‘Arundhuti Roy Club’ of Epic Public School shares the untold story of Neera Arya, the first female spy of the Azad Hind Fauj. Her courageous fight for India’s freedom, unthinkable sacrifices, and tragic end have been forgotten by history. It’s time to remember and honour her legacy.
It was an ordinary morning. As I scrolled through my phone, sipping coffee, an article about an unsung hero caught my eye. Out of curiosity, I clicked on it, but fate had other plans—the network went slow. Yet, the headline stayed with me. “Who was this woman?” I wondered, unable to shake off the thought. The mystery lingered, occupying my mind for hours. Then, as if by some unseen force, the internet kicked back to life. The woman in question was none other than Neera Arya, the first female spy of the Azad Hind Fauj, whose remarkable and tragic life had been hidden in the shadows of history.
Before I could dive into the article, something strange happened. A figure stood in front of me—a woman, her presence both commanding and melancholic. “What’s your name?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I am Neera Arya,” she replied.
Startled, I asked, “What happened to you? How did you die?”
“Do you really want to know?” she said. “Let me take you there.”
Suddenly, I was transported to a place that seemed distant yet familiar. A milestone read Bhagpat, Khekra, Uttar Pradesh. As we walked, Neera began to recount her story. She had once been married to Srikant Jai Ranjan Das, a British Army officer and CID inspector. Her father, Seth Chajjumalji, had arranged the match. But Neera’s loyalty was never to the British—it was to her country, to the dream of a free India, and to the leader who embodied that dream, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
When Srikant learned of Neera’s involvement in the Azad Hind Fauj, he became suspicious and began questioning her about Bose. Fearing that her husband would betray Netaji, Neera followed him as he tracked her to a meeting with Bose. In a moment of desperate courage, Neera stabbed her husband, preventing him from assassinating Bose. Tragically, Srikant’s bullet mistakenly killed Netaji’s driver instead. Neera’s loyalty to her country came at a steep price—she was arrested and imprisoned in the infamous Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where her torture began.
Each day, she was brutally interrogated about Bose’s whereabouts, but Neera, unyielding in her loyalty, refused to betray her leader. Her cell was a freezing, desolate space, yet she declined the offer of a blanket, a symbol of her unwavering spirit. One day, two men came to offer her a blanket again, and she refused. The next scene was one of unspeakable horror. The prison’s leader, enraged by her defiance, ordered her clothes ripped off and, in a final act of cruelty, her breasts were cut off. Neera screamed, but her silence about Netaji’s location remained.
Suddenly, I heard a voice—it was my mother, shaking me awake in the garden. I had been shouting “Stop! Stop!” in my sleep. I realised it was all a dream—a haunting glimpse into the unimaginable pain Neera Arya endured.
The dream, however, left a mark. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. After returning to my house, I searched for more about Neera. What I found was even more heartbreaking. After surviving such horrors, the Indian government had not honoured her; instead, they broke down her small cottage, claiming it was built on government land. Homeless and forgotten, Neera Arya spent the remaining years of her life selling flowers to make a living. She passed away on 26th July 1998 in Osmania Hospital, Hyderabad, a lonely, impoverished figure who had once been a fierce freedom fighter.
Not a single ounce of help came from the government for Neera Arya. Her bravery, sacrifice, and loyalty were forgotten in the pages of history. And we, as a nation, have done little to remember her. We forgot her completely in the 24 years since her passing. Today, I write this to ask a question of my fellow Indians—Did she deserve this?
Neera Arya, a soldier of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Azad Hind Fauj, deserves more than mere words. She deserves to be remembered, to be honoured for the unthinkable sacrifices she made for our freedom. Let us not allow the legacy of such brave souls to be buried under the sands of time.
Group Members
Pritha Ghosh
Ishaani Gupta
Subhasmita Das
Samayan Saha
Parnika Dutta
Arica Mandal
Shristi Biswas
Amritakshi Das
