“This is a marvelous work done consistently over the years to collect the stories of living freedom fighters. They survived and waited for someone to listen to their stories and share them with the world as a part of our History.” :- Professor Jagmohan
These words of Professor Jagmohan (Alumnus- of IIT Kharagpur & former Head of Computer Sciences - at Punjab Agriculture University) are told as an appreciation of the grandiose works of P. Sainath which appears in his Book “The Last Heroes: Foot Soldier of Indian Freedom.” That’s going to be the #BookReview1 of Apurva Bharat’s Series of Historical Book Reviews. Here are the Outlines of the Headings under all the points included.
Initial Impressions of the book
On 30th November 2022, approx 3 months after India’s 75th Independence, that book proves as the best gift to Nation especially when Indians celebrate “Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. The Last Heros is the Story of India's Last Surviving Freedom Fighters & Foot soldiers. Where foot means the persons who came from backward areas and fight for freedom with their limited or too less resources. On the Cover Page of the Book where we can see an Image of Toofaan Sena (armed wing of the Prati Sarkar, the parallel government established in the Satara district of present-day Maharashtra in 1943) where most of the soldiers didn’t even wear boots. Which clearly defines what foot Solduires is.
Why is P. Sainath the most fitting choice to write that book
P. Sainath is a journalist by occupation. Who receives Ramon Magsaysay, PUCL Human Rights, Journalism & Raja-Lakshmi Award. In the Late 1990s when P. Sainath was associated with “The Hindu Newspaper” he receives tasks for covering the rural parts of India, where he spends a healthy time connecting with the people and learns about each perspective of rural India. That is the place where P. Sainath also operates his works which will go appear in his book. But in the 2000s P. Sainath also published some articles about the Unknown living freedom fighters in magazines and newspapers. In 2014 P. Sainath Started PARI (Peoples Archives for Rural India). In other words, I can also say that P. Sainath dedicated his whole life to research and making a Bond with Rural India and efforts to make people overcome from there basic problems. So the time when we read a book about India’s Last living freedom fighter who belongs to Rural India, in the case, of P. Sainath is one of the Best choices to learn.
Analysis of The Last Heroes
At the time of the Quit India Movement (1942), A Foot Soldier of Freedom Chamaru Parida from Panorama Village, Bargh, Odisha arrested by British Police. During the period of his incarceration, the Police ask him to take a part in the second world war and fight for the Britishers against the Germans. For that government offered him Rs 100 to him and 500 for his family and also a chance to be set free. But Chamaru Parida Refuses the Offer. After that police went to his home and tried to threaten her mother and ask her to give a price for his release. The Reply from her mother was the most amazing part I found in the whole book, and that was,
“He’s not my son; he’s the son of his village. He cares more for this village than me, all the youth of this village are my sons. Will I pay for all those in jail?”
after that, she began to collect Gobar-Pani (CowDung) for cleaning the place where the Britishers stand.
That was the scene from That Book’s Chapter 10, (Page No.142) where P. Sainath interviewed Gagan Bihari Parida (Son of Chamaru Parida) and collect information about the bravery of his father and grandmother during the period of Raj.
In that book, there is a collection of 16 Stories of Unsong freedom fighters who came from backward areas and fought for freedom without any type of desire. The most interesting part of that is the freedom fighters that P. Sainath Mentioned most of them died in the last 2 years. That was too painful when I read about some of the foot soldiers also waiting for the release of that book. but they died some months before the release of the Book.
That Book not only told you stories but also makes you think about some past and current situations of the country.
Three lessons from that book
Freedom & Independence are Different
“We Fought for two things- for freedom and independence. We attained Independence.” - Captain Bhau, Leader of Toofan Sena (Chapter- 6)
That statement will make you think that we did not fully achieve freedom, for example, In Chapter 2 of Demati Dei's “Salihan,” she comes from a tribal community and died in 2002. When P. Sainath and his team going to meet his family to take some information about his life and freedom movement, then one of the family members runs away after seeing his SUV. and fears that they can be the forest officer.
Fight for freedom is not limited by specific actions
“Because I never went to jail, because I trained with a rifle but never fired a bullet at anyone, does that mean I am not a freedom fighter?”- Laxmi Panda, Indian National Army (Chapter- 9)
In 1972, after 25 years of Independence. Government makes a list of more than 22,000 living freedom fighters for freedom fighter pensions, they set some criteria about the person to prove their participation in freedom. I.e the persons who went to jail for more than 6 years are only applicable to avail of that scheme. But that is not a thing of pensions that is about to deny the participation of freedom of large brave hearts.
Women’s Hidden Participation in India’s Freedom Struggle
Apart from Laxmi panda, there are 5 stories of women in that book. At the time when you read the book you can learn about the unsung stories of freedom fighters women like Hansubhai Patil, Salihan, Laxmi Panda, and Mallu swarajyam but one story is quite different from all these. And that is “Bhabani Mahato”. At the age of 9 years, she did not take time for herself for a single second. She worked so hard to feed her family and after the release of her husband from jail in 1943 (after quit India movement) they had to make food for a large number of people. Sometimes she wanted to cry but she tolerated everything.
The audience I would recommend this book to
That book is not Bodered by any special type of audience anyone can read that, but mostly I want to recommend that book to students & Youth (Specially belongs from the urban area) Because they have to learn about the contribution of the people who came from rural areas. and also that generation needs to learn a lot about the value of Independence.
We hope you found this Book Review informative, and we encourage you to share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. Stay tuned with Apurva Bharat.
Thank you for reading!
Comentarios