Talk:Indian Freedom Fighters

Freedom Fighter	Province	Ethnicity	Ahimsa	Pro-Hindu	Symbolism
Ambikagiri Raichoudhury (AKA 'Assam Kesari')	Assam	Assami	Yes		Established Sankardeva Sarcharkas organization to promote Assamese folk songs and cultural elements, including those influenced by Vaishnava traditions (e.g., devotional music and reformist ideas) — work emphasized Assami identity, which Ekasarana Dharm helped shape
Ambujammal Desikachari	T.N.	Tamil	Yes		Member of WIA, referenced Hindu scriptures in her nationalist and feminist work
Annie Besant	England	English	Yes
Awadhesh Pratap Singh	M.P.	Bagheli	Yes
Baba Kanshi Ram (AKA 'Pahari Gandhi')	H.P.	Kangri Pahari	Not strictly		Incorporated Hindu symbols into his speeches and writings, emphasized dharma
Badri Nath Pandey (AKA 'Kumaon Kesari')	Uttarakhand	Kumaoni	Yes	Yes	Blended anti-imperialism with Hindu cultural revival, founded Shakti, wrote about history referencing scriptures, glorified temple patronage, supported maths (i.e., Sanskrit schools like Shivaraj Sanskrit Pathshala) and ashrams (i.e., Sanatan Dharm Maha Mandal), Kuli Begar Movement's first oath was in 1921 at Haru Mandir
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (AKA 'Lokmanya')	Maharashtra	Marathi	Not strictly		Of the 'extremist' faction within the INC, he established institutions, including the Deccan Education Society and its Fergusson College, popularized Ganesh Chathurti and Shiv Jayanti, as well as wrote important historical works.
Bal Krishna Sharma Naveen	M.P.	Malwi	Yes		His poetry often evokes India's ancient glory rooted in Hindu themes like in "Kumkum", "Rashmirekha", "Apalak", and revolutionary verses, wrote Urmila (version of Ramayana)
Dr. Bhagwan Das	U.P.	Hindi	Yes		Theosophy Society member, founded Kashi Vidya Peeth, wrote commentaries in English and Hindi on scriptures and concepts (i.e., Pranava-Vada), received Bharat Ratna
Bhagmal Sautha	H.P.	Mahasuvi Pahari			Founding member of Prem Pracharini Sabha, which encouraged recitation of devotional songs, prayers, and moral conduct as a means of social upliftment and unity among subjects, and Hindu principles like dharm
Bheemanna Khandre	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes		President of Akhil Bharata Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, imprisoned for activism in liberation of Hyderabad from nizam
Bhograjju Pattabhi Sitaramayya	Andhra	Telugu			Wrote positively about Hindu heritage and civilizational continuity
Bidhan Chandra Roy	Bihar	Bengali			Supported movements framed around Hindu protection and social organization (e.g., relief efforts tied to Hindu communities)
Bishnu Prasad Rabha	Assam	Assami	Not strictly		Drew an imaginary portrait of Sankardev, sang Borgeets (Vaishnava devotional songs), drew cultural inspiration from him for Assami identity
Chakravarti Rajagopalacari (AKA 'Rajaji')	T.N.	Tamil	Yes		Retold Rama in Chakravarti Thirumagan portraying Ram as the ideal upholder of righteousness/dharma, viewed Hindu principles as moral foundations for nationalism
Chinnaswami Subramaniyan (AKA 'Subbayya Bhartiyar', 'Mahakavi')	T.N.	Tamil	Not strictly
Cunjen Kesavan	Kerala	Malayali			Used Hindu principles to argue that caste discrimination contradicted Hindu philosophical ideals
Dorothy Jinarjadasa	England	English	Mainly		Worked closely with Gandhi and attended INC events like its Session at Kolkata (1917) and Malabar District Conference (1918)
Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya (AKA 'Chirala Rama Das', 'Andhra Ratna')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu	Yes		Established the Rama Dandu (Rama's Army) to promote swaraj and its members wore saffron clothes, rudraksha beads, and vermillion, and established in 1921 Ramanagara as a Ram Rajya utopian settlement of 13,000 residents (religious idiom used to mobilize Congress mass politics)
Durgabai Deshmukh	A.P.	Telugu	Yes		Emphasized dharm as duty, service, and moral responsibility, especially in public life and social reform
Dwarka Prasad Mishra	M.P.	Malwi	Yes		Wrote Krishnayana and emphasized Krishna's struggle against tyrant Kamsa akin to Indians fighting for independence against British imperialists, other writings (i.e., Living an Era) and speeches occassionally invoked India's ancient Hindu heritage
Ela Bhatt	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Founder of SEWA and women’s rights activist, mentioned Hindu law in academic contexts (e.g., her gold medal in Hindu law studies).
