The Martyr

 In India, the Martyr's Day is celebrated twice so to say, on January 30, and on March 23. Both these days commemorate a death. If January 30 of Gandhiji, March 23 is a tribute to the memory of Shahid Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who were hanged on this day by the British. 

All the four of them contributed hugely towards the Independence of India. Their lives are shining examples of great sacrifice in the service of our nation. Literally each page in the book of their lives is inspiring . Great martyrs indeed!

Who is, or can be considered, a martyr? Well, my submission in this blog is that martyrs share certain qualities. I do believe that, whether or not fabulously famous, they lead lives that make them great. I would like to hence maintain that a martyr is not made merely by his/her death. Rather, a martyr is memorable because of his/her ideals, and how he/she lived to protect these. 

Let us prove these statements of mine through an example. Let us think of women leaders of/during the Freedom Movement. I am sure that, of these, very would have heard of Usha Mehta. Actually, her contribution is stellar. She used a nascent technology.Most importantly, her selfless service was at a most critical juncture.

It was during the Quit India Movement that she contributed her mite. Her argument was that the movement would throb with life if the participants in it would be in the know of things. Hence instead of joining the lakhs who chose to get unprisoned, she decided to run a surreptitious radio station which gave the entire nation news of all the events, and from the Indian, non-British perspective.

Setting up such a secret underground radio station those days was not easy. Running it continuously and faultlessly was still much more difficult. With a clutch of a few like-minded co-workers, she managed most efficiently  and effectively both these impossibilities. She was hardly twenty-two then. She would constantly shift the transmission center so that the British would not be able to t(r)ap it. Her efforts at thus spreading the local, the native version of events energised the Freedom Movement immensely.

As is usual, an insider tip helped the British locate her powerful (trans)mission.'Radio Ben' was thus incarcerated. She willingly accepted the 'punishment'. Even after the nation became independent, never ever did she lust after glory. A great martyr she is in my opinion because she was idealistic, she was  committed, and most importantly, for her, the cause was far more significant than mere personal glory!

Pratima@ It is the cause, not the death, that makes a martyr, they say.