Talk:Indian Freedom Fighters

INC

Founders of INC

Freedom Fighter	Home Region	Ethnicity	Ahimsa	Role	Symbolism
Ananda Mohan Bose (alias 'Saint Bose')	E.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee (alias 'Bengali Tiger')	W.B.	Bengali			Influenced by Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar and Vivekananda, taught Pali and Sanskrit (as well as Bengali and Hindi), his Dr. S.P. Mukherjee would found the Jana Sangh party
Dr. Atmaram Pandurang Tarkhadkar	Maharashtra	Marathi			Founded Prarthana Samaji
Bal Gangadhar Tilak (alias 'Lokmanya', 'Father of the Indian Unrest')	Maharashtra	Marathi	Not strictly	Member (Leader)	Of the 'extremist' faction within the INC, he established institutions, including the Deccan Education Society and its Fergusson College, popularized Ganesh Chathurti and Shiv Jayanti, as well as wrote important historical works.
Dadoba Pandurang Tarkhadkar (alias 'Ek Hindu')	Maharashtra	Marathi			Paramahansa Mandali, member and key associate of Prarthana Samaj
Durga Mohan Das	E.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Durgaram Manchharam Dave (alias 'Durgaram Mehta')	Gujarat	Gujarati			Founded Manav Dharm Sabha and Paramahansa Mandali
Dwarkanath Ganguly	E.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Ganapathy Subramania Iyer	T.N.	Tamil			Member of Theosophical Society and of Madras Native Association that opposed Christian missionary work
Janki Nath Ghoshal	W.B.	Bengali			Engaged with Brahmo Samjis, including Keshub Chunder Sen, and with Rabindranath Tagore, Vivekanand, and Sister Nivedita[1] regular contributor of Brahmo-affiliated pro-freedom Indian Mirror newspaper[2], father of Subhas Chandra Bose and Sarat Chandra Bose
Sir Jotindra Mohan Tagore	W.B.	Bengali			Founded an endowment for the benefit of Hindu widows and setup an annual fund towards a gold keyur to be annually presented to the best student in Sanskrit literature in Calcutta University
Kandukuri Veeresalingam Pantulu (alias 'Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Andhra')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			Brahmo Samaji, Prarthana Samaji (popularized the Prarthana Samaj in southern India), established Madras Hindu Social Reform Association (alias 'Madras Hindu Association')
Kashinath Trimbak Telang (alias 'Justice Telang')	Maharashtra	Marathi			Translated the Bhagavad Gita, and his other important publication (1884) was the historical Sanskrit play Mudrarakshasa of Vishakhadatta
Krishna Kumar Mitra	E.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Rangachari Balaji Rao	T.N.	Marathi			Member of Madras Mahajana Sabha who opposed Christian missionary work, follower of Vivekanand[3]
Lalmohan Ghosh	W.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Madan Mohan Malaviya (alias 'Mahaman', 'Pandit')	U.P.	Malwi			4-time INC president, founded Bharat Dharma Mahamandala and Hindu Mahasabha
Mahadev Govind Ranade (alias 'Justice Ranade')	Maharashtra	Marathi			Member and key associate of Prarthana Samaj
Monomohun Ghose	E.B.	Bengali			Sanskritist, Brahmo Samaji
Mudumbai Veeraraghavachariar	T.N.	Tamil			Member of Theosophical Society and of Madras Native Association that opposed Christian missionary work
Nabagopal Mitra (alias 'National Mitra')	W.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Sir Narayan Ganesh Chandavarkar (alias 'Mr. Justice')	Karnataka	Marathi	Usually	Member (Leader-National President)	Prarthana Samaj member
Narendra Nath Sen Gupta (alias 'Father of Indian Psychology')	E.B.	Bengali			Established Theosophical Society of Bengali, had close friendship with Keshab Chunder Sen, wrote Mechanisms of Ecstasy, which drew ideas from Hindu [and Christian] classics from his passionate study of the psychology of religions and their scriptures
Nyapati Subba Rao Pantulu (alias 'Andhra Bhishma')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			Inspired by Vivekanand's speeches, he began Hindu Samajam in Rajahmundry (1903) for propagating the Gita and Sanatan Dharm[4]
Panapakkam Ananda Charlu	T.N.	Tamil			Member of Theosophical Society and of Madras Native Association that opposed Christian missionary work
Rai Raghunath Rao	T.N.	Marathi			Member of Theosophical Society, statue of Krishna was constructed for him in front of Kumbakonam Town Hall in Kudanthai
Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar	Maharashtra	Marathi			Member and key associate of Prarthana Samaj
Romesh Chunder Dutt (alias 'Arcydae', 'Babu Dewan', 'Hindu')	W.B.	Bengali	Usually	Member (Leader-National President)	Wrote Early Hindu Civilisation, B.C. 2000 to 320 (1927)
Romesh Chunder Mitter	W.B.	Bengali			Established Sanskrit Chatuspathi in Bhawanipur, and translated Valmimi Ramayana and Mahabharata into English
Satyendranath Tagore	W.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji, member of Hindu Mahamela
Shankar Vishnu Patankar	Maharashtra	Marathi			Prarthana Samaji
Shib Chandra Deb	W.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Sir Subbier Subramania Iyer (alias 'Lion of South India')	T.N.	Tamil			President of the Dharma Rakshana Sabha, established 2 Vedic Schools (Madurai and Thiruparankundram), VP of Theosophical Society (1907-1911), established Suddha Dharma Mandala (1915)
Subodh Chandra Mallick (alias 'Raja')	W.B.	Bengali			Funded Bande Mataram and Karmayogin newspapers, was a member in Jugantar, and financed Aurobindo's revolutionary activities
Surendranath Banerjee (alias 'Rashtraguru')	W.B.	Bengali	Usually	Member (Leader)	Brahmo Samaji
Umesh Chandra Dutta	W.B.	Bengali			Brahmo Samaji
Vishwanath Narayan Mandlik (alias 'Rao Saheb')	Maharashtra	Marathi			Wrote several works on Hindu Law in English, including translations of Yajnyawalkya Smriti, the Manu Smriti and Nilakantha's Vyvahara Mayukha, Prarthana Samaji
Vishnu Bhikaji Sule	Maharashtra	Marathi			Prarthana Samaji
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee	W.B.	Bengali	Usually	Member (Leader-National President)	His maternal lineage traced to the Sanskrit scholar and philosopher Pandit Juggonath Turkopunchanun, linking him to the tradition of Hindu saints, studied at Hindu School at Kolkata, a major institution for blending Western and Sanskrit learning, authored Reform of the Hindu Marriage Laws (1868), which critiqued and proposed changes to Hindu marriage customs to be more ethical