Gangadharrao Deshpande	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes		Expressed admiration of Savarkar and RSS, wrote letter to V.J. Patel in December 1947
Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi	U.P.	Hindi			Martyred when rescuing Hindus from a Muslim mob during a riot in Kanpur (1931), protested with other INC members against Islamic communalism to Moolgang Mosque in retaliation for its Muslims having attacked a Hindu procession's musical band, used Hindu symbolism like Ram Rajya as a just and moral society in speeches and writings
Gogineni Ranga Nayukulu (AKA Acharya Ranga)	Andhra	Telugu			His autobiography and writings refer to Gandhi’s religious philosophy and its Hindu roots, discussed Indian village life through the lens of dharmic ethics
Gopabandhu Das	Odisha	Odia			Founded institutions rooted in service (seva), dharma, and Hindu ethics
Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar	Karnataka	Kannada	Yes		Referenced Hindu philosophical ideas, especially in his writings (i.e., Americadalli Gorur, wherein he referenced Upanishads and living by dharma), including essays that invoked Hindu principles for moral nationalism and social reform
Govind Ballabh Pant	U.P.	Marathi	Yes		Reference to Ram Rajya like in Constituent Assembly debate (1948), to Krishna for issues like cow protection, supported Hindu Code Bill reforms, first U.P. CM of independent India, "Real Swaraj means Ram Rajya. If secular State means that our children will not know about the Ramayana or listen to the Gita or the Koran or the Granth what is the political freedom worth? Sir, by 'Ram' I mean Hindu God and also Christian God." 1939: "We want Ram Rajya, we want Sarvodaya. But for achieving them it is necessary that every..."
Gulzarilal Nanda[1]	Punjab	Punjabi			"Nanda ji developed the great cultural and religious heritage of Kurukshetra by facilitating it for 22 years,..." says Kurukhshetra University. He wrote "A Sacred Legacy" about Baba Sitaramdas Omkarnath[2]
Haladhar Bhuyan	Assam	Assami	Yes		Established Srimanta Sankardev Sangha to protect Sankardev's Ekasarana Vaishnava sect from adopting unethical traits and to promulgate the sect's teachings, was jailed for participation in freedom struggle
Hansa Mehta	Gujarat	Gujarati			Translated the Valmiki Ramayana's chapters "Aranyakanda", "Balakanda" and "Sundarakanda", and ensured MS University Baroda undertook projects to publish other scriptures of ancient India
Hanuman Prasad Poddar	Rajasthan	Marwari	Not strictly		Founder of Gita Press (provided more accurate translations of Hindu texts) and Kalyan magazine, affiliated with Hindu Mahasabha and RSS
Hardekar Manjappa (AKA 'Gandhi of Karnataka')	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes		Used Basava's teachings as a symbol against British rule, promoted Basava's teachings through celebrations (i.e., starting Basava Jayanti festival) and writings (wrote over 40 books, like Basava Charithre), presented a book on Basava to Gandhi, was part of Basweshara Seva Dala, organized first Ganesh Chaturthi in Belgaum (1905), which inspired Tilak to nationalize festival and utilize it for freedom struggle
Haribhau Upadhyaya	M.P.	Malwi	Yes		Wrote works on Hindu scriptures, such as Bhagwat Geeta, Sadhana ke Path Par, and Yug Dharm
Himmatlal Ramchandra Dave (AKA 'Swami Anand')	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		A swami
Jagat Narain Lal	Bihar	Bhojpuri			His Light Unto a Cell references Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Isha Upanishad, among others.
