Every year, Father’s Day invites us to honor the guiding lights of our lives — the men who taught us to walk, to speak, and to stand tall. But beyond the personal, this day can also be an opportunity to remember another kind of father: those Indian freedom fighters who fathered a free India, sacrificing their personal comforts, and often, their families, to fight for a future where their children could breathe the air of independence.
This Father’s Day, let’s step beyond cards and cakes. Let’s remember these unsung Indian patriots who not only raised families but helped raise a nation.
1. Achyut Patwardhan – The Revolutionary Who Balanced Family and Freedom
Achyut Patwardhan gave up his academic career to join India’s freedom struggle. A founder of the Congress Socialist Party and participant in the Quit India Movement, he lived a life of secrecy and danger. Though often separated from his family, he stayed emotionally connected and returned to a quiet life post-independence — continuing to guide others through teaching.
Why remember him this Father’s Day?
Because he reminds us that even amidst turmoil, fatherhood is not abandoned — it evolves, strengthens, and returns.
2. Syed Mujibur Rahman – The Quiet Scholar and Patriot from Bihar
Born in 1907, Syed Mujibur Rahman hailed from a family with a legacy of resistance dating back to 1857. Educated at Aligarh Muslim University, he left behind a path of comfort to involve himself in local resistance movements. He raised his family with the values of education, discipline, and quiet service — never seeking recognition, yet always embodying strength.
Why remember him this Father’s Day?
Because he shows us that true fathers pass down not just names, but principles that shape future generations.
3. Peer Ali Khan – A Father Who Paid With His Life for the First Spark of Freedom
One of the earliest revolutionaries of the 1857 revolt, Peer Ali Khan was a bookbinder in Patna who distributed pamphlets and incited rebellion against the British. A father to 11 children, he was hanged on July 7, 1857. He died with the courage of a man who knew he was fighting not just for his own children, but for the generations yet to be born.
Why remember him this Father’s Day?
Because he teaches us that fatherhood can extend beyond the home — to father a revolution that nourishes an entire nation.
4. Muralidhar Bismil – A Father Who Raised a Martyr
Ram Prasad Bismil, one of the great revolutionaries of India’s freedom struggle, inherited his fierce nationalism from his father, Muralidhar. When Ram Prasad was executed at 30, his father did not waver. Instead, he stood tall in his grief and said he was proud that his son had given his life for Bharat Mata.
Why remember him this Father’s Day?
Because he represents the grieving fathers whose pride overcame pain, for the sake of a nation's future.
5. Trilochan Hazra – The Silent Supporter Behind Bengal’s ‘Gandhi Buri’
Matangini Hazra became a symbol of defiance during India’s freedom movement, even sacrificing her life in a protest march. But little is said about her husband, Trilochan Hazra, who supported her decisions in a time when women were rarely allowed outside their homes. His quiet encouragement enabled her legacy — and their family’s place in history.
Why remember him this Father’s Day?
Because behind every fearless mother of the movement, there often stood a father who believed in her strength.
This Father’s Day, Honour All Fathers — Known and Unknown
These forgotten fathers weren’t celebrated with garlands or statues. But their stories live on in the heartbeat of the nation they helped shape. They balanced personal love with patriotic duty, making profound sacrifices for Indian independence, choosing the collective future over individual comfort. As we hug our fathers or remember their teachings this Father’s Day, let us also salute those whose fatherhood extended far beyond their homes — into the very soul of India’s freedom.
This year, let’s honour the fathers who didn’t just raise children — they raised a nation.
