Archive · 7 Aug 2026
Independence Day 2026: Spotlighting Lesser-Known Women Freedom Fighters
India celebrates Independence Day to remember when it became free from British rule.
Most people know famous freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh.
But many brave women also helped India win freedom.
This story tells us about some of those women.
Matangini Hazra was an older woman who was shot while carrying the Indian flag during a protest.
Kanaklata Barua was only 17 years old when she was shot while trying to put up the flag.
Rani Gaidinliu was locked in prison for almost 14 years for fighting the British.
Usha Mehta secretly ran a radio station to share freedom leaders' messages.
Velu Nachiyar was a queen who fought the British even before the big uprising of 1857.
These women were very brave, and this story reminds us to remember them too.
Ahead of Independence Day 2026, a photo feature spotlights lesser-known women freedom fighters, including Matangini Hazra, Kanaklata Barua, Rani Gaidinliu, Usha Mehta, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Durgawati Devi, and Velu Nachiyar.
Matangini Hazra, known as "Gandhi Buri," was shot by British police in 1942 while leading a Quit India Movement procession carrying the Indian flag, and witnesses say she chanted "Vande Mataram" until her last breath.
Kanaklata Barua, aged 17, was shot by British forces while leading a procession to hoist the Indian flag at a police station in Gohpur, Assam, making her one of the youngest martyrs of the freedom struggle.
Rani Gaidinliu, called the "Daughter of the Hills," resisted British rule as a teenager, led a movement in the Northeast, and spent nearly 14 years in prison before Jawaharlal Nehru honoured her with the title "Rani."
Velu Nachiyar, queen of a Tamil Nadu kingdom, fought the East India Company after her kingdom was captured, decades before the Revolt of 1857.
- Who
- Matangini Hazra, Kanaklata Barua, Rani Gaidinliu, Usha Mehta, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Durgawati Devi, and Velu Nachiyar - lesser-known Indian women freedom fighters, with mentions of Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and Rani Lakshmibai.
- What
- A feature article highlighting the sacrifices and contributions of women freedom fighters who helped shape India's freedom struggle.
- When
- Published/updated on August 7, 2026, ahead of Independence Day 2026; the events described range from before the Revolt of 1857 to the 1942 Quit India Movement.
- Where
- Across India - the fighters came from West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- To honour courageous women whose stories rarely appear in history books, as Independence Day approaches.
- Published
- August 7, 2026
- Occasion
- Ahead of Independence Day 2026
- Fighters profiled
- Matangini Hazra, Kanaklata Barua, Rani Gaidinliu, Usha Mehta, Bhogeswari Phukanani, Durgawati Devi, Velu Nachiyar
- Home states
- West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh
- Key period covered
- Pre-Revolt of 1857 era to the 1942 Quit India Movement
- Youngest martyr
- Kanaklata Barua (17 years old)
- Longest imprisonment
- Rani Gaidinliu (nearly 14 years)
- Underground radio
- Congress Radio, operated secretly by Usha Mehta