Jayaprakash Narayan Srivastava (AKA 'Loknayak')	Bihar	Bhojpuri	Yes		Frequently invoked Ram Rajya as an ideal of moral, decentralized, and just governance in his later writings and the Total Revolution Movement (1970s), describing it as a society based on dharm, equality, and ethical rule, reference Hindu ethical concepts of dharm, ahimsa, and selfless action positively while blending them with social ideals
Jhaverchand Meghani	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		A poet and folklorist that mentioned Hindu figures in patriotic literature, his works invoked cultural nationalism
Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (AKA 'Acharya Kripalani')	Sindh	Sindhi	Yes
Jugal Chandra Ghosh	W.B.	Bengali			Worked with groups mobilizing around Hindu protection and identity
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes		Promoted Hindu arts (theatre), crafts (handicrafts), and civilizational heritage
Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi	Gujarat	Gujarati	Shifting view		Promoted Hindu cultural revival, founded Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, mentioned figures like Shivaji for nationalism, used pro-Hindu symbolism in writings
Keshava Pillai (AKA 'Bodheswaran')	Kerala	Malayali	Yes		Disciple of Narayana Guru and Swamikal, promoted Hindu values, especially for reform
Konda Venkatappayya	Andhra	Telugu			His journalism framed Indian nationalism as rooted in Sanatan cultural continuity
Koyapalli Kelappan (AKA 'Gandhi of Kerala')	Kerala	Malayali	Yes		Lived in Brahmacharya, and spoke of Hindu principles like dharm and sarvoday and worked to restore the historically-ruined Tali Temple
Krishna Nath Sarmah	Assam	Assami	Yes		Prominent Gandhian freedom fighter, social reformer, and participant in movements like the Dandi March and Civil Disobedience, actively referenced and utilized Vaishnava institutions by inviting Mahatma Gandhi in 1934 to inaugurate/open his family namghar
Krishnalal Shridharani	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		A writer, mentioned Hindu figures in nonviolence discussions
Krishnanand Swami	H.P.	Mandyali Pahari			A swami
Kushal Konwar	Assam	Assami			Influenced by reading the Bhagavad Gita near death
Lajpati Rai (AKA 'Lala Rai', 'Punjabi Kesari')	Punjab	Punjabi	Not strictly		Arya Samaj member
Lal Chand Prarthi	H.P.	Kullavi Pahari	Not strictly		Documented Hindu folklore, village deities, and rituals, portraying them as symbols of cultural resistance against imperial and feudal oppression, supported Hindu institutions by advocating for preservation of local temples and festivals as part of regional identity
Laxman Vasudev Paranjape	Maharashtra	Marathi			Involved in organizations promoting Hindu cultural and social revival
Madhavrao Sapre	M.P.	Marathi	Usually		Translated into Hindi Tilak's Gita Rahasya, Samarth Ramdas' Dasbodh, Chintamani Vinayak Vaidya's Mahabharatma Mimansa, and other Marathi works (i.e., Shri Ram Charitra, Ekanath Charitra, Atma Vidya)
