Bharat Patil

Sharmila Joshi

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They fought for India’s freedom. And more than
70 years after Independence, they’re still fighting – this time for justice for
the country’s farmers and agricultural labourers.

<a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/the-unsung-heroism-of-hausabai">Hausabai Patil</a>, now 91, was a member of the Toofan Sena (typhoon or whirlwind army), the armed wing of the prati sarkar (provisional underground government) of the then Satara region of Maharashtra, which declared independence from the British in 1943. Between 1943 and 1946, she was with teams of revolutionaries that attacked British trains, imperial treasuries and post offices.The Toofan Sena’s ‘field marshal’ was Ramchandra Sripati Lad, popularly called, <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/captain-elder-brother-and-the-whirlwind-army">Captain Bhau</a> (bhau in Marathi means elder brother). On June 7, 1943, Lad had led a memorable attack on the Pune-Miraj train carrying the salaries of officials of the British Raj.

When we met him in September 2016, Lad, then 94, wanted us to know that “the money did not go in to any individual’s pocket but to the prati sarkar. We gave that money to the needy and poor.”In the run-up to the Kisan Mukti March in Delhi on November 29-30, 2018, Captain Bhau and Hausabai extended their support to the farmers and labourers demanding a  21-day session of Parliament dedicated to the agrarian crisis.In these videos, Captain Bhau reminds us of how shameful it is that farmers are committing suicide, and Hausabai insists that the government gives farmers better prices for their crops, and wakes up and works for the poor.

Freedom fighters speak up for farmers

स्वतंत्रता सेनानी मन बुलंद करिन किसान मन के लड़ई मं अपन अवाज

ರೈತರಿಗಾಗಿ ದನಿಯೆತ್ತಿದ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ಹೋರಾಟಗಾರರು

రైతులకై గళమెత్తిన స్వాతంత్య్ర యోధులు

स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों ने किसानों के संघर्ष में शामिल की अपनी आवाज़

ખેડૂતો માટે અવાજ ઉઠાવતા સ્વાતંત્ર્ય સેનાનીઓ

കർഷകർക്കുവേണ്ടി സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യസമരസേനാനികൾ ശബ്ദമുയർത്തുന്നു

ਅਜ਼ਾਦੀ ਘੁਲਾਟੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਕਿਸਾਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਕ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੁਲੰਦ ਕੀਤੀ ਅਵਾਜ਼

কৃষকৰ হকে মুখৰ মুক্তিযুঁজাৰু

مجاہدین آزادی نے کسانوں کے حق میں آواز بلند کی

சுதந்திர போராட்ட வீரர்கள் விவசாயிகளுக்காக பேசுகிறார்கள்

ଚାଷୀଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ ସ୍ୱାଧୀନତା ସଂଗ୍ରାମୀଙ୍କ ସ୍ୱର

स्वातंत्र्य सैनिकांचा शेतकऱ्यांना पाठिंबा

স্বাধীনতা সংগ্রামীরা কৃষকদের স্বপক্ষে মুখ খুললেন

Sangli

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Freedom fighters speak up for farmers

Hausabai Patil and Ramchandra Sripati Lad – freedom fighters in their 90s from Sangli district, Maharashtra – support the farmers’ demand for a 21-day session of Parliament on the agrarian crisis. Watch these videos

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