History's outliers
THE WEEK India|December 11, 2022
P. Sainath's new book shines light on the forgotten heroes of the freedom struggle
MANDIRA NAYAR
History's outliers

The Last Heroes: Foot Soldiers of Indian Freedom

By P. Sainath Published by Penguin Random House

Pages 272; Price ₹499

Hausabai Patil set fire to dak bungalows, looted trains and once, in a covert operation, freed her comrade from the clutches of the Portuguese. Part of the Toofan Sena—the armed wing of the provisional government of 600 villages in Satara that overthrew the British government in 1943—she spied on police officers, acted as a decoy and swam across the Mandovi river for a mission. Yet, history has made no space for her. Till now.

This story is from the December 11, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.

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This story is from the December 11, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.

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