Mahadev Desai	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Gandhi’s secretary, mentioned Hindu figures like Krishna [in Gita translations], his statements promoted Gandhian Hinduism as tolerant and inclusive
Mahadev Govind Ranade (AKA 'Nyayamurti Ranade')	Maharashtra	Marathi	Usually		Founded Prarthana Samaj
Makhanlal Chaturvedi (AKA 'Pandit Ji', 'Yug Charan')	M.P.	Hindi			Used Hindu imagery, including of Ram and Krishna, in his literature, and drew on spiritual themes to foster nationalism against British rule
Laxminarayan Das	Chhattisgarh	Chhattisgarhi	Yes		Was mahant of Jaitu Sao Math in Raipur, used symbolisms like saffron robes, spoke of Ram in devotional contexts
Malangi Gurupadaswamy	Karnataka	Kannada	Yes		Referenced Hindu culture and scriptures positively context of "Indianisation," suggesting in a Constituent Assembly speech that Muslims should respect Hindu scriptures and culture for national unity
Margaret Cousins	Ireland	Irish	Usually		Worked closely with Gandhi and attended INC events like INC Session at Kolkata (1917) and Gandhi's meetings and campaigns
Manikya Lal Verma (AKA 'Gandhi of Mewar')	Rajasthan	Mewari	Yes		Worked closely with Arya Samaj
Morarji Desai	Gujarat	Gujarati	Not strictly		Made pro-Hindu statements like "Hinduism is the most tolerant religion" and emphasized Hindu moral values, referenced Hindu philosophy in governance but balanced with secularism
Nana Bhatt	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Educationist and Nai Talim pioneer, promoted Hindu ethical values like simplicity and self-reliance in education but without sectarian pro-Hindu statements, referenced Hindu cultural inheritance in educational philosophy
Nand Lal (AKA 'Master Ji')	Punjab	Punjabi			He wrote the Ramayan in a drama form and organized a play on the same on Navratras and Dussehra festivals (he played Dasrath in the play)
Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar	Karnataka	Marathi	Usually		Prarthana Samaj member
Dr. Narayan Subbarao Hardikar	Karnataka	Marathi	Yes		Established the Hindustani Seva Mandal (later became Rashtriya Seva Dal) in 1923, established the Arya Bala Sabha, taught the Gita during his student days in Kolkata, was a fan of Lokmanya Tilak, and had enthusiastically worked with Lala Rai
Narendra Dev (AKA 'Acharya Dev')	U.P.	Hindi	Shifting view		Referenced Ram Rajya as socialist utopia, and Hindu ethical traditions and figures like Krishna as sources of moral inspiration for selfless action and justice
Narhari Parikh	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Referenced Hindu ethics in satyagraha
Naurang Rai (AKA 'Swami Sahajanand Saraswati')	U.P.	Bhojpuri	Not strictly	Yes	Wrote books in Sanskrit and Hindi, on Hinduism and independence, helped form All India Kisan Sabha, in which he was its first President, worked with INC, Swatantra (N.G. Ranga ), and CPI (E.M.S. Namboodiripad), organized Bakasht Movement in Bihar in 1937–1938, built ashram at Bihta, Bihar
Nautamlal Bhagavanji Mehta	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Supporter of Gandhi — coined “Mahatma” for him, invoking Hindu reverence, promoted Hindu unity in nationalism.
