Knowlepedia

Aruna Asaf Ali: Difference between revisions

← Older editNewer edit →
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 14: Line 14:
| image_caption  = Aruna Asaf Ali in 1946
| image_caption  = Aruna Asaf Ali in 1946
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1909|07|16}}
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1909|07|16}}
| birth_place    = [[Kalka]], [[Punjab Province]], [[British India]]
| birth_place    = Kalka, Punjab Province, British India
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1996|07|29|1909|07|16}}
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1996|07|29|1909|07|16}}
| death_place    = [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
| death_place    = [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
| resting_place  = [[Lodhi Garden]], New Delhi
| resting_place  = Lodhi Garden, New Delhi
| nationality    = Indian
| nationality    = Indian
| occupation    = Freedom Fighter, Politician, Activist
| occupation    = Freedom Fighter, Politician, Activist
Line 23: Line 23:
| known_for      = Leading the [[Quit India Movement]], Socialist and Leftist activism
| known_for      = Leading the [[Quit India Movement]], Socialist and Leftist activism
| notable_works  = 1942 Flag Hoisting, Underground Freedom Movement, ''Inquilab'' publication
| notable_works  = 1942 Flag Hoisting, Underground Freedom Movement, ''Inquilab'' publication
| awards        = [[Bharat Ratna]] (posthumous, 1997), [[International Lenin Peace Prize]] (1964), [[Padma Vibhushan]] (1992)
| awards        = [[Bharat Ratna]] (posthumous, 1997), International Lenin Peace Prize (1964), [[Padma Vibhushan]] (1992)
| spouse        = [[Asaf Ali]]
| spouse        = Asaf Ali
| children      = None
| children      = None
| parents        = Upendranath Ganguly (father)
| parents        = Upendranath Ganguly (father)
| religion      = [[Hinduism]]
| religion      = [[Hinduism]]
| website        = [https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?361 Government Tribute Portal]
| website        = [https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?361 Government Tribute Portal]
}}'''Aruna Asaf Ali''' (16 July 1909 – 29 July 1996) was an Indian freedom fighter, socialist activist, and a key figure in the [[Quit India Movement]]. She is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National Flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay in 1942, defying British orders and becoming a symbol of Indian resistance.<ref>https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aruna-Asaf-Ali</ref>
}}'''Aruna Asaf Ali''' (16 July 1909, 29 July 1996) was a prominent Indian freedom fighter, educator, and political activist. She is remembered for her brave role in the [[Quit India Movement]] of 1942. She gained national attention when she hoisted the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay, now known as [[Mumbai]], when many top leaders had been arrested.
 
Known as the ''“Grand Old Lady of the Independence Movement”'' she was vital in underground resistance efforts, edited nationalist publications, and inspired young revolutionaries with her fearless spirit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aruna Asaf Ali |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aruna-Asaf-Ali
|website=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aruna Asaf Ali was Delhi's first mayor |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/aruna-asaf-ali-was-delhis-first-mayor-shelly-oberoi-first-after-unification-of-civic-bodies/articleshow/98159844.cms?from=mdr
|website=The Economic Times |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref>
 
After independence, Aruna Asaf Ali remained active in politics, education, and social reform. She served as Delhi’s first Mayor in 1958. In 1997, she was awarded India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna, recognizing her lifelong contributions to the nation.


== Early Life ==
== Early Life ==
Born in Kalka, Punjab Province (British India), Aruna belonged to a Bengali Brahmin family. She studied at Sacred Heart Convent in Lahore and later at All Saints College, Nainital. In 1928, she married [[Asaf Ali]], a prominent leader of the Indian National Congress, overcoming religious and social barriers.
Aruna Asaf Ali was born Aruna Ganguly on 16 July 1909 in Kalka, Punjab, which is now in Haryana. She received her early education at Sacred Heart Convent in Lahore and later studied at All Saints’ College in Nainital. Growing up in a liberal family, she was exposed to modern education and reformist ideas from a young age.
 
Despite the conservative norms of her time, Aruna adopted a progressive outlook and showed interest in social and political issues. Her marriage in 1928 to Asaf Ali, a well-known Congress leader and lawyer, marked a pivotal moment in her life. This union was unconventional as it crossed religious and social boundaries, reflecting her independent spirit and refusal to accept societal restrictions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Biography of Aruna Asaf Ali |url=https://www.indianetzone.com/9/aruna_asaf_ali.htm
|website=India Net Zone |access-date=26 August 2025}}</ref>


== Role in Freedom Movement ==
== Role in Freedom Movement ==
Aruna was arrested during the Salt Satyagraha (1930). However, her pivotal moment came during the [[Quit India Movement]] in 1942 when she hoisted the tricolour flag at the Gowalia Tank ground. Post this act, she went underground, editing the banned newspaper ''Inquilab'' and evading arrest for several years.<ref>https://amritmahotsav.nic.in/unsung-heroes-detail.htm?361</ref>
Aruna Asaf Ali’s courage during critical moments of India’s struggle for independence earned her lasting respect and a heroic legacy. She took part in the Salt Satyagraha of 1930, where she was arrested and labeled a vagrant. She refused to be released even after the Gandhi–Irwin Pact until public and political pressure got her freedom. While in Tihar Jail in 1932, she went on a hunger strike to protest the poor treatment of political prisoners, which led to real improvements in their conditions.
 
Her most famous moment came on 9 August 1942, when she boldly raised the Indian National Congress flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan (now August Kranti Maidan) in Bombay, right after the start of the Quit India Movement. With many Congress leaders already arrested, her action ignited widespread resistance and represented the movement’s strength. She continued her activism in secret, helping to organize resistance networks, handing out leaflets, and collaborating with nationalist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia—all while avoiding arrest.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Remembering Aruna Asaf Ali, the Grand Old Lady of India’s Freedom Struggle |url=https://www.oneindia.com/india/azadi-ka-amrit-mahotsav-remembering-aruna-asaf-ali-the-grand-old-lady-of-india-s-freedom-struggle-3436669.html |website=OneIndia |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Remembering Aruna Asaf Ali, the Indian freedom fighter who was so ahead of her times |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/remembering-aruna-asaf-ali-the-indian-freedom-fighter-who-was-so-ahead-of-her-times-1286749-2018-07-16 |website=India Today |date=16 July 2018 |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Aruna Asaf Ali |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aruna-Asaf-Ali |website=Britannica |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Independence Day 2024: Lesser-known female freedom fighters you should know about |url=https://www.republicworld.com/lifestyle/festivals/independence-day-2024-lesser-known-female-freedom-fighters-to-should-know-about |website=Republic World |date=15 August 2024 |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Let’s Remember Forgotten Women Freedom Fighters |url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/news/lets-remember-forgotten-women-freedom-fighters |website=SheThePeople |access-date=28 August 2025}}</ref>


== Political Career ==
== Political Career ==
After independence, she associated with the Congress Socialist Party and later aligned with the Communist Party of India. She also co-founded the ''Link Publishing House'', which published the *Patriot* newspaper.
After independence, she associated with the Congress Socialist Party and later aligned with the Communist Party of India. She also co-founded the ''Link Publishing House'', which published the *Patriot* newspaper.


Retrieved from "https://knowlepedia.org/wiki/Aruna_Asaf_Ali"