A special place in our history goes to freedom struggle and events in March—a month that witnessed extraordinary courage, supreme sacrifices, and pivotal moments that changed the course of our nation's history. As the spring sun strengthens across the Indian landscape, we commemorate several watershed events that shaped our collective journey to independence. From the supreme sacrifice of revolutionary young freedom fighters to Gandhi's iconic salt march and the horrific prelude to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, March is a month of remembrance that connects today's children with the valour and vision of those who dreamed of a free India. These stories aren't merely historical footnotes but living legacies that continue to inspire generations with their themes of courage, patriotism, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
Summary: March in Indian history commemorates several pivotal events in the freedom struggle. Shaheed Diwas (March 23) honors Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev who were executed in 1931 for their revolutionary activities. The Dandi March began on March 12, 1930, when Gandhi embarked on a 240-mile journey to break the British salt laws. March 13, 1919, saw the arrest of leaders in Amritsar that led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. March 1944 marked the Azad Hind Fauj's advance into Indian territory, while the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny continued into March 1946. These events highlight themes of youth leadership, diverse approaches to freedom, ordinary people taking extraordinary actions, colonial injustice, Indian resilience, and unity across divisions.
सारांश: भारतीय इतिहास में मार्च स्वतंत्रता संग्राम के कई महत्वपूर्ण घटनाओं का स्मरण कराता है। शहीद दिवस (23 मार्च) भगत सिंह, राजगुरु और सुखदेव को श्रद्धांजलि देता है, जिन्हें 1931 में क्रांतिकारी गतिविधियों के लिए फांसी दी गई थी। दांडी मार्च 12 मार्च, 1930 को शुरू हुआ, जब गांधी ने ब्रिटिश नमक कानूनों को तोड़ने के लिए 240 मील की यात्रा शुरू की। 13 मार्च, 1919 को अमृतसर में नेताओं की गिरफ्तारी हुई, जिससे जलियांवाला बाग हत्याकांड हुआ। मार्च 1944 में आजाद हिंद फौज का भारतीय क्षेत्र में प्रवेश हुआ, जबकि रॉयल इंडियन नेवी विद्रोह मार्च 1946 तक जारी रहा। ये घटनाएँ युवा नेतृत्व, स्वतंत्रता के विविध दृष्टिकोण, साधारण लोगों द्वारा असाधारण कार्य, औपनिवेशिक अन्याय, भारतीय लचीलापन और विभाजनों के बीच एकता के विषयों पर प्रकाश डालती हैं।
Shaheed Diwas: The Martyrdom of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev
Every year on March 23, India observes Shaheed Diwas (Martyrs' Day) to honor the supreme sacrifice of three extraordinary young revolutionaries—Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, and Shivaram Rajguru—who were hanged by British authorities in 1931.
Their story begins with the death of veteran freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a police lathi charge during protests against the Simon Commission in 1928. Determined to avenge this death, Bhagat Singh and his companions planned to shoot J.P. Saunders, a British police officer believed to be responsible for the assault on Lala Lajpat Rai.
After successfully carrying out this mission, rather than evading capture and continuing their revolutionary activities from hiding, they made a conscious decision that would transform them from mere revolutionaries to immortal symbols of sacrifice. On April 8, 1929, Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw non-lethal bombs in the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi, not to harm anyone but to "make the deaf hear" about India's demand for independence.
Though they could have escaped, they deliberately stayed at the scene, shouting revolutionary slogans and throwing leaflets explaining their act before being arrested. This deliberate court of public attention was Bhagat Singh's masterstroke—he wanted to use his trial as a platform to expose the injustices of colonial rule.
During their imprisonment, Bhagat Singh and his companions underwent a 116-day hunger strike demanding equal rights for Indian and British political prisoners. The image of the young revolutionary reading books on Marxism and other revolutionary philosophies in his prison cell has become iconic, showcasing his intellectual depth beyond mere armed resistance.
Despite international appeals for clemency, including from prominent British Labour Party members, the three were hanged in secrecy on March 23, 1931, a day before their scheduled execution date. The authorities even broke prison protocol by not giving their bodies to their families, instead cremating them on the banks of the Sutlej River.
When news of their execution spread, the nation plunged into mourning. Across India, people observed hartal (strike), with black flags raised and processions held. Even Gandhi, who disagreed with their violent methods, acknowledged the courage of these young men, writing: "Bhagat Singh and his companions have been executed and have become martyrs. Their death seems to have been a personal loss to many."
For children today, the story of these three young men—Bhagat Singh was just 23 at his execution—offers powerful lessons about courage, intellectual conviction, and willingness to sacrifice for greater ideals. Their final slogan "Inquilab Zindabad" (Long Live the Revolution) continues to echo in India's collective consciousness.
