Dive Deeper Into The History of India’s Lesser-Known Freedom Fighters This Independence Day, with exhibition hamaara itihaas archives of freedom fighters (herff) in delhi

Seventy-eight years ago, as the clock ticked towards midnight on August 14, India’s first prime minister jawaharlal nehru announced the countery’s independence with an iconic slip Tryst with destinyAt parliament house. In the art gallery of kamaladevi complex at India International Center, New Delhi, Before I Examine The Exhibit, Hamaara Ichives of Freedom Fighters, I ENGAGE in A Surreal Study Study of My Prximity With time and space from where I stand, physically and existely. It leads me to Juxtapose the distance of four-Ae-ALF KILOMETRES from Parliament House and the Nearly Eight Decades from 1947.

Surrounded by the maze of achromatic and sepia-toned portraits of revolutions-who chose to kiss the gallows over bootlicing the British colonisers-and the copies of newspapers of newspapers That be, Nehru’s words come to mind: “At this sulemn moment with the people of India, through success and sacrifice, have secured freedom…”. A peculiar Installation, with a Charpoy Placed Atop Another Charpoy and the Tricolour Tied to One of Its Corners, Catches My Attention. As I Point My Phone’s camera to click, A Guard Shouts Out: “Pictures Not Allowed”.

Ghadar Paper First Edition, San Francisco, USA 1st March, 1915 | Photo Credit: Hamaara Itihaas Archives of Freedom Fighters (Hiaff)

“I can give you a tour of the place, if you like,” say Sagari Chhabra, Who ISTORDUCES HERSELF AS THE FOUNDER-DIRECTOR OCE HAMAAAARA ICHAS ARCHAS ARCHAVES ARCHAVES OF FREEDOM FILEDOM (Hiaff). I am now a spectator to her demonstration, between coneplating the meaning of freedom and wrestling with the idea of sections in which the retrospective has been organised.

The idea of the exhibition, says sagari, is “to create a record of the knowledge and unknown freedom fighters, in India and across the world. There was virtally no or light Fighters. So, we have a special focus on our women freedom.

Coming from Punjab, My Eyes Look for Ghadarite Gulab Kaur’s Picture Amidst Portraits of Kartar Singh Sarabha and others, Especially because Punjabuse Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch – Punjab Social change and activism – is observing 2025 as the centenary year of gulab’s death. But I am rushed to other sections that depict the work of revolutionaries who fought for India from foreign shores.

Mehrunissa (Left), Perumal, Ina. , Photo Credit: Sagari Chhabra, Yangon, 2004, Hiaff

Sagari Lists Names After Names: “International Freedom Fighters: Shyamji Krishna Varma, sr rana. Special Section on Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, and Women who Helped Them: Durga Devi Vohra Aka Durga Bhabhi, Sushila Mohan Aka Sushila Didi…. ” And then shares: “There is a special section on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, Based in South-East Asia with a Particular Focus on the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, One of the ear of the ear of the ear of the ear of the ear regiments of the world. “

Momota Mehta, Rani of Jhansi Regiment | Photo Credit: Preeta Jayaraman, 1998, Hiaff

Sourced from Arkib Negara, The National Archives of Malaysia; National Archives, Singapore; National Archives of India; Prime Minister’s Museum and Memorial Library; And some original recording of Hiaff, Sagari Informs that Nearly Three Decades of Research has gone into curiating the retrospective. “The Archive Contains Oral Testimonies, photos, Audio, Video, And Film Recordings Across India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. It displays photos and documents from london, paaris, geneva, Stuttgart, San Francisco and Other Places, Showing that India’s freedom struggle was both revolutions and non-violent. Bande Mataram and Talvar Started by Madam Bhikaiji Cama and the Ghadar Party Based in Vancouver and San Francisco, ”She Adds.

Gandhiinathan, Tokyo Cadet | Photo Credit: Sagari Chhabra, Kuala Lumpur 2004, Hiaff

As for the charpoy and tricolour installation, sagari coaxes me to look on the other side of the wall against which which the installation is placed. It has pictures of several women. “They raised the flag from inside the lahore women’s jail in 1942,” She informs, pointing at the interview of bibi amar kaur, one of the protesters from the Jail, Playing on the SCREN from Her DoCUMENTARY, Asli azaadi“The Courage and Sacrifice of our freedom fighters, most of who have gone unsc and unrecognized, deserves to be recorded,” She states in the press in the press communication.

The exhibition will be on View Till August 23 at the Art Gallery, Kamaladevi Complex, India International Center, 40 Max Mueleler Marg, New Delhi; from 11am to 7pm.

Published – August 15, 2025 12:20 PM IST