The process of ending the British rule in the country was indeed a very long, tough process that took the lives of many fighters in the path. It was the devotion and dedication of these fighters towards their country which eventually led to the freedom of India on 15th August 1947.
In the whole process of ending British rule, many individuals lost their lives. Some of them are still remembered like freedom fighters while some just got mixed with the flow of time. One such freedom fighter who devoted her life to the country and had the only goal of making India a free country was “Neera Arya”. She was a soldier of the Azad Hind Fauj in the Rani Jhansi Regiment.She was one of the bravest soldiers of the Azad Hind Fauj, who saved the life of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose by stabbing her own husband, and also had her breast cut off as the punishment for killing an English Soldier. She was a courageous, patriotic woman who is remembered today for her pride and devotion towards the country.
HER EARLY LIFE-
Neera Arya was born on 5th March 1902, in the Khekada area of the Bhagpar District of Uttar Pradesh. Her father was a renowned businessman who had his business spread across the entire country. In order to have her early studies, she went to Calcutta and did her early education at the Bhagwanpur village near Calcutta. Under the guidance of Mr.Ghosh, she learned Sanskrit and became proficient in it. Apart from Sanskrit, she was also proficient in English, Hindi, and Bengali, and in many other languages.
She was married to CID inspector Srikant Jairanjan Das, who later on became a British Devotee and was assigned the task of spying on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and killing him.
CONTRIBUTION TO FREEDOM-
Neera Arya became famous when she managed to save the life of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose from her own husband Srikant Jairajan Das, who opened fire in order to kill Netaji. In that fire, the bullet entered the body of the driver of Netaji and he lost his life. Before Srikant could fire another bullet to kill Netaji, Neera Arya stabbed a knife in his stomach and therefore, he died on the spot
Neera Arya was also called Neera Nagini, by Subhash Chandra Bose, because of that incident where she took her own husband’s life. When Azad Hind Fauj was defeated, the soldiers were tied to Red Fort. However, all the soldiers were released but Neera Arya was not. She was brutally tortured by the Englishmen because she killed a British Devotee. Her breasts were cut off as a part of the punishment, which was one of the most brutal punishment that was ever given to any Indian Freedom Fighter.
Neera Arya was such a self-dependent lady that after Independence, she refused to take any government assistance or pension for her living, instead, she started selling flowers so as to earn meeting her daily expenses. She was also the first spy in the Azad Hind Fauj who was assigned the duty by Netaji to keep an eye on the working, strategies, and plans of the British government and to convey the information to him so that all the tactics can be framed in order to tackle them. Neera, along with another girl, Saraswati Rajamani, was the spy of the Azad Hind Fauj, who worked under the Britishers and collected much information for the Fauj people
LAST FEW DAYS-
The last few days of her life were very tough. She refused to seek any governmental assistance and used to sell flowers for her living. The hut in which she lived was also demolished as it was constructed on the government land. She took her last few breaths in the Osmania Hospital, near Charminar in Hyderabad.
She had a very poor, helpless death, and her last rituals were conducted by a journalist, Tejpal Singh Dhama, who is famous for his controversy with painter MF Hussain over the controversial painting of Mother India. She also wrote an autobiography describing the hardship and the improper treatment she received after Independence in her book- “My Life Struggle”
CONCLUSION-
Neera Arya was one of the ladies who sacrificed everything to make India free from British Rule. She performed a very tough and important task of spying on the Britishers and also received one of the deadliest punishment in the struggle to freedom journey.
Although her life after Independence was not very good, she is still considered as one of the courageous ladies who fought the battle being a part of the Azad Hind Fauj, under the guidance and leadership of Netaji, and her sacrifice for the nation will always be remembered.