Patna: As India prepares to celebrate 80th Independence Day on August 15, Bihar’s contribution to the freedom struggle remains an important part of the state’s modern history. From the 1857 uprising to the Quit India Movement, several leaders from Bihar took part in resistance against British rule.
Their roles ranged from armed rebellion and revolutionary activities to Gandhian movements, peasant mobilisation and political leadership. Several women from Bihar also participated in the freedom movement and later contributed to public life.
Kunwar Singh
Kunwar Singh of Jagdispur emerged as one of the prominent leaders of the 1857 uprising in Bihar. At about 80 years of age, he led forces against the British and used guerrilla tactics during the rebellion.
He is widely remembered as Veer Kunwar Singh and remains a prominent figure in Bihar’s freedom movement. The Bihar government later established Veer Kunwar Singh University in Arrah in his memory. He was also named as the Lion of Bihar.
Rajendra Prasad
Rajendra Prasad, who later became India’s first President, was an important leader from Bihar during the national movement.
He participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Movement. He also served as president of the Indian National Congress at its Bombay session in 1934.
Prasad went on to become the first President of independent India and remains one of Bihar’s most prominent figures in the freedom struggle.
Baikuntha Shukla
Baikuntha Shukla was associated with revolutionary organisations, including the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association and Hindustan Seva Dal.
He became involved in revolutionary activities during British rule and was executed in 1934 for his role in the killing of Phanindra Nath Ghosh, an approver in the Lahore Conspiracy Case.
Basawon Singh
Basawon Singh was a socialist leader and freedom fighter from Bihar. He worked with labourers, agricultural workers and other economically disadvantaged sections.
Along with Yogendra Shukla, he was associated with the formation of the Congress Socialist Party in Bihar and remained active in the freedom movement.
Yogendra Shukla
Yogendra Shukla was a revolutionary from Bihar and a founding member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association.
He was also associated with the Congress Socialist Party in Bihar. During the freedom struggle, he was imprisoned in the Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, popularly known as Kalapani.
Sheel Bhadra Yajee
Sheel Bhadra Yajee was associated with the peasant movement and the Congress Socialist Party. He also worked with Subhas Chandra Bose and became associated with the All-India Forward Bloc after its formation in 1939.
Yajee wrote on subjects including socialism, the labour movement and international politics, combining political activism with writing.
Ramesh Chandra Jha
Ramesh Chandra Jha was a freedom fighter and poet from Bihar. The son of freedom fighter and Gandhian Lakshmi Narayan Jha, he was influenced by the nationalist movement from an early age.
Jha participated in the Quit India Movement and was imprisoned several times during British rule. His patriotic poetry also reflected the political climate of the period.
Sir Syed Ali Imam
Sir Syed Ali Imam was a prominent lawyer and political leader from Bihar who was associated with the early political development of the province.
He served as Prime Minister of Hyderabad State from 1919 to 1922 and was among the Indian representatives associated with constitutional discussions during the late colonial period. He is also remembered for his role in the formation and development of modern Bihar.
Women Freedom Fighters From Bihar
Women from Bihar also participated in different phases of the freedom struggle. Their contributions included involvement in mass movements, social reform, the promotion of Khadi and grassroots mobilisation.
Saraswati Devi
Saraswati Devi participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement and the Salt Satyagraha and later played a role in the Quit India Movement.
She also promoted Khadi and the use of the spinning wheel. In 1947, she was elected to the upper chamber of the Bihar legislature.
Prabhavati Devi
Prabhavati Devi, wife of freedom fighter and socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan, was an active participant in India’s independence movement.
Influenced by Gandhian ideas, she established the Mahila Charkha Samiti in Patna to involve women, including those facing economic hardship, in spinning and other constructive activities.
Tarkeshwari Sinha
Tarkeshwari Sinha was a freedom activist and politician from Bihar who participated in the Quit India Movement.
After independence, she entered electoral politics and was elected from the Patna East constituency in the first general elections held in 1951-52.
Bihar’s Place In The Freedom Struggle
The freedom movement in Bihar brought together revolutionaries, political leaders, social workers, peasants, labourers and women. Their methods differed, but their activities formed part of the wider resistance to colonial rule.
As India marks Independence Day on August 15, their contributions provide historical context for understanding Bihar’s role in the struggle for independence and the political developments that followed.