The Dandi March: Gandhi's Salt Satyagraha
On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi embarked on one of history's most symbolic acts of civil disobedience—a 24-day, 240-mile march from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi to break the British salt laws.
The Salt Satyagraha targeted the British monopoly on salt production and the tax imposed on this essential commodity. Gandhi's choice of salt was strategic brilliance—it affected every Indian household regardless of religion, region, or economic status. As he famously declared: "Next to air and water, salt is perhaps the greatest necessity of life."
The march began with 78 carefully chosen satyagrahis (truth-seekers) representing various regions, religions, and castes of India. As they walked through villages, Gandhi addressed gatherings, explaining the significance of their protest and encouraging people to make their own salt in defiance of British laws.
What made this march historically significant was how it transformed abstract political concepts into tangible, everyday resistance. When Gandhi reached Dandi on April 6 and picked up a handful of salt from the seashore, saying, "With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire," he provided a simple, powerful image of defiance that ordinary Indians could replicate.
Following Gandhi's example, coastal communities began making salt; inland, people began trading and transporting salt without paying tax. Women, previously less involved in the freedom movement, participated in large numbers, picketing liquor shops and foreign cloth stores while making salt. The British responded with mass arrests—over 60,000 Indians, including Gandhi, were imprisoned.
The Salt March received unprecedented international media coverage, with newspapers worldwide carrying images of the 61-year-old Gandhi walking with his bamboo staff. American journalist Webb Miller's reports of the brutal suppression of peaceful protesters at Dharasana Salt Works (following the Dandi March) helped shift international opinion against British colonial policies.
For today's children, the Salt March offers lessons about how symbolic actions can inspire mass movements, how nonviolent resistance can be more powerful than armed struggle, and how everyday items can become powerful symbols of freedom when imbued with moral purpose.
Jallianwala Bagh Prelude: The Arrests That Sparked a Tragedy
March 13, 1919, marked a critical turning point in India's freedom struggle when British authorities arrested Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal, two prominent leaders who had been organizing peaceful protests against the repressive Rowlatt Acts in Punjab.
These acts, officially called the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, allowed the British government to imprison people without trial and restrict civil liberties. When news of the arrests spread through Amritsar, citizens gathered to demand their release and to celebrate Baisakhi, the harvest festival.
Unaware of a ban on public gatherings, thousands assembled at Jallianwala Bagh, a walled garden with few exits, on April 13. What followed was one of the darkest chapters in colonial history—General Dyer ordered his troops to fire on the unarmed crowd without warning, continuing until their ammunition was nearly exhausted. Official British records acknowledged 379 dead, though Indian estimates place the number over 1,000, with thousands more wounded.
The March arrests set in motion this tragic chain of events, transforming Punjab's political atmosphere from protest to outrage. The massacre became a turning point in India's freedom struggle, shattering any remaining faith in British justice and accelerating the independence movement.
For children learning about this history, the events beginning in March 1919 offer sobering lessons about the fragility of civil rights, the dangers of unchecked authority, and how peaceful assembly—a fundamental democratic right—was violently suppressed under colonial rule.
The Azad Hind Government in Exile
A lesser-known but significant March event occurred on March 21, 1944, when Subhas Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj (Indian National Army) crossed the Indian border and hoisted the tricolor flag on Indian soil at Moirang, Manipur. Though this event technically falls in the broader context of the Azad Hind Government's activities rather than its founding (which occurred in October 1943), March marks important military advances of this revolutionary force.
Bose, who had escaped from British surveillance in India and made his way to Germany and then Japan, formed the Azad Hind Government in exile with the support of Indian prisoners of war and expatriates in Southeast Asia. His famous call "Give me blood, and I shall give you freedom" inspired thousands to join his army.
The INA's advance into Indian territory, even though eventually defeated by Allied forces, had profound psychological impact. It demonstrated that Indian soldiers were willing to fight against the British rather than for them, challenging the colonial narrative about Indian loyalty to the Empire.
When British authorities later tried INA officers at the Red Fort in Delhi, public outrage was so intense that the trials became untenable. Naval ratings in Bombay mutinied in February 1946, partly inspired by the INA's example, convincing British leaders that they could no longer rely on Indian armed forces to maintain colonial rule.
For children today, the story of the Azad Hind Fauj offers an alternative narrative of India's freedom struggle—showing that alongside Gandhi's nonviolent resistance, there were also those who believed in armed liberation, highlighting the diversity of approaches in the independence movement.
The Royal Indian Navy Mutiny
Though beginning in February, the Royal Indian Navy Mutiny continued into early March 1946, marking one of the most significant but often overlooked challenges to British authority in India. What began as a protest by naval ratings (sailors) on HMIS Talwar over poor food and racial discrimination quickly spread to 78 ships and 20 shore establishments, involving 20,000 sailors.