Padam Dev (AKA 'Kaviraj')	H.P.	Mahasuvi Pahari	Yes		Arya Samaj preacher — promoted shuddhi (even converting American Samuel Evans Stokes), referenced Hindu scriptures in his campaigns (i.e., against Begar or forced labour and reet or feudal tax, speeches invoked figures like Dayanand
Pandurang Mahadev Bapat	Maharashtra	Marathi			Hindu symbolism (Shivaji, dharma) in speeches, including religious symbolism in anti-colonial struggle
Pandurang Sadashiv Khankhoje	Maharashtra	Marathi	No (revolutionary)
Pandurang Sadashiv Sane (AKA 'Sane Guruji', Gandhi of Maharashtra)	Maharashtra	Marathi	Yes		Wrote the Geeta Hridaya, from his notes on the lectures in prison that Acharya Bhave delivered in the same jail, the latter compiled the Gita Pravachane book, orgaqnizations Akhil Bharatiya Sane Guruji Kathamala, Antar Bharati, and Rashtriya Smarak Samiti were modelled on Guruji's teachings
Pandurang Vitthalapanta Valame (AKA 'Rang Avadhoot'[3])	Gujarat	Marathi			A mystic saint, mentioned Hindu figures like Dattatreya, used devotional slogans like "Jai Guru", teachings were spiritual
Purushottam Das Tandon	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Yes	Advocated for Hindu militarism to fight perceived threats in India, used Hindu cultural symbolism (i.e., Ram Rajya), worked with K.M. Munshi in the Constituent Assembly against forced or induced conversions, was Sanskrit scholar, supported education in Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad Gita
Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy (AKA 'Kalki Krishnamurthy')	T.N.	Tamil	Yes		Adopted the name Kalki, his works like Ponniyin Selvan and Sivagamiyin Sapatham drew heavily from Tamil/Hindu epics and they used Hindu themes to evoke modern nationalism
Raghunath Vinayak Dhulekar	U.P.	Bundeli	Yes		Wrote commentaries about shastras and ideas, like Shweta-Shwatrupanishad Bhasya on Shvetashvatara Upanishad and Shaivism, Prashnapanishad Saral Bhashya on the Prashna Upanishad, Atmadarshi Geeta Bhashya on Bhagavad Gita, Chaturvedanugami Bhashya on Vedas, and Pillars of Vedant on Vedanta
Dr. Rajendra Prasad	Bihar	Bhojpuri	Yes		Strongly defended traditional Hindu dharm and personal laws against the Hindi Code Bill, arguing to Nehru that changes would undermine core Hindu scriptural and cultural traditions (i.e., family structure rooted in shastras and dharm), referenced Hindu concepts like dharm positively as the ethical foundation of Indian society and expressed respect for figures like Ram and Krishna as moral ideals
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia	U.P.	Marwari	Shifting view		Wrote essay "Ram, Krishna, aur Shiva" as "India's three great dreams", invoked Ram Rajya positively, engaged positively with Bhagavad Gita and Hindu ethical concepts like dharm, and praised Krishna's call for nishkam karma as model for selfless struggle and social change, used Hindu figures to foster cultural confidence and mass mobilization (i.e., Ramayana Mela at Chitrakoot, U.P.) to connect with tural and traditional audiences, argued Hindu symbols could transcend narrow religious boundaries and promote unity
Ram Prasad Bismil	U.P.	Hindi	No (revolutionary)		Arya Samaj member that encouraged shuddhi for Muslims
Ravishankar Shukla	M.P.	Hindi	Yes		Headed Kanyakubja Sabha and collaborated with Malaviya to mobilize Brahmans, joined Theosophical Society to explore vastness of Hindu canon, 1st CM of independent M.P.
Ravishankar Vyas (AKA 'Maharaj')	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Mentioned Hindu dharma in Gandhian contexts
Romesh Chunder Dutt	W.B.	Bengali	Usually
Sarojini Naidu	Telangana	Bengali	Yes		Used women like Sita, Savitri, Gargi, and Damayanti as ideals for women's empowerment, used Hindi ideas of tolerance for harmony between communities
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (AKA 'Philosopher President', 'Bridge Builder')	T.N.	Telugu	Usually		Authored a highly influential commentary called The Bhagavad Gita (1948, praising it as the pinnacle of Hindu philosophy and a universal guide to ethics, dharm, and spiritual realization, celebrated Hindu scriptures (GIta, Vedanta, Upanishads) as profound expressions of eternal truth, dharm as moral order, and Krishna as a symbol of divine wisdom and action within his works Indian Philosophy and The Hindu View of Life
