Top 5 Freedom Fighters of India 

By Nida Naaz Thu, 9 Feb 2023

Many revolutionaries and activists from various family backgrounds banded together to challenge foreign colonial powers' dominance over India. While we recognize some of them, many unsung leaders go unnoticed. Here is the list of the top 5 freedom fighters of India.

  1. Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is known as the "Father of the Nation" and "Mahatma Gandhi" because of his extraordinary efforts. He married Kasturba when he was 13 years old, studied law in London, and then travelled to South Africa to practise. After witnessing racial injustice against some Indians in South Africa, he was inspired to fight for human rights. Gandhi became a fervent supporter of the independence movement after witnessing India's condition under British rule. In his quest for independence, he protested salt taxes and led various nonviolent anti-British campaigns. Mahatma Gandhi spearheaded several significant movements, including the non-cooperation movement and the Quit India movement.

  1. Bhagat Singh

Bhagat Singh was born in 1907 into a Sikh family in Punjab's undivided state and remained steadfast in his patriotism until his death. He was a radical revolutionary from India. Singh was a contentious but well-respected figure in India's struggle for independence. On April 8, 1929, Bhagat and Batukeshwar Dutt bombed the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi. Bhagat was sentenced to death, and Dutt was sentenced to life in prison. Singh was only 23 years old when he became a front-line warrior fighting for India's independence. Without the name and sacrifice of Bhagat Singh, history is incomplete.

  1. Lala Lajpat Rai

In 1865, Lala Lajpat Rai, also known as Punjab Kesari, was born in Punjab. Rai was a radical member of the Indian National Congress and a member of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio. After leading the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Punjab Protest against the Jalliawala Bagh event in 1920, he rose to prominence. During a Simon Commission demonstration in 1928, British soldiers killed him with a Lathi charge.

  1. Rani Lakshmi Bai

Rani Laxmibai, queen of the North Indian princely state of Jhansi, became a symbol of women's resistance throughout India's independence struggle. When she was born in Kashi in 1828, her name was Manikarnika. When she was only 12 years old, she married Gangadhar Rao, King of Jhansi. Rani Laxmibai took control of the state government after her husband died. She made it clear to the British that she was not going to submit to their authority. She heroically defended her region with a small army for seven days. She fought bravely against the British until she was killed in Gwalior in 1858.

  1. Basanti Devi

Basanti Devi, who was born on March 23, 1880, became involved in the independence movement after her husband, Chittaranjan Das, was arrested. She was a member of the Khilafat movement and a civil disobedience campaign, and she was one of the most prominent female freedom fighters. She also helped found the Nari Karma Mandira, a women's educational centre.

She was imprisoned in Kolkata for a short time for selling Khadi. Her arrest sparked outrage and resentment throughout the country. When her husband died, she took over the weekly magazine Bangalar Katha. In 1973, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan for her work as President of the Bengal Provincial Congress.