India struggled for its independence from the colonial rule for about 200 years.  Some heroes fought for this independence with undying spirit and valour. Some even sacrificed their lives to make India and independent nation.  They faced hardships and tortures and yet stood strong against the British.  In fact, every Indian during the time of the freedom struggle was fighting in his or her own way to abolish the rule of the British.  India witnessed almost two centuries of struggle, revolutions, blood-sheds, battles and finally, it got its independence on the 15th of August, 1947.

However, in this entire process of gaining independence, the nations lost some of its real brave hearts who possessed immense bravery and their soul was ignited by a spirit of patriotism. Here is a tribute to all of them who are responsible for giving us this free air that we inhale, this is a tribute to FREEDOM!

10. SAROJINI NAIDU

As we all know, she is popularly known as the ‘Nightingale of India’. She was poet and a social activist and graduated from the King’s College, London and and then from Girton College, Cambridge. In fact, she became the first woman Governor of India as well as the Indian National Congress. She formed the core team that designed the Indian Constitution. She came in contact with great leaders like Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Mahatma Gandhi, Annie Besant and the others at the time of the Partition of Bengal. She was an excellent orator and travelled across towns and villages to deliver speeches on how living in an absolutely independent nation could be so different than living under the terrible British Rule. Her poetry was magical and she used it brilliantly to spread the message the independence.

9. B. R. AMBEDKAR

He is known as the ‘Father of the Constitution’ but there is a lot more to him that just that. He was victimized by the heinous caste system that has always held the nation in its vicious shackles. Sometimes he was denied water for being a Dalit and at other times he was not provided with accommodation because of his caste and he had to spend a night in a park. Eventually he converted to Buddhism and many others followed. In fact, it was the greatest conversion in the history of the world. He loved reading and this played a great role in his liberation. He was the one who scripted the Indian Constitution but more than that he work for the upliftment of the poor and socially backward.

8.  MAHATMA GANDHI

He is the man we see on a coins and notes each day, he is the man we call Bapu, the man who has got a road named after him in every city in India, and has millions of statues of him all across the country. So what was it that made him the ‘Father of the Nation’?

Simply one of the most iconic men ever born on the face of this earth, Mahatma Gandhi is known for giving the Britishers a hard time and finally forcing them to leave the country which was always ‘ours’. And the best part of Gandhi ji, that he did all this by passive-resistance and non-violence. He gave up his family, his law career, his family business and continuously fought for the betterment of the people of this nation who were being treated as third class citizen in their own country. Even in the most terrible conditions, he never gave up on his values, no matter what. A slim, brown, elfin-looking man with a stick in his hand walked on the forefront of the Independence revolution and became a biggest reason behind India’s Independence.

7. SARDAR VALLABH BHAI PATEL

Popularly known as the ‘Iron Man of India’, Sardar Patel was a lawyer from Gujarat and an eminent leader of the Indian National Congress. He was an active participant in the Civil Disobedience Movement. But in the true sense, Patel true role was highlighted in the post-independence era when Indian was breaking down into small provinces after the British left the country. He tried and convinced the monarchs to come under the control of one government body. This was the time when India and Pakistan were becoming two independent nations. During this time, the Nizam of Hyderabad refused to cooperate and wished to be allied with Pakistan. This was geographically impossible because Hyderabad is centrally located. Sardar Patel made sure that the Nizam is sent to Pakistan all alone and that Hyderabad remains a part of the Indian State, which eventually happened.

6. SHAHEED BHAGAT SINGH

“ Sar Kata SakteHai mar, SarZhukaSakteNahi” ( We can have our heads chopped but not bowed).

This was what echoed in the air while Singh along with Rajguru and Suhdev were arrested and hanged to death. ‘Shaheed‘ means a ‘Martyr’. He had developed a revolutionary zeal from a tender age. The merciless Jallianwalahbagh massacre of 1919 left a deep burning scar in young Bhagat Singh’s heart. On April 8, 1929 Singh and Batukeshar stormed into and court and threw bombs into the corridors of the assembly shouting ‘InquilabZindabad‘ devanagri for ‘let the revolt live forever’

5. SHUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE

Subhash Chandra Bose’s father sent him abroad to pursue his higher studies, the Cambridge educated man stood second in the Indian Civil services Examination. But his urge to participate and resurrect a dying country made him quit the covered India Civil Service and joined the Indian National Congress. He went to jail for about eleven times in his life and was also the president of the Indian National Congress. In Berlin he formed the first Indian National Army with the prisoners of war, who were the Indian soldiers fighting for the British Crown. Although it was believed that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose dies in a plane crash and  his body was never recovered.

4.RANI LAXMI BAI

Khoob ladi mardani woh to Jhansi wali Rani thi.

She was one the key rebels of the Great Revolt of 1857. After the death of her husband, Raja GangadharRao the British took over Jhansi and refused her adopted son to become Raja. All the British soldiers in Jhansi had been killed after which she took over the administration of Jhansi provisionally. A year later when the British attacked the fort of Jhansi they were surprised to find Rani LaxmiBai with a sword in her hand and fire in her eyes waiting to take them on. She laid down her life for the stake of freedom and even today she is the considered the ideal model of women empowerment.

3. MANGAL PANDEY

A sepoy working under the East India Company, MangalPandey got his name etched in the great Indian book of independence when he attacked his senior officials. MangalPandey was a member of the thirty-fourth Regiment of the Bengal native infantry of the East India Company. It was rumoured that the cartridge used in a rifle was greased with cow fat, now cows were considered to be holy by the Hindus and the Muslims, the cartridge had to be bitten off before it could be loaded. The Indians believed that it was a deliberate attempt by the British to hurt the sentiments of the Indian soldiers who were the majority and number and this served as the spark to the great fire which followed also known as the Revolt Of 1857.

2. ANNIE BESANT

She was the first woman to be the president of the Indian National Congress. After her particularly unsuccessful married life, she got interested in Theosophy as a way of knowing God. Her society worked for all those who were discriminated against on the grounds of sex, caste, race and she preached universal brotherhood. She started a newspaper ‘ The New Indian ‘ criticized the British and was held by the British Crown  for sedition.

1. CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAD

Yes! As his name suggests, he lived and died free. He played a very important role in the freedom struggle. So important was his role that the Britishers wanted to nab him dead or alive. He was the first among the many to raise weapons against the British. On the 27th of February, 1931, he had fixed a meeting with his friends at Alfred Park, Allahabad where the police caught them and asked him to surrender. He fought the police valiantly and killed three policemen. After a tough brawl, when he finally realized that there was no escape, he did the unthinkable. The brave soul shot himself in the head with the last bullet that he had in his possession.