Tiruppur Kumaran 4.10.2004

Kumaran also known as Tiruppur Kumaran (4 October 1904 - 1 November 1932) was an Indian revolutionary who participated in the Indian independence movement.

Kumaran was born in Chennimalai in Madras Presidency, British India (current Erode district in Tamil Nadu). He founded Desa Bandhu Youth Association and led protests against the British. He died from injuries sustained from a police assault on the banks of Noyyal River in Tiruppur during a protest march against the British government on January 11, 1932. At the time of his death, he was holding the flag of the Indian Nationalists, which had been banned by the British giving rise to the epithet Kodi Kaththa Kumaran (Kumaran who held the flag).

Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu 6.4.2002

Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu were the leader of the Santhal rebellion (1855–1856), the native rebellion in present-day Jharkhand in eastern India against both the British colonial authority and the corrupt upper caste zamindari system.

On 30 June 1855, two Santhal rebel leaders, brothers Sidhu Murmu and Kanhu Murmu along with Chand and Bairab, mobilized about 10,000 Santhals and declared a rebellion against British colonists. The Santhals initially gained some success but soon the British found out a new way to tackle these rebels. Instead, they forced them to come out of the forest. In a conclusive battle which followed, the British, equipped with modern firearms and war elephants, stationed themselves at the foot of the hill. When the battle began, the British officer ordered his troops to fire without loading bullets. The Santals, who did not suspect this trap set by the British war strategy, charged with full potential. This step proved to be disastrous for them. As soon as they neared the foot of the hill, the British army attacked with full power and this time they were using bullets. Thereafter, attacking every village of the Santhals, they made sure that the last drop of revolutionary spirit was annihilated. Although the revolution was brutally suppressed, it marked a great change in the colonial rule and policy. The day is still celebrated among the Santhal community with great respect and spirit for the thousands of the Santhal martyrs who sacrificed their lives along with their two celebrated leaders to win independence from the rule of the Jamindars and the British operatives.  

Sido Kanhu Murmu University is named upon them.

India's Struggle for Freedom; Some Great Revolutionaries29.1.2001

Jubba Sahni (1906–1944) was a freedom-fighter and revolutionary. He was born in a poor family in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India. A children's park in Muzaffarpur was named Jubba Sahni Park as a tribute to him.

Yogendra Shukla (1896-1966) as well as his nephew Baikunth Shukla (1907-1934) hailed from village Jalalpur in Muzaffarpur (now Vaishali), district of Bihar and were torch bearers of the revolutionary spirit of freedom struggle. Young Yogendra made his greatest contribution to the cause of Indian freedom between 1930 and 1942, as one of the leaders of the revolutionary movement in Bihar and U.P. becoming “Almost a legendary figure for his many exploits”. He was a close associate of Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Datta. He had to serve prison terms for a total of more than sixteen and a half years for his revolutionary activities. During imprisonment in different jails of India, he was subjected to extreme torture, which corroded his iron constitution.
Baikunth Shukla was also initiated into the freedom struggle at a young age taking active part in the ‘Salt Satyagraha’ of 1930. He was associated with revolutionary organisations like the Hindustan Seva Dal and Hindustan Socialist Republican Association. The execution of the great Indian revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh,Rajguru and Sukhdev in 1931 as a result of their trial in the ‘Lahore conspiracy case’ was an event that shook the entire country. Phanindra Nath Ghosh hitherto a key member of the Revolutionary Party had treacherously betrayed the cause by turning an approved, giving evidence, which led to the execution. Baikunth was commissioned to plan the execution of Ghosh as an act of ideological vendetta which he carried out successfully on 9th November 1932. He was arrested and tried for the killing. Baikunth was convicted and hanged in Gaya Central Jail on May 14th, 1934. He was only 28 years old.

The First Day Cover portrays a famous sculpture at Patna, "Quit India Movement", by Debi Prasad Roy Choudhary, which captures the Etos of India's Epic Struggle for Freedom.