Usha mittal biography of mahatma
Mahatma Gandhi
- By Arjun Sengupta
Usha Mehta remained a staunch Gandhian till the very end. (Image Courtesy: Express Archive)
Amazon Prime released Ae Watan Mere Watan on Thursday (March 21). The historical biography tells the story of Usha Mehta, played by Sara Ali Khan, and Congress Radio — an underground radio station in , during the Quit India Movement.
The movement was launched on August 8, , with Mahatma Gandhi’s famous speech in Bombay’s Gowalia Tank maidan: “Do or die.
We shall either free India or die trying”. The movement saw mass civil disobedience, massive public protests, sabotage and even setting up of parallel governments in certain regions.
The beleaguered British, already stretched due to World War II, arrested tens of thousands. All of Congress’ brass, including Gandhi, Nehru, and Vallabhai Patel, were behind bars by August 9 itself.
The party was banned. It is in the context of this brutal repression that younger leaders stepped up to take the lead.
Power of radio
Mehta was 22 when the Quit India Movement began.
Usha mittal biography of mahatma gandhi During this time, she was held in solitary confinement and offered inducements such as the opportunity to study abroad if she would betray the movement. Newspapers dared not touch these subjects under the prevailing conditions; only the Congress Radio could defy the orders and tell the people what was really happening. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Although the Secret Congress Radio functioned only for three months, it greatly assisted the movement by disseminating uncensored news and other information banned by the British-controlled government of India.A law student in Bombay, she was in awe of Gandhi, and like many peers, quit studies to join the movement.
“We were drawn to the (Quit India) movement,” Mehta later told Usha Thakkar (Congress Radio: Usha Mehta and the Underground Radio Station of , ).
Rather than lead public protests, Mehta wanted to contribute in other ways.
“Based on my study of the history of revolutions in other countries, I suggested… a radio station of our own,” Mehta told Thakkar. “When the press is gagged and news banned, a transmitter helps… in acquainting the public with the events that occur.”
But, setting up a radio station was, thus, going to be difficult.
Alongside Mehta, Babubhai Khakar, Vithalbhai Jhaveri and Chandrakant Jhaveri were key figures in organising Congress Radio.
Their first task was to procure funds for the enterprise. But the biggest challenge proved to be sourcing technical expertise — and equipment.
Biography of mahatma gandhi Usha was imprisoned at Yeravda Jail in Pune. Rajeswar C. The Government of India associated her with a number of celebrations of India's 50th anniversary of freedom. Contact no.At the War’s advent in , the British had suspended all amateur radio licences across the Empire. Operators were to turn in all equipment to authorities, with severe punishment for those who failed to do so. Moreover, with radio transmission still in its infancy, only a handful in India could operate the equipment.
Fewer still were Indians.
Nariman Printer, who held an amateur transmitting licence prior to the War, provided a solution.
Biography of Lakshmi Mittal: The Inspiring Story of Success: Srinivasan George Sudarshan M. In August , although she was suffering from fever, Usha participated like she did every year in the anniversary celebrations related to the Quit India Movement in August Kranti Maidan. When was Usha Mehta released? Rather than lead public protests, Mehta wanted to contribute in other ways.
He had managed to hold on to various parts of his transmitter despite the ban. However, he held no ideological affinity to the national movement, and had agreed to help for purely financial reasons.
Nonetheless, Printer did put together a working transmitter by the end of August on the top floor of Chowpatty’s Sea View Apartment.
On September 3, at pm, Mehta went live for the very first time, announcing: “This is the Congress Radio calling on [a wavelength of] metres, from somewhere in India.”
From its very first broadcast, Congress Radio was a hit. It became the most favoured news source for Indians, denied information on the national movement and the War by colonial censors.
As Mehta told Usha Thakkar: “We were the first to give the news of the Chittagong bomb raid, of the Jamshedpur strike and of the happenings in Ballia.
Usha mittal biography of mahatma She lived a simple, even frugal life. Recipients of Padma Vibhushan. What is your budget to study abroad? When was Usha Mehta released?We broadcast the full description of the atrocities in Ashti and Chimur. Newspapers dared not touch these subjects under the prevailing conditions; only the Congress Radio could defy the orders and tell the people what was really happening.”
The underground station also broadcast political speeches, addressing groups such as students, workers, and peasants.
Broadcasts were both in English and Hindustani. “… The Congress Radio’s broadcasts captured the mood of the times — the exhilaration and enthusiasm generated by a country caught up in the fervour of the Quit India movement,” Thakkar wrote.
Usha Mehta Wiki, Age, Death, Husband, Children, Family ... Usha Mehta never married or had any child. After her incarceration, Usha's failing health prevented her from participating in politics or social work. Comprehensive Website on the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi. She is also remembered for organizing the Congress Radio , also called the Secret Congress Radio , an underground radio station , which functioned for few months during the Quit India Movement ofIn doing so, it kept firm people’s resolve for independence.
In its November 9 morning broadcast, it proclaimed: “Remember, Congress Radio runs not for entertainment, not even for propaganda, but for giving certain directives to the Indian people in their fight for freedom”.
A glorious end
The Congress Radio team went to great lengths to avoid detection, changing transmission locations every few days.
But authorities knew about its existence from early September itself, and put in significant resources to apprehend those behind it. The operation was finally busted after Printer’s capture, who, in return for immunity, disclosed the location of what would be Congress Radio’s final broadcast on November 12,
Mehta recalled the “memorable day”: “When I was putting on the ‘Vande Mataram’ record, I heard hard knocks on the door… I saw a big battalion of policemen headed by the deputy commissioner of police entering the room with triumphant smiles… the police chief said… [to] stop the record… mustering all the courage at my command, [I] firmly replied, ‘The record will not stop.
This is our national song.
So, all of you stand at attention’.”
The trial of the five accused — Mehta, Babubhai Khakar, Vithalbhai Jhaveri, Chandrakant Jhaveri, and Nanak Gainchand Motwane (who sold equipment parts to the team) — generated much excitement. Vithalbhai and Motwane were acquitted, but Mehta, Babubhai, and Motwane received stern sentences.
When Mehta was released from Pune’s Yerawada Jail in March , she was hailed in the nationalist media as “Radio-ben”.
While her poor health kept her out of active politics in independent India, she remained a staunch Gandhian. Conferred the Padma Vibhushan in , Mehta died after a brief illness in
Courtesy: The Indian Express, dt.