JAIPUR: Life sketches of 220 freedom fighters from the erstwhile 22 Rajputana states have been featured in a special gallery at the Rajasthan State Archives Bikaner (RSAB). The sketches include their contribution in all freedom struggles—Khilafat, Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience to Quit India movement—between 1920 and 1947.
The gallery has recorded original audio of many of the fighters’ speeches, giving an idea of their oratory skills and first-hand account of the prevailing situation during that period. The gallery claimed to have untold stories of the state’s freedom fighters which deserves much attention from citizens.
The RSAB is holding an exhibition of freedom fighters at Jawahar Kala Kendra from August 14 to 31.
The profile of Vijay Shankar Shastri, who was born in 1926, has mastered the art of making explosives while he was a student in Delhi. He came to Jaipur, started supplying bombs to freedom fighters in Delhi, Meerut and Agra. The documents say that he led the march of 5,000 people from Sanganeri Gate to the Walled City in Jaipur protesting the death of Congress leader Lala Lajpat Rai on November 20, 1928. He was so fearless that he was providing a safe haven or a refuge to the freedom fighters escaping police in and around Jaipur. He died in 1974.
The audio recording of freedom fighter Syed Fayaz in Bhilwara says how they were harassed by the local rulers who were functioning under the Britishers. He was tortured by the local police for going to the Congress office for reading newspapers.
“I was pressurised to read the Mewar state paper. I ran to Ajmer to met Durga Prasad (Founder of a Hindi daily) in Ajmer which has connected me to other freedom fighters,” said Fayaz, who was jailed several times for participating in all freedom movements until India gained Independence.
All these freedom fighters were lodged in prison at least once, they were forced to live in exile for years, properties confiscated, families harassed and were branded as ‘traitors’ by the local rulers.
Explaining the reasons behind the initiative, Mahendra Singh Khadgawat, director of the RSAB says that the contribution of state freedom fighters has been forgotten in the history written after 1947. “The courage, sacrifice and valour of these freedom fighters are no less than any fighter of some particular regions known by the nation. It took me four years to collect all the archival content related to these fighters from libraries, government records, from over 300 newspapers and magazines,” said Khadgawat.
The biggest resource turned out for the RSAD was the audio interviews of 240 freedom fighters recorded in 1982 under the special project of the state government ‘Oral History.’ “It is the biggest repository of freedom fighters any state has which can have the potential to dot the missing links in several freedom movement incidents,” said Khadgawat.
Indicating another treasure trove waiting to hit the public domain is over 100 songs and poems written by these freedom fighters. “Every song and poem describes the state of mind of the people, their struggles, ambitions, hope and vision for free India,” said Khadgawat.
The gallery has recorded original audio of many of the fighters’ speeches, giving an idea of their oratory skills and first-hand account of the prevailing situation during that period. The gallery claimed to have untold stories of the state’s freedom fighters which deserves much attention from citizens.
The RSAB is holding an exhibition of freedom fighters at Jawahar Kala Kendra from August 14 to 31.
The profile of Vijay Shankar Shastri, who was born in 1926, has mastered the art of making explosives while he was a student in Delhi. He came to Jaipur, started supplying bombs to freedom fighters in Delhi, Meerut and Agra. The documents say that he led the march of 5,000 people from Sanganeri Gate to the Walled City in Jaipur protesting the death of Congress leader Lala Lajpat Rai on November 20, 1928. He was so fearless that he was providing a safe haven or a refuge to the freedom fighters escaping police in and around Jaipur. He died in 1974.
The audio recording of freedom fighter Syed Fayaz in Bhilwara says how they were harassed by the local rulers who were functioning under the Britishers. He was tortured by the local police for going to the Congress office for reading newspapers.
“I was pressurised to read the Mewar state paper. I ran to Ajmer to met Durga Prasad (Founder of a Hindi daily) in Ajmer which has connected me to other freedom fighters,” said Fayaz, who was jailed several times for participating in all freedom movements until India gained Independence.
All these freedom fighters were lodged in prison at least once, they were forced to live in exile for years, properties confiscated, families harassed and were branded as ‘traitors’ by the local rulers.
Explaining the reasons behind the initiative, Mahendra Singh Khadgawat, director of the RSAB says that the contribution of state freedom fighters has been forgotten in the history written after 1947. “The courage, sacrifice and valour of these freedom fighters are no less than any fighter of some particular regions known by the nation. It took me four years to collect all the archival content related to these fighters from libraries, government records, from over 300 newspapers and magazines,” said Khadgawat.
The biggest resource turned out for the RSAD was the audio interviews of 240 freedom fighters recorded in 1982 under the special project of the state government ‘Oral History.’ “It is the biggest repository of freedom fighters any state has which can have the potential to dot the missing links in several freedom movement incidents,” said Khadgawat.
Indicating another treasure trove waiting to hit the public domain is over 100 songs and poems written by these freedom fighters. “Every song and poem describes the state of mind of the people, their struggles, ambitions, hope and vision for free India,” said Khadgawat.
