Aruna Asaf Ali – The Unsung Hero
India is a country that grew a history that Inspired its people to come out of its
shackles and fight for their motherland. Be it modern times or the time when
swords and guns were used, History has seen the end
of a fight with non-violence. As Mahatma’s Gandhi
once said, “Ahimsa is beyond himsa” there are many of
these Unsung heroes that lie in the dust and are only
just remembered for their contribution to the birth of
an Independent India. When India was just a country
where Men took the honour to fight for freedom,
women gradually bolstered courage and one such
woman fought beside Gandhi with knowledge and
wisdom and the principle of Non-violence. She was
Aruna Asaf Ali.
Aruna Asaf Ali was an unsung gem who battled for freedom. She was born July
16th 1909 at Kalka. She was from a family of writers. She grew a very strong bond
in the education system and wanted to change the way the education in the
country was being provided. In 1929, she married Asaf Ali who was a Muslim and
broke the system that prevented it. Her husband was a political leader and
Inspired her to follow his footsteps as well.
Her initial movement began during the Salt Satyagraha. After her arrest, a wave
movement erupted after the women in the prison accepted freedom only when
Aruna was released and after Gandhi intervened in the Gandhi-Irwin Pact
situation, only did she be released. She was a witty woman who knew the
Gandhian way and worshipped them. During the Quit India Movement on August
8, 1942, she sneaked past the police and hoisted the Indian Flag in Bombay.
She evaded arrest and then was in hiding. During this time, she was honoured for
her support to the movement and once she returned, she was declared as the
Mayor of Delhi. She was the Queen of the Independence movement as
recognised by Jawaharlal Nehru. Her movement methodologies are a part of
study material for the student today. Even after her untimely demise on July 29,
1996, she still inspires the very few that remember her.