All stayed back in Jail for her - 'Aruna Asaf Ali'

Aruna Asaf Ali's role in India Independence:

As soon as someone is released from the British prison, one leaves in celebration. But hundreds of people remained in jail despite being released. Reason - Aruna! Freedom fighter, that moved everyone from the Mahatma to the common worker, Aruna Asaf Ali!

Aruna Ganguly was born on 1909, July 19th in a traditional Bengali family following the practices of the Brahma Samaj and grew up with free will from the beginning. Joined Gokhale School in Calcutta as a teacher. An acquaintance with lawyer Asaf Ali in 1928 turned into love. Both wanted to get married. It surprised manu. If the difference in religion is a reason. the age gap between the two is more than 20 years! Asaf Ali was already known as a good lawyer.. and played an active role in Congress. Aruna's family refused this marriage. While Mahatma Gandhi and others praised their marriage as proof of Hindu-Muslim unit, it is a proof of Aruna's personality that he did not accept even those comments! 'I am not marrying Asaf Ali because he is a Muslim, I like his qualities,' said Aruna as if he had broken the pot! After marriage, she joined the freedom struggle in her husband's footsteps. He participated in salt satyagraha and was arrested along with many others. Later all the political prisoners were released by the British government. But, Aruna Asaf Ali was kept in jail. The inmates who were in jail with her were released but they refused to go out. They insisted that they will go only if they leave Aruna too. She was arrested again in 1932 by the British government who kept an eye on her. This time she was sent to Tihad Jail. As the political prisoners went on a hunger strike saying that there were no proper facilities there, they were moved to Ambala and kept in a separate prison amid harsh conditions. As her health deteriorated there, Aruna stayed away from the movement for almost ten years after her release.

When there is no leader..

In 1942, On August 8th, when the Congress Party passed the Quit India resolution in Bombay, the British government broke down unexpectedly. It tried to suppress this movement in the beginning. At that time all the Congress leaders including Gandhi were arrested across the country. It made a move to eliminate the leaders of the movement, to weaken it. As all the leaders went to jails, the activists became unreachable. In those situations where you don't know what to do, Aruna Asaf Ali came to the screen unexpectedly. The English police have forgotten about her, who has been away from the movement for ten years. She led the party conference on 9th August, bravely, hosted the Congress flag at Bombay's Gowalia tank grounds, launched the Quit India movement announced by Gandhi ji. Starting from that, agitations intensified in Bombay. The fire of Quit India is burning all over the country. Surprised by this unexpected development, the British issues a warrant for Aruna's arrest. Assuming this, she went into hiding. Acted more actively while staying incognito. Along with Ram Manohar Lohia, he organized the Congress party monthly Inquilab. The British government, which is determined to capture Aruna, has put a bounty of Rs. 5000 on her head. Apart from that, the property was seized and auctioned. Couldn't catch her. Staying in hiding, Aruna's health, who is close to Marxism, is damaged. Knowing about the matter, Gandhiji himself wrote a letter to her. "I am very happy to know about your bravery. But, after being healthy, I am worried to hear that you have become like a skeleton. Out mission is almost complete. Leave anonymity and surrender. use the weight tied on your head to eradicate untouchability." he sent a message. But Aruna did not agree. She made it clear that her fight for anonymity will not stop until her headscarf is removed and her arrest warrant withdrawn. Finally, the British government had to yield to her insistence. Soon after coming out in 1946, Aruna participated in Bombay Naval Mutiny. After independence, joined the Communist party, again joined Congress. Although she acted as the first mayor of Delhi in 1958, she was left unable to work due to political pressure. in 1997, the year after her death, she was awarded the "Bharat Ratna" by the central government.