• Nandita Hooda

Usha Mehta is a name of that heroic figure who played an instrumental role in the successful conclusion of ‘Quit India Movement’ laid down by Gandhiji on August 9, 1942. Usha Mehta was born in a village in Surat in the family of a government judge in colonial India. At the age of just 5, she got an opportunity to see and hear Gandhiji during his visit to Ahmedabad. After some time, Gandhiji organized a camp near Usha’s village spreading the word on the significance of Khadi, where little girl got influenced by Gandhian ideas. She took a vow to wear Khadi throughout her life from then. These two meetings with Mahatma Gandhi sowed the seeds of freedom in the young growing mind of Usha. Afterwards, she started expressing her revolutionary ideas in her decisions and actions. At the age of only 8, Usha showed first resistance against colonial power when her teacher was being beaten by the English administration and all the children were running away in fear. Instead of running away, Usha confronted the cruel oppressors and tried to save her teacher by holding the police baton.

Usha’s second resistance came to fore when the police used lathi-charge against the revolutionaries protesting against a girl being crushed by a British officer’s car. Twenty-two year old Usha, using her wisdom, successfully took the dead girl and her mother out of the crowd. It was from here that she had got an invitation to join the Congress office and actively participate in the freedom movement.

The most difficult moment came in Usha’s life when her emotional father tried to stop her going on to the path of revolution. He made Usha realize about her potential narrating all her educational achievements, inspired her to do something constructive in life. He made her swear by placing her hands on his head. Usha got agreed with her father for a while as a token of respect to her father but soon ignored the promised made to her father in front of the oath taken for the freedom of her country and decided to remain engaged in her mission of freedom. This was the third resistance shown by Usha which reflects her dedication and devotion towards her dream of independence of the country.

Subsequently, 22-year-old Usha took the oath of following celibacy in front of her mentor Mahatma Gandhi. This decision shows Usha Mehta’s strong commitment and conviction to the mission of freedom struggle. Even when the British ruling elite banned the Congress and arrested all the senior leaders of the country including Gandhiji, courageous Usha did not bow down. Rather she fought like an iron lady waving Indian flag and raising slogan of ‘do or die’.

Moreover, when all the senior leaders and revolutionaries were imprisoned and dissociated from each other, newspaper editors were debarred to write anything related to the movement, Usha was deeply troubled about the fact that we would repeat the mistake of 1857 revolution this way, which would again deprive us to get free from white forces. Usha felt that if the revolutionaries had maintained mutual connection during the 1857 revolt and received information about other places from time-to-time, then they would have made the revolution successful. But this time Usha had decided that we won’t let the communication medium halt. Information would be provided to the revolutionaries so that they can get inspired listening to motivational speeches of nationalist leaders including Gandhi and keep the movement in high spirits. In such circumstances, Usha proposed the idea of establishing ‘Congress Radio’, however it was rejected by two of her colleagues, refusing to accept this idea. While two other colleagues supported her.

Now the main challenge was to collect the fund of Rs. 4,000 for executing the proposal of ‘Congress Radio’. Despite all their efforts, Usha and her friends could collect only Rs. 551 in 9 days. When Usha’s dream seemed to be fading, another woman came forward to support her and that was her aunt. Her aunt gave all her jewellery to Usha saying that due to her old age she could not directly pick up a stick and participate in the freedom struggle, hence she donated her jewellery to contribute to the cause of the country. Thereby, Usha succeeded in setting up ‘Congress Radio’ and conveying all the information about the movement to the revolutionaries.

Within a few days, when Usha’s father got to learn about her activities, he locked her in the room and banned her from going out. But nothing could have stopped Usha to realize the vision of Independent India. That night, Usha wrote a letter and left it on the table. She ran away from home and went to the Congress office. There she met Ram Manohar Lohia whom she told about ‘Congress Radio’. Ram Manohar Lohia started making use of ‘Congress Radio’ to convey strategies related to the movement to revolutionaries.

Usha not only established and ran ‘Congress Radio’ but also managed to keep it from being detected for a long time. At the end, when it was known that whoever operated ‘Congress Radio’ today would be arrested, Usha herself operated the radio and chose to be arrested without running away.

She was given third degree torture in jail and was lured to be released from jail if she revealed the address of Ram Manohar Lohia but Usha preferred to stay in jail. She was imprisoned for 4 years. Usha Mehta’s determination for independent India can be clearly gauged from her decisions of being arrested and staying in jail.

During her journey in jail, Usha’ s father also bowed down to her determination and wrote an encouraging letter to his daughter, stating, that being Usha’s father gave him the greatest respect on this earth. He further added that when a spark lights the torch of revolution, it is no longer a spark but becomes a torch itself and Usha, you are no longer a revolutionary, you have become a revolution yourself. Your struggle is the wing that will take us to the flight of independent India.

The most important contribution made by Usha Mehta in the freedom struggle will always be remembered for setting up of Secret ‘Congress Radio’ and its successful operation. Usha’s life and her decisions deserve to be celebrated as a source of inspiration for all of us.

The author is a President, Mahila Congress, Chandigarh