The Indian Independence Movement, which spanned 190 years, was all started with the First War of Independence in 1857 to end the East India Company rule (1757–1858) in the subcontinent and then against the British Raj, who ruled the country between 1858 and 1947.
Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Veer Savararkar, Sarojini Naidu, Subhash Chandra Bose and 100s of leaders struggled against the British Empire to achieve self rule. Historians say Mahatma Gandhi's nonviolence and civil resistance policy and Subhash Chandra Bose's armed revolution exerted equal pressure on the British rulers to leave India finally on Aug. 15, 1947.
The close-to-200-year struggle would not have ended without the participation of the masses. Many leaders used powerful and inspirational slogans to motivate the people, thereby making them part of the Indian Independence Movement.
As India gets ready to celebrate its 70th year of Independence from the British on Monday, it is time to revisit the famous slogans coined by our leaders to inspire the masses. Below, we bring to you some of the popular slogans:
- 'Vande Mataram (Hail to the Mother(land))': Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
- 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan; Long Live Youth, Long Live Farmer': Lal Bahadur Shastri
- 'Jai Hind': Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
- 'Swaraj Mera Janamsiddha adhikar hai, aur main ise laker rahoonga (Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it)': coined by Kaka Baptista and adopted by Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
- 'Satyameva Jayathe (Truth alone will win)': popularised by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
- 'Inquilab Zindabad (Long Live the Revolution)': coined by Muslim Leader Hasrat Mohani and stands synonymous with Bhagat Singh.
- 'Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna, Ab hamare dil mein hai': a patriotic poem by Bismil Azimabadi and used as slogan by Ramprasad Bismil.
- Tum Mujhe Khoon do, mai tumhe azaadi doonga (You give me blood, and I promise you freedom - Subhash Chandra Bose
