Unknown Freedom Fighters
We all know Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Louise Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, Dalai Lama and countless others. These freedom fighters are the ones that we know of, but don’t we all ask ourselves the question: Did they do it all alone ? Whether it is independence or equality, nameless fighters fought for their country, or anything they believed in. We can’t name all unknown freedom fighters in one article, but here are some fighters who helped their community or country in their fight for freedom, whether it was fighting in the front with a gun, or teaching how to read and write to prisoners with a pen. Freedom has no size, no shape, no language, no definitive anything. Freedom is free within itself.
Begum Hazrat Mahal
Begum Hazrat Mahal was born in 1820 in Faizabad, India. She married the King of Awadh and got her name as ‘’Hazrat Mahal’’ when she gave birth to a son. The start of 19th century was a heated time in terms of the British invasion of India, as the oppression grew each and every day and signs of rebellions were seen all over the country. Finally, in 1857, The First War of Independence broke and went on for a year, until 1858. During the first year of the war, British forces invaded Begum Hazrat Mahal’s city, Awadh (can be spelled as Oudh in different dialects) and her husband, the King of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah was exiled to Calcutta. She knew she had to take action for her state’s and country’s independence, so she declared herself the ruler of Awadh and all of East India. With the help of her supporters, Begum Hazrat Mahal rebelled against the British invasion in East India and eventually took control over the city of Lucknow, which is the capital of the Indian Uttar Pradesh. Her talents of public speaking and leadership helped her gain as much supporters as she did, which made her win the war against the British forces in East India. Begum Hazrat Mahal retreated to Nepal after Lucknow was recaptured by the British and died there, yet her name is still unknown by the world.
Sedick Isaacs
Sedick Isaacs was born in 1939 in Cape Town, South Africa. He began his activity in politics when he was 13, by distributing pamphlets and continued by trying to build explosives with his friends in college. He was already being monitored by the police since he was active in politics, and when it was discovered that he had been developing explosives, he was sent to Robben Island Prison, sentenced to 12 years. His story of freedom began in prison, when he started teaching his inmates mathematics, physics and how to read and write each and every day of the 12 years he spent in prison. Even if he couldn’t free himself physically after 5 attempts, he tried to free individuals with teaching them science to grant them a piece from his freedom. Sedick Isaacs’ name remains unknown in the shadows of significant fighters like Nelson Mandela, but he still needs to be acknowledged for using knowledge as a tool of freedom, ironically in a prison.
Simone Segouin
Simone Segouin was born in 1925 in Thivars, France, and she was a resistance fighter against the Germans in World War II. Her act of resistance started when she stole a bike from a German military officer, and used that bike to carry messages between French fronts. Her fight for freedom was a fight for independence, as she joined the French Partisans and took a highly active part in the war such as blowing bridges, capturing German soldiers and derailing trains. Her most significant act was when she took part in the liberation of Chartres and the liberation of Paris by capturing and disabling 25 German troops with shorts and a shirt, which was her signature outfit throughout the resistance. She was later on declared as lieutenant, but her name remains unknown in the ashes of World War II next to many other heroes.
Eylül Göktaş