school and not for income purposes. His aim was to fight for the rights of the people. Agarkar and Tilak were close friends along with being neighbours. Agarkar is remembered best for his conflict with Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He first met Tilak at the Deccan College where they were classmates. Both set up a series of educational institutions to promote education and social reform and give rise to patriotism among the masses. During the nineteenth century, it was a common practice to marry young girls to elder men. Many young girls would be widowed even before the meaning of marriage was understood by them. 40
Gopal Ganesh Agarkar Illustrated by: Advika Bhosle 41
T hen they would suffer the humiliation of having their heads shaved off. They had to quietly suffer humiliation all their life. Agarkar caustically criticised the unequal treatment given to women and enraged on seeing the pain that they suffered from. Being a close associate of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he was the co-founder of multiple educational institutes such as New English School, The Deccan Education Society and Fergusson College along with Tilak, Vishnushastri Chiplunkar, V.S. Apte, M.S. Gole. Agarkar was the first editor of Kesari, a well known Marathi-language weekly newspaper founded by Lokmanya Tilak in 1880-81. The differences in opinion made Agarkar start his own journal named Sudharak, in which he spoke against the injustices of Untouchability and the Caste system. He was such a great believer in woman's education, that he did not mind it at all if education changed the lifestyle of women A closing scene from Vishram Bedekar's play: 'Tilak Ani Agarkar', shows that just after Agarkar's death, We hear a cry of newly born baby girl in the background and Tilak says, \"The girls born in Maharashtra do not have to cry now, because Gopal Ganesh Agarkar was born here.\" ~Rutuja Yadav 42
Kartar Singh Sarabha Kartar Singh Sarabha was an impressive Indian revolutionary. He was born on 24 May 1896 in Sarabha (modern-day Ludhiana). His grandfather raised him as his father, Mangal Singh passed away at a youthful age. He studied at Malwa Khalsa high school in Ludhiana till eighth grade. To pursue higher education, he went to the United States. In 1912, he went to San Francisco to obtain his undergraduate education. After doing so, he labored in a mill factory, where he discovered a lot about the ideas of the British. Indian pupils at Berkely played a meaningful part in boosting patriotic feelings in his intellect. He was impaired by how the people treated immigrants from India despite their hardworking grind. In 1915, the Ghadar party requested him to revolt against the British to free India. However, a traitor in the party reported their scheme to the British. This provoked the arrest of many members. However, some of the associates of the party fled. It was too treacherous to remain in India as the government attempted to locate them. Kartar Singh and his mates were asked to travel to Afghanistan. Kartar felt it would be unjust to leave his captured brothers back. He denied the advice to leave India and returned with two comrades to Chak No. 5 in Sargodha Risaldar, where he revolted against the army. They were suspended for this revolt and accused of conspiracy. 43
Illustrated by: Sakshi Sonone 44
During the execution of the men who revolted, the people in the room did not think them to be traitors. Rather they accepted them to be patriots who challenged the authority and shook the footing of foreign rule. These young men sacrificed their lives, for the country, and for this to be called a conspiracy didn't fit well amid one's mind. Moreover, Kartar Singh exhibited no remorse for the act he committed and held his head elevated with dignity. He resented leaving his comrades behind and leading a life in Afganisthan as recommended. He claimed to be a son of the soil. He supposed it was his moral duty to revolt against the oppression pushed upon him. He pleaded himself guilty during his trial with no reluctance. This stunned everyone in the courtroom. The judge urged him to alter his appeal. He fearlessly reacted to this by stating, \"Why should I? If I had more lives than one, it would have been a great honor to me to sacrifice each of them for my country.\" During his detention, he desired to carve through his window and escape. But the authorities discovered his intent, and he could no longer sprint from his death. He died in 1916 on account of public execution merely at 19 years. His story uplifted many and should continue to do so. He functioned as a terrific motivation to all the nationalist leaders. Bhagat Singh was also an individual boosted by him. Bhagat Singh always held a photo of him and would tell his mother, “Dear mother, this is my hero, friend, and companion”. It is disgraceful of us to bypass his contribution. His dauntlessness should be an impulse for all of us today! 45
Bhagat Singh was inspired by him. On Bhagat Singh’s arrest, a photo of Sarabha was recovered from him. He always carried this photo in his pocket. Very often, Bhagat Singh would show his mother that photograph of Kartar and say, “Dear mother, this is my hero, friend and companion” - Bhagat Singh's mother. Kartar Singh Sarabha was executed on 16th November 1915, at a small age of 19 years. The forgotten hero Kartar Singh Sarabha ~ Shreyas Newe 46
Krishnaji Gopal Karve What defines a man? It's not about what you accomplish in life, it's not about your materialistic pleasures. It's not about where you leave your name in History. No, it's about the contribution you have in shaping the course of humanity. One man cannot accomplish much in his lifetime, but if you can change the ideology of a country. Then you truly are a man. Krishnaji Gopal Karve was one such man who changed the course of humanity. A revolutionary freedom fighter. He completed his B.A at Hons and took admission to LLB (law) in Mumbai University. He was a member of the Abhinav Bharat Society in Nashik. On 21st December 1909. He did the unthinkable and became a man. On that day in that year. He along with Anant Laxman Kahere shot Jackson \"the collector of Nashik\" He followed the steps of Assertive Nationalism because \"Azadi wasn't a plea. It was his RIGHT and he was gonna have it\" May his soul rest in peace. 47
Krishnaji Gopal Karve 48
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