The mutineers hoisted three flags on their ships—the Congress flag, the Muslim League flag, and the Red flag—symbolizing unity across political and religious lines. They took control of naval vessels and installations, replaced British officers with Indian ones, and in some cases even directed the ships' guns toward British positions.
The most remarkable aspect was the civilian support for the mutineers. In Bombay (now Mumbai), workers went on strikes, and people took to the streets, erecting barricades and fighting pitched battles with police and military. For a brief period, the British lost control of parts of Bombay, with over 200 civilians killed in police firing.
Though both Gandhi and Muhammad Ali Jinnah disapproved of the uprising, urging the ratings to surrender, the mutiny sent shockwaves through the British establishment. British Prime Minister Clement Attlee later acknowledged that the mutiny was a crucial factor in the decision to grant India independence, realizing that Britain could no longer rely on Indian forces to maintain colonial rule.
The Formation of the Azad Hind Government's Women's Regiment
In March 1943, months before the formal establishment of the Azad Hind Government, Subhas Chandra Bose took a revolutionary step by forming the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, one of the world's first all-female combat units. Captain Lakshmi Swaminathan (later Lakshmi Sahgal) was appointed its commander.
Initially comprising about 500 women of Indian origin from Malaya and Singapore, many from plantation worker families, the regiment challenged both colonial rule and gender norms simultaneously. These women underwent rigorous military training including weapons handling, hand-to-hand combat, and jungle warfare tactics.
A remarkable aspect was how the regiment transcended religious and caste divisions. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian women trained together, ate together, and prepared to fight together—embodying Bose's vision of a united India. For many women, joining the regiment was their first experience of life outside traditional family structures.
Though they saw limited direct combat, with most action occurring during the Japanese retreat from Burma, their very existence challenged British propaganda about "protecting" Indian women and demonstrated that women could serve military roles beyond nursing and support functions.
For today's children, the March 1943 formation of this regiment offers a powerful example of women's contributions to the freedom struggle beyond the spinning wheel and protest marches—showing that Indian women were willing to take up arms for independence and challenge gender restrictions of their era.
The Mahad Satyagraha: Dr. Ambedkar's Fight for Water Rights
On March 20, 1927—coincidentally the same day as the Delhi Proposals—another significant but often overlooked event took place in Maharashtra. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar led thousands of Dalits to drink water from the public Chavadar Tank in Mahad, challenging untouchability practices that prohibited lower castes from using water sources accessed by upper castes.
This act of defiance came after the Bombay Legislative Council had passed a resolution in 1926 allowing all castes to use public water sources, but the resolution remained unimplemented due to upper-caste resistance. When Ambedkar and his followers drank from the tank, upper-caste residents claimed the water had been "polluted" and performed purification ceremonies.
In response, Ambedkar organized a second satyagraha in December 1927, where copies of the Manusmriti (an ancient legal text that codified the caste system) were publicly burned, symbolically rejecting the religious justification for caste discrimination.
The Mahad Satyagraha is significant not just as a social justice milestone but as an expansion of the freedom movement's scope. While mainstream nationalist leaders focused primarily on political independence from Britain, Ambedkar insisted that true freedom required social revolution within Indian society itself.
Discover these hidden chapters of Indian history with your children! Listen to the Baalgatha Podcast for engaging stories about these lesser-known March events that shaped our nation! Visit baalgatha.com today to explore the full tapestry of India's rich historical heritage through age-appropriate storytelling.
Conclusion
March in Indian history stands as a month of remembrance, resistance, and renewal. As spring brings new life to the natural world, these historical events continue to breathe new meaning into our understanding of freedom and sacrifice. By sharing these stories with children, we help them appreciate that the India they inherit was shaped by countless acts of courage—from the dramatic sacrifice of young revolutionaries to the simple act of picking up salt from a seashore.
These March heroes, whether they wielded weapons like Bhagat Singh, bamboo staffs like Gandhi, or simply their collective voice like the naval ratings, demonstrate that freedom comes through vigilance, sacrifice, and the courage to stand against injustice—lessons that remain as relevant today as they were during the struggle for independence.
Want to help your children connect with India's rich freedom struggle? Listen to the Baalgatha Podcast for engaging stories about our national heroes and the pivotal March events that shaped our nation! Visit baalgatha.com today to discover age-appropriate narratives that bring history to life and inspire young patriots.
Suggested Images:
Image 1: The Three Martyrs A respectful illustration showing portraits of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, and Sukhdev side by side, perhaps with the date March 23, 1931, and elements that represent their sacrifice and courage. The image should be dignified rather than graphic, suitable for children while honoring these young revolutionaries.