Tagore, unlike many of the noted Freedom Fighters, was not someone who subscribed to the ideology of nationalism. He was a noted humanist and universalist and an exponent of the Bengal Renaissance. He is most noted for the song Jana Gana Mana, which became the national anthem of India and Amar Shonar Bangla, which became Bangladesh's national anthem.
'Inquilab Zindabad!', the words that underscored the Indian Freedom Movement came from the unlikeliest of sources: Hasrat Mohani, a poet who dealt in Ghazal and used love as the foundation of his works. He was also among the founders of the Communist Party of India.
Born Chinnaswami Subramania Bharati, Bharathiyar was a man influenced by many persons and cultures. From Hindu nationalism to Sikhs and Sister Nivedita herself, many factors influenced the perception of this man, who went on to support the Revolutionaries and be an editor in the Tamil weekly
The Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu was an established poet, politician and activist associated with the Indian National Congress during the Indian Freedom Movement. She was an equal to many other fighters, including Gokhale, Tagore and MK Gandhi and played a leading role during Civil Disobedience.
Kazi Nazrul Islam may be one of the lesser-known poets who were involved in the struggle, but his works deserve mention all the same. Though he is today the national poet of Bangladesh, he started his freedom fighting days after 3 years in the British Indian Army, the results of which were numerous influential poems such as
Published 15 August 2018, 02:59 IST