Page 40 - NIS English 01-15 March 2022

India@75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

SUSHILA SOLD HER JEWELLERY FOR THE REVOLUTIONARIES

Born on March 5, 1905; died on January 13, 1963 SUSHILA DIDI WAS A PATRIOTIC WOMAN WHO SOLD
eshbandhu Chittaranjan Das once came to GOLD KEPT FOR HER MARRIAGE IN ORDER TO SAVE
DLahore. It is said that in that public meeting,
Sushila Didi recited a Punjabi song written by her, REVOLUTIONARIES TRAPPED IN THE KAKORI INCIDENT.
"Jug-Jug Gagan Lehrawe Jhanda Bharat Da", on Bhabhi, and their relationship grew stronger over
hearing which "Deshbandhu" wept. Not only this, time, eventually forming a sister-in-law relationship.
Bharat-Kokila Sarojini Naidu Sushila Mohan then became Sushila Didi for all
was also moved by listening the revolutionaries. Bhagat Singh is said to have
to this song, and this song respected Sushila Didi as an elder sister, and the two
became the favourite song worked together to oppose many British government
of the revolutionaries at that schemes and to help each other. Following the
time. When Sushila Didi was murder of British police officer Saunders, Bhagat
young, her mother died, and Singh, accompanied by Durga Bhabhi, arrived in
she went on to join many Calcutta disguised, and Sushila Didi kept Bhagat
revolutionary organisations Singh where she herself was living so that the British
while completing her studies at the same time. government would not become aware of this. In the
Sushila Didi, born on March 5, 1905 in Dattochuhad, year 1933, Sushila Didi married a man who was also
Punjab (modern-day Pakistan), was a patriotic a freedom fighter. Her husband, Shyam Mohan,
woman who sold up to ten tolas of gold kept for her was a lawyer, and both he and she were imprisoned
marriage in order to save revolutionaries trapped during the 1942 movement. During this time, Didi
in the Kakori incident. Sushila Didi's mother kept was in Lahore while Shyam Mohan was in Delhi. She
this gold for her daughter's wedding. The principal continued to suffer torture to liberate the country,
of Sushila Didi's school introduced her to Durga but she never gave up the fight.

BURGULA RAMAKRISHNA RAO STOOD UP AGAINST THE

INJUSTICE OF THE NIZAM OF HYDERABAD AND THE BRITISH

Born on March 13, 1899; died on September 15, 1967 this time, he was repeatedly imprisoned and tortured.
urgula Ramakrishna Rao, the great freedom fighter Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, who was secretary of
Band the first elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad, the "Hyderabad Social Conference," as well as a
was a man who stood up and fought against the Nizam member of the "Hyderabad Reform Committee" and
of Hyderabad's dictatorship and injustice. Not only the "Hyderabad Political Conference," was elected
that, but he fought the Nizam under the leadership of an executive member of the State Congress in 1938
Swami Ramanand Teerth and many other leaders, and and secretary of the People's Convention in 1937.
he was instrumental in bringing For three years, he was also the President of the
Hyderabad into the independent Andhra Pradesh Congress. Rao, a multilingual man,
India. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, was the first elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad
who began his career as a lawyer State, serving from March 6, 1952, to October 31,
in Hyderabad, was born into a 1956. Later in his career, he served as Governor
Brahmin family in Telangana's of Kerala from November 22nd, 1956 to July 1st,
Mahbubnagar district. After 1960, and as Governor of Uttar Pradesh from July
graduating from Ferguson 1st, 1960 to April 15th, 1962. Former Prime Minister
College in Pune and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee released Burgula Ramakrishna
University of Mumbai in 1923, he began practising law Rao's biography at the Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad on
in Hyderabad in 1924. During this time, he also began August 31, 1999, and the Postal Department of the
to participate in India's freedom struggle. He was an Government of India issued a postage stamp in his
active participant in the Quit India Movement. During honour on March 13, 2000.

38 New India Samachar March 1-15, 2022