[GHHF] Bala Samskar Kendras – Students learned about Neera Arya, the only Lady Spy, how she was cruelly treated in Andaman for refusing to reveal the whereabouts of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
“The jailer was angry and said that if you have Netaji in your heart, he will take him out of your heart and take her captive. The worker brought iron weapons and started cutting her bosom…. While the blood was spewing out, and fainted and they were laughing like a monster...” (This incident took place in Kalapani Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.)
Brave Lady “Nira Arya” was an instructor in the Jhansi Lakshmibai Women’s Regiment of Azad Hind Fauz and was imprisoned in the Andaman Kalapani jail by the British. This brave lady realized that her own husband joined the English regime and became a traitor and killed many warriors, decided not to stay on earth anymore and to saved Netaji and many patriots, by stabbing him. She breathed her last in Osmania Hospital in the last stage of anonymity in our Falak Numa area of Hyderabad.
You have never heard about her, because she is not mentioned in textbooks, not in any movie. She was a brave woman whose breasts were cut off because she did not reveal where abouts of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
Her name is Neera Arya…
The first spy in the history of India, "Neera Arya" was born on March 5, 1902, in the city of 'Khekada' in the present state of Uttar Pradesh, "Bhagpat District", who held key positions in the Jhansi Lakshmibai Regiment, the women's wing of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauz. Father “Shet Chaj Mal” was already a well-known businessman in the country and Neera migrated to Calcutta, her father's business center, when she was five. Neerarya's education was completed in Calcutta, and she had a good command of several languages as she traveled with her father for business purposes. It was observed that her daughter was early on in studies, sports, patriotically independent and harboring thoughts of ousting the British.
Her father got her married to Srikanth Joyaranjan Das, a former CID Police Inspector in British India, when she was of age. Although her husband was working for the British and she was working for the country led by Netaji, they continued to live together for a long time while trying to change him and make him a patriot even though they had conflicting feelings. If the British government could trace Netaji's movements, Neerarya's husband would be immediately assigned to kill him. On one occasion Neerarya's husband shot Netaji with a gun, missing the target and injuring the driver, in the process Joyaranjan Das died. On the spot she stabbed her husband with the knife she was carrying to save Netaji.
After that, Neera Arya carried out independence activities under the alias Nagini. Neerarya’s younger brother Basant Kumar also worked in Azad Hind Fauz. The Jhansi Lakshmibai Regiment formed for women was trained by women soldiers under Captain Vijayalakshmi. New soldiers were recruited. Subhash Chandra Bose, who was sworn in as the Prime Minister of India and was running the Government-in-Exile, assembled soldiers in the center of Singapore and left for India to drive out the British. He gave the historic 'Chalo Delhi' slogan and took over North-East India while all the people were welcoming him. The weather was not favorable, and the army was scattered due to rains, floods, and storms. On the other hand, Netaji, who went abroad for help, disappeared. Later, Azad Hindu Fauju's army surrendered. All Azad Hind Fauz soldiers were interrogated in the Red Fort and given various punishments, but Neera Arya was imprisoned and sentenced to Andaman "Kalapani" prison. She was subjected to many cruel physical and mental tortures on a daily basis in jail. After he came out of jail she shared with local Urdu poet “Farhana Taj” the incidents of her life especially during her jail life and she incorporated them in her writings.
According to her.
While in Andaman Kalapani Jail, one day a jail employee came and took her along. Taking the jailer into the next room, he brought out a large hammer and another device for removing the chains. He who started by removing the iron shackles is also cutting her skin. “I can't stand the pain, on the other hand, I feel relieved that the shackles are being removed, but I can't stand the pain of cutting my hand...”
While this was going on, she was removing the shackles from my legs and saw that he was beating my toes with an iron hammer until blood came out. Whatever they do, I have to bear it, but I could not kill my pride and protested. Such words against women are not good. I said that only fools do such things. Still unable to do anything, I spat on him. With this, he started shouting. Hearing these shouts, the jailer reached there.
Why are you in so much pain? He said that they will leave you and seek refuge with British Queen Elizabeth. I bluntly told them that I would not take shelter of the marauders who were occupying and plundering other countries except Jagajjanani Kalika Matana, which only made them angrier. Blood oozing from leg on one side, blood oozing from hand on the other... I am writhing in pain.
Meanwhile, the jailer said that if you tell us where Netaji is, we will let you go..., I reminded him that the announcement had already been made that Netaji had died in the plane crash. I said that I in jail know as much as you know about Subhash Babu, who died in a plane crash. But he said with a louder voice, Subhash Chandra Bose is somewhere, you know it, tell me where he is. I listened to his screams silently for a while. Finally, I said, "Hmm.., Netaji is there. Netaji is there. Netaji is in my heart. Netaji is in my heart." I replied. After hearing that answer, the jailer got angry and said that if you have Netaji in your heart, he will tear her out of your heart and take her captive. The worker brought an iron tongs like device and pulled the saree from above my body, removed the jacket and started cutting my right breast to remove it from the weapon on the chest with an iron device. Tell me where you are while your body is shaking with bloodied body, your teacher keeps shouting Netaji you believe in God, my brain is going numb and then I don't know when I woke up.
She never told anything about Netaji to the British even after enduring such cruel tortures. A biography of Neera, written by Tej Pal Singh Dama, a literary figure from Bhagpat district, where Neera Arya was born, published a book titled “First Lady's Spy”. It is said that after the independence of India, he reached Hyderabad to convey the information to the Union of India after hearing the hardships of the people of Hyderabad State, which was not integrated into the Union of India, and lived a simple life in huts in various places.
This self-respecting patriot who lived in a hut in the Palak Numa area of Hyderabad and made a living by selling flowers by the roadside. It was strange that the flowery old mother would sometimes bring some things for studying or playing to the students studying in the surrounding schools, with the belief "that this country should be known for good education". He used to keep saying.
Born in a wealthy family, she studied higher and achieved independence in all fields, even though she was a trainer in Azad Hind Fauz, at the end of her life, she did not want any cooperation from the government or anyone else. She sacrificed her husband for freedom, left all her wealth, did not feel ashamed to do these things in front of her relatives and jumped in the freedom struggle along with her brother, did not think of herself, for her children, for her home. She sacrificed everything and was willing to do whatever it took to strengthen the foundation stone of India's glory. On one occasion, the then Andhra Pradesh and Hyderabad Municipality demolished the hut that she had built on government land.
Finally on 26th July 1998, at the age of 96, she died as a poor, helpless, destitute, sick old woman in the Osmania Hospital near Charminar. After learning about her death, a local journalist conducted the last rites with the help of his friends. What can we do to the venerable “Neera Arya”…, except to remember Amma with tears and to pay our respects with folded hands.
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