AMRIT FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENCE "A Tribute to Heroes of Indian Freedom Struggle" Sufi Amba Prasad was one of our nation’s greatest freedom fighters. But he has remained forgotten even during the year of his death centenary. Due to Amrit Mahotsav we get the pleasure to know him. While most of his life was devoted to the freedom struggle of India, Prasad was also a great journalist. https://bdslearningapp.blogspot.com/2021/08/amrit-festival-of-independence-tribute.html

1. India's Forgotten Freedom Fighter
Amrit Lal “Sufi Amba Prasad”
Sufi Amba Prasad was one of our nation’s greatest freedom fighters. But he
has remained forgotten even during the year of his death centenary. Due to
Amrit Mahotsav we get the pleasure to know him. While most of his life was
devoted to the freedom struggle of India, Prasad was also a great journalist
and writer. Sufi Amba Prasad was born on 21 January 1858 in Moradabad,
Uttar Pradesh. One of his hands was missing from his birth. Having
completed his school, college and law education in Moradabad, Bareilly and
Jalandhar, at a young age Prasad decided to serve his country through his
writings in Urdu. Prasad was also a great journalist and writer. Prasad was one
of the heroes of the freedom struggle much admired by Bhagat Singh. In fact,
Prasad was a frequent visitor to his family home and worked in very close
collaboration with an uncle of Bhagat’s, name Sardar Ajit Singh. When he

2. grew up, he used to jokingly tell his friends, “I must have lost a hand before
dying while fighting in the 1857 war of independence. So when I was born
again next year, one hand remained missing.”
In the year 1890, you did the work of detective work for the magazine Amrit
Bazar Patrika being published at that time by working without pay as a
sweeper and cook in Bhopal's Registered House. The articles published in the
magazine were on the basis of secret information given by Amritlal. It used
to work to awaken the freedom struggle in a society. He joined a larger
newspaper to earn a livelihood but could last there only for a short time
because of the constraints placed on his writings.
In 1909, Prasad started a newspaper called Peshwa, which led to
increased surveillance of his work and activities. When another arrest
appeared imminent, he escaped to Iran with Ajit to continue working for
the freedom movement while in exile.
At 39, Prasad was arrested for his ‘seditious’ writings. Released in 1899
after serving a two-year prison sentence, he immediately plunged into
exposing the injustices of colonial rule. The empire struck back in a more
cruel way this time, sentencing him to six years imprisonment and
confiscating of his properties. He was subjected to many cruelties in
prison.
He was denied medicine for his illness and frequently taunted by the
jailor who would say, “Sufi, you still alive?”He was given the death
sentence but died in jail. A large crowd gathered at his last rites in Iran.
He had gained widespread respect in the country. A memorial, erected in
his honour, is still visited by several people.