Poets and Patriots: Writers Who Inspired the Indian Freedom Struggle

✒️:. Mohd Ishaq Shah

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India celebrates Independence Day on 15th August every year—a day that reminds us of the legacy of leaders, warriors, and literary figures who devoted themselves wholeheartedly and laid the foundation of a free nation. On this day in 1947, India finally broke free from British servitude. However, this freedom came at the cost of countless lives and property worth millions. While infrastructure has been rebuilt, the lives lost can never be replaced, leaving hearts heavy and eyes filled with tears.

The sacrifices of leaders during the Revolt of 1857 and afterward remain unforgettable. Even before 1857, numerous battles were fought between the British and local rulers. The first decisive moment came in the Battle of Plassey (1757), which paved the way for British domination—made possible largely due to betrayal by corrupt figures like Mir Jafar.

The retaliation to the 1857 uprising was brutal, marked by massacres, famine, and disease. Historians estimate that around 800,000 Indians perished, though the true number may have been higher. The British responded with indiscriminate executions and severe punishments. Incidents such as the Cawnpore massacre further inflamed violence, deepening mistrust between rulers and the ruled. The uprising led to the dissolution of the East India Company and the formal establishment of the British Raj, shaping colonial policies for the next ninety years.

Yet, alongside the warriors and reformers, it was the writers and poets who ignited the spirit of nationalism through their words. Poets like Allama Iqbal (RA), Rabindranath Tagore, and Sarojini Naidu, and fiction writers such as Munshi Premchand, Jawaharlal Nehru, R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, and Raja Rao gave voice to India’s yearning for freedom.

Iqbal’s stirring composition “Sare Jahan se Achha Hindustan Hamara” became an anthem of national pride. Tagore, a Nobel laureate, not only gave India its national anthem “Jana Gana Mana” but also penned “Amar Sonar Bangla”, later adopted as Bangladesh’s anthem. Sarojini Naidu, fondly remembered as the “Nightingale of India,” blended melodious poetry with patriotism, while Raja Rao’s Kanthapura vividly depicted the freedom struggle. Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable struck at the roots of social inequality while carrying undertones of nationalism.

Many other luminaries added their voices to the struggle:

• Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay’s novel Anandamath and the song Vande Mataram became rallying cries.
• Subramania Bharati, the revolutionary Tamil poet, inspired generations with his fiery verses.
• Kazi Nazrul Islam, “the Rebel Poet” of Bengal, infused his works with social justice and resistance.
• Hasrat Mohani demanded “Complete Independence” as early as 1929, long before it became a national goal.
• Premchand’s stories reflected the plight of the common man under colonial rule, while also sowing the seeds of reform.
• Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s works, especially Rashmirathi, resonated with youth as powerful allegories of resistance.
• Mahadevi Verma and Maithili Sharan Gupt carried forward a legacy of patriotic poetry that uplifted spirits during trying times.

Their words were not mere literature—they were weapons of inspiration, weaving a thread of unity across India. As Gandhi observed, literature and constructive work were as important to the freedom struggle as political action.

It is our moral duty to honor these unsung heroes of Indian literature who stirred hearts, challenged colonial rule, and kept alive the dream of independence. Works like Premchand’s Do Bailon Ki Kahani—where the oxen Heera and Moti symbolized the spirit of oppressed Indians resisting tyranny—remain timeless allegories of resilience.

True homage to these poets and writers lies not just in remembering their names, but in recognizing their sacrifices and preserving their legacy. Without them, the freedom struggle would have been incomplete.

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