As we all celebrate another Independence Day this August 15th, let’s take a look back at some of the relatively unsung heroes of our freedom struggle. Here are ten such Amar Chitra Kathas that trace our nation’s fight for freedom from a different perspective.  

Celebrated for her indomitable courage, Chenamma, the queen of Kittur, was a warrior who valiantly fought against the British East India Company. In the first round of battle against the British, the Rani of Kittur put up such a tough fight that the British faced a tremendous defeat, with many of their soldiers being captured as hostages. In order to get their hostages freed, they agreed to all the terms put forth by Chenamma. However, the British saw their defeat as abject humiliation, especially the fact that their opponent was a woman, that too from a small village. They did all they could to subjugate the Kittur queen, including bribing two of her soldiers, eventually launching a surprise attack to regain their lost power. 

Written by Rajalakshmi Raghavan and illustrated by H.S. Chavan and Dilip Kadam, this Amar Chitra Katha title beautifully weaves through the story of Chenamma

During the reign of Maharaja Balarama Varma, his appointed Diwan was a money-grubbing sort who placed unfair taxes on the people and harassed them. However, his power was such that even the young king could do nothing but watch on helplessly. It was against this setting that the fierce rebel, Velu Thampi, took charge of the situation, overthrowing the corrupt Diwan. Pleased with his action, the king appointed Velu as the new Diwan of Travancore (now a part of Kerala). While the people of the kingdom were duly pleased by this decision, major trouble was yet to come from the British East India Company, who came to rue the day they made Velu an enemy.   

Read the tale of his bravery through the words of Radha M. Nair in the Amar Chitra Katha title ‘Velu Thampi’. The action-packed illustrations by artist M. Mohandas are bound to leave you amazed. 

At the ripe age of 75, with the resolve to liberate his country, Kunwar Singh led an army against the British troops in the First War of Indian Independence. This rebel travelled everywhere including Sasaram, Rewa, Ramgarh, and Atraulia inspiring a nationwide awakening, but the British could never get hold of him. The septuagenarian changed his war tactics after every other battle. The legends around Kunwar Singh were the stuff movies are made of. Once, when his troops were caught by a surprise attack from the British, a shot hit his left wrist. Realising that the bullet was only spreading infection in his body, he chopped his hand off and threw it in the river! 

Illustrated by veteran artist Souren Roy and written by Rajendra Sanjay and Subba Rao, this Amar Chitra Katha title is a must-read for Independence Day. 

Chinnaswami Subramania Bharathi was an activist who fought with the mightiest weapon, the pen. His writings were an inspiration to millions and a fierce message to the British rulers. People from all sections of Tamil Nadu sang his songs during mass gatherings. His vision was one India and his mission was to unite the people to share this vision. Subramania rightly earned the title of Bharathi for his well-revered patriotic compositions. 

Co-authored by Kalvi Gopalakrishnan and Luis Fernandes, this Amar Chitra Katha book retells the courageous life of the iconic writer. The fantastic artwork by Dilip Kadam truly brings the characters to life. 

A revolutionary leader against the British Raj, Rash Behari Bose gave 40 years of his life to the Indian freedom struggle. Wanted by the British police, his life was one of escapades and adventure. He was a key organizer of the Ghadar Mutiny and the Indian National Army, which......