Later members of INC

Freedom Fighter	Home Region	Ethnicity	Ahimsa	Role	Symbolism
Ambikagiri Raichoudhury (alias 'Assam Kesari')	Assam	Assami	Yes	Member (Leader, Detector)	Established Sankardeva Sarcharkas organization to promote Assamese folk songs and cultural elements, including those influenced by Vaishnava traditions (e.g., devotional music and reformist ideas) — work emphasized Assami identity, which Ekasarana Dharm helped shape, criticized British authority for banning puja at Kamakhya Temple (centre of plots against British rule)
Ambujammal Desikachari (alias 'Akkamma')	T.N.	Tamil	Yes	Member (Leader-Local VP)	Member of WIA, referenced Hindu scriptures in her nationalist and feminist work, translated Tulsi Ramayana into Tamil
Annie Besant	England	English	Yes	Member (Leader)
Arunachalam Vaidyanatha Iyer (alias 'Madurai A.')	T.N.	Tamil
Avinashilingam Chettiar	T.N.	Tamil
Awadhesh Pratap Singh	M.P.	Bagheli	Yes	Member (Leader-Local President)
Baba Kanshi Ram (alias 'Pahari Gandhi', 'Paharan-Da-Bulbul', 'Siyahposh Jarnail')	H.P.	Kangri Pahari	Not strictly	Member	Incorporated Hindu symbols into his speeches and writings, emphasized dharma
Badri Datt Pandey (alias 'Kumaon Kesari', 'Pandit')	Uttarakhand	Kumaoni	Yes	Member	Blended anti-imperialism with Hindu cultural revival, founded Shakti, wrote about history referencing scriptures, glorified temple patronage, supported maths (i.e., Sanskrit schools like Shivaraj Sanskrit Pathshala) and ashrams (i.e., Sanatan Dharm Maha Mandal), Kuli Begar Movement's first oath was in 1921 at Haru Mandir
Bal Krishna Sharma (alias 'Lion of Kanpur', 'Naveen')	M.P.	Malwi	Yes	Member (Leader)	His poetry often evokes India's ancient glory rooted in Hindu themes like in "Kumkum", "Rashmirekha", "Apalak", and revolutionary verses, wrote Urmila (version of Ramayana)
Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher	Maharashtra	Marathi		Member (Leader)	Wrote The Art of Life in the Bhagavad Gita and in prison made notes of books like Essays on the Gita and The Philosophy of the Upanishads
Dr. Bhagwan Das	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Member (Leader)	Theosophy Society member, founded Kashi Vidya Peeth, wrote commentaries in English and Hindi on scriptures and concepts (i.e., Pranava-Vada), received Bharat Ratna
Bhag Mal Sautha	H.P.	Mahasuvi Pahari		Member (Secretary)	Founding member of Prem Pracharini Sabha, which encouraged recitation of devotional songs, prayers, and moral conduct as a means of social upliftment and unity among subjects, and Hindu principles like dharm
Bheemanna Khandre	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes	Member (Leader)	President of Akhil Bharata Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha, imprisoned for activism in liberation of Hyderabad from nizam
Bipin Chandra Pal	W.B.	Bengali			Part of the Lal-Bal-Pal trio that promulgated the Swadeshi movement, was a Brahmo Samaji
Biju Patnaik	Odisha	Odia			Had declared in his interview by reporter of Ajkal dated 9.8.1984, "Hindus are not Communal. Muslims are communal.", Was a Brahmo Samaji
Birama (alias 'Swami Keshwanand')	Rajasthan	Marwari			Organized celebrations to honour Sikh, Namdhari-Sikh, Bishnoi-Vaishnav, and Jain gurus, was Udasin member himself, founded 300 schools (including a Sanskrit one), 50 hostels and social centres
Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu		Member (Leader)	Wrote positively about Hindu heritage and civilizational continuity, including of Shivaji
Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy	Bihar	Bengali		Member (Leader)	Supported movements framed around Hindu protection and social organization (e.g., relief efforts tied to Hindu communities)