Savalai Ramaswami Mudaliar	Puducherry	Tamil	Usually
Seth Govind Das	M.P.	Hindi	Yes		Invoked Hindu scriptures (including Vedas, Upanishads, Vishnu Purana, and Brahma Purana) and figures in Constituent Assembly, wrote drama plays and texts of Hindu subject matter, partook in demonstration against cow slaughter in 1966 led by RSS, VHP, and RRP
Shankar Trimbak Dharmadhikari (AKA 'Dada Dharmadhikari')	M.P.	Marathi	Yes		Mentioned Hindu figures like Krishna in philosophical contexts, was studying Shankaracharya's works for about a year before joining independence movement
Shankarlal Banker	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Referenced Hindu ethics in labor reforms
Shiv Prasad Gupta	U.P.	Hindi	Yes		Founded Kashi Vidya Peeth for Indian and Hindu studies, funded Hindu institutions like BHU, built Bharat Mata Mandir, held the First National Congress at his residence, Gandhi called him Rashtra Ratna
Sohan Lal Dwivedi	U.P.	Hindi	Yes		Mentioned Ram Rajya, like in Bharavi collection of poems, used both Krishna and Rama in patriotic poetry to describe India as the privilaged land they lived in
Sonaram Sutiya	Assam	Assami	Yes		Vaishnav pandit that [through the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha] promoted nam-kirtan, satras and namghars, and Sankardev's teachings
Subbier Subramania Iyer	T.N.	Tamil	Usually
Sundara Satyamurti	T.N.	Tamil	Yes		Engaged with Hindu scriptures, sometimes invoked dharma for moral nationalism
Surendranath Banerjee	W.B.	Bengali	Usually		Brahmo Samaj member
Dr. Sampurnanand	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Yes	Wrote books like Yogadarshan and commentaries on Vedic texts, portrayed Hinduism as the nationalistic force for strengthening India, mentioned Ram Rajya, openly discussed the threats of Muslim disloyalty
Swami Purnanand	H.P.	Mandyali Pahari			A swami
Tanguturi Prakasam (AKA 'Andhra Kesari')	Andhra	Telugu			His public rhetoric frequently invoked dharma and the moral authority of Hindu epics, supported protection of Hindu religious institutions and saw them as part of national heritage
Valangaiman Sankaranarayana Srinivasa Sastri	T.N.	Tamil			Public lectures frequently praised Sanskrit literature and ethical universality of Hindu scriptures, presented Hindu philosophy to Western audiences as one of India’s greatest contributions to world civilization
Vallinayagam Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai (AKA 'Kappalottiya Tamizhan')	T.N.	Tamil	Not strictly		Met Swami Ramakrishnananda (Vivekanand’s brother) in Chennai and was advised by him to serve the nation as a form of dharm (spiritual duty), became a member of the militant Bharatha Matha Sangam, his literature includes the commentaries Thirukural (1917) and Tolkappiam (1928), memorials to him exist in places like Theni district, erected by the Shaiv Vellalar community, his promotion of Tamil literature often intersected with Shaiv devotional texts (Tirumurai, Periya Puranam), was active in organizations like the Shaiva Siddhanta Sangam (Madurai)
Vavilala Gopalakrishnayya (AKA 'Andhra Gandhi')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu	Yes		Spoke of Ram Rajya in the context of democratic accountability, welfare state ideals ("land of dharma and a real of peace"), and political morality (nonviolence to achieve goals)
Vinayak Narahar Bhave (AKA 'Acharya Vinoba')	Gujarat	Marathi	Yes		Bhoodan leader, mentioned Hindu figures like Krishna in philosophical contexts, used slogans like "Jai Jagat" (Victory to the World), his statements emphasized spiritual equality and non-violence, drawing from Hindu texts for universal humanism
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee	W.B.	Bengali	Usually		His maternal lineage traced to the Sanskrit scholar and philosopher Pandit Juggonath Turkopunchanun, linking him to the tradition of Hindu saints, studied at Hindu School at Kolkata, a major institution for blending Western and Sanskrit learning, authored Reform of the Hindu Marriage Laws (1868), which critiqued and proposed changes to Hindu marriage customs to be more ethical
Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar (AKA 'Swami Ramanand Tirtha')	Karnataka	Kannada	Yes		Was an Arya Samaj monk, drew from scriptures like Gita, rallied people against Nizam, became first President of the Hyderabad State Congress in 1947