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Songs from the Freedom Struggle

Sometimes I think present day Indians don’t appreciate how unique our country is in having gained  Independence from it’s colonial masters through the non-violence movement.  The sacrifices of the people involved is why we have the free and prosperous country we do today.

I remember as a child hearing my mother sing songs published in popular magazines like Sudasha Mitran (Friend of my Nation), about the leaders of the struggle for freedom, such as Motilal Nehru a wealthy barrister and father of our first prime minister Jawarhalal Nehru or Lala Lajpat Rai, the Lion of Punjab.

There were also humorous songs mocking British claims of ownership to India and Stalin’s exhortations of Socialism.

I remember fragments of these songs but will give brief snatches to give you a feeling for them. I haven’t found them elsewhere but if anyone has access to more of these please post links to them.

There were also songs written by the brave patriot and poet Subramanya Bharathi who fearlessly championed the cause of Independence, though it led to his early death due to maltreatment in prison.

Bharathiatar songs

I’ll end this post with one of my family’s favorite Bharthiar songs expressing his unshakable faith in the future of India, sung by the incomparable M.S. Subbulakshimi.