Freedom Fighters
Aruna Asaf Ali
1909 – 1996
On 9 August 1942 she raised the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan, Bombay, as the Quit India Movement began.
Aruna Asaf Ali was imprisoned during the Salt Satyagraha and became a leading figure of the Quit India Movement. When the movement’s leaders were arrested on 9 August 1942, she hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay, then went underground to keep the movement alive.
Early life and background
Born Aruna Ganguly in Kalka, she was educated in Lahore and Nainital and worked as a teacher in Calcutta. In 1928 she married Asaf Ali, a leader of the Indian National Congress.
Historical context
She joined the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and was imprisoned. In 1942 the Congress launched the Quit India Movement, and the British arrested its leadership almost immediately.
Key achievements
On 9 August 1942 Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay. She then went underground, evading a large reward for her capture while helping to direct resistance and edit the underground journal ‘Inquilab’.
Important events and milestones
- 1930 Imprisoned during the Salt Satyagraha.
- 9 August 1942 Raises the flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan.
- 1942–1946 Directs resistance while underground.
- 1958 Elected first Mayor of Delhi.
- 29 July 1996 Dies in New Delhi.
Awards and honours
Padma Vibhushan (1992); Bharat Ratna, awarded posthumously (1997). India Post issued a stamp in her honour in 1998.
Later life
After Independence she worked in public life, journalism and social causes, and served as Delhi’s first mayor. She died in New Delhi in 1996.
Enduring legacy
Aruna Asaf Ali is remembered as the ‘heroine of 1942’, whose courage helped turn the arrest of the leadership into a mass movement.
References
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Aruna Asaf Ali (opens in a new tab)
- Wikipedia — Aruna Asaf Ali (with cited sources) (opens in a new tab)
Portrait: Photograph, 1940s · Unknown · Public domain · Source (opens in a new tab)
This account is compiled from the sources listed and is offered as a tribute, not as an official record. Corrections are welcome at connect@vedacloud.ai.