Bishnu Prasad Rabha (alias 'Kalaguru')	Assam	Assami	Not strictly	Member	Drew an imaginary portrait of Sankardev, sang Borgeets (Vaishnava devotional songs), drew cultural inspiration from him for Assami identity
Chakravarti Rajagopalacari (alias 'Rajaji')	T.N.	Tamil	Yes	Member (Leader)	Retold Rama in Chakravarti Thirumagan portraying Ram as the ideal upholder of righteousness/dharma, viewed Hindu principles as moral foundations for nationalism
Chinnaswami Subramaniyan (alias 'Subbayya Bhartiyar', 'Mahakavi')	T.N.	Tamil	Not strictly	Member
Chittaranjan Das (alias 'Deshbandhu')	W.B.	Bengali			Quoted the Gita, occasionally praised Shivaji, influenced by Brahmo Samajis
Cunjen Kesavan	Kerala	Malayali		Member (Leader)	Used Hindu principles to argue that caste discrimination contradicted Hindu philosophical ideals
Devanahalli Venkataramanaiah Gundappa	Karnataka	Kannada			Wrote Srimad Bhagavad Geeta Tatparya (alias Jeevana Dharma Yoga), poetic works like Srirama Pareekshanam, Srikrishna Pareekshanam, and others, created Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs[5], which promoted Hindu literature and philosophical discourse
Diwan Rajagopala Balaji Rao	T.N.	Tamil			Member of Madras Mahajana Sabha who opposed Christian missionary work
Dorothy Jinarajadasa	England	English	Mainly	Non-Member (Event Attendant)	Worked closely with Gandhi and attended INC events like its Session at Kolkata (1917) and Malabar District Conference (1918)
Duggirala Gopalakrishnayya (alias 'Chirala Rama Das', 'Andhra Ratna')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu	Yes	Member (Leader)	Established the Rama Dandu (Rama's Army) to promote swaraj and its members wore saffron clothes, rudraksha beads, and vermillion, and established in 1921 Ramanagara as a Ram Rajya utopian settlement of 13,000 residents (religious idiom used to mobilize Congress mass politics)
Durgabai Deshmukh (alias 'Iron Lady of Andhra')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu	Yes	Member (Leader-Local Chairperson)	Emphasized dharm as duty, service, and moral responsibility, especially in public life and social reform
Dwarka Prasad Mishra	M.P.	Malwi	Yes	Member (Leader)	Wrote Krishnayana and emphasized Krishna's struggle against tyrant Kamsa akin to Indians fighting for independence against British imperialists, other writings (i.e., Living an Era) and speeches occassionally invoked India's ancient Hindu heritage
Ela Bhatt	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Member	Founder of SEWA and women’s rights activist, mentioned Hindu law in academic contexts (e.g., her gold medal in Hindu law studies).
Gangadharrao Deshpande	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes	Member (Leader-Local Chairperson)	Expressed admiration of Savarkar and RSS, wrote letter to V.J. Patel in December 1947 actively participated in Shiv Jayanti, used Shivaji as a symbol of national resistance
Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi	U.P.	Hindi		Member (Leader, Journalist)	Martyred when rescuing Hindus from a Muslim mob during a riot in Kanpur (1931), protested with other INC members against Islamic communalism to Moolgang Mosque in retaliation for its Muslims having attacked a Hindu procession's musical band, used Hindu symbolism like Ram Rajya as a just and moral society in speeches and writings
Garimella Satyanarayana	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			Translated Thirukkural into Telugu, used devotional imagery and dharmic-national language in many of his works, including Sanatan cultural symbolism in patriotic songs
Ghanshyam Das Birla	Rajasthan	Marwari			Funded Hindu institutions like temples and Harijan Sevak Sangh, and funded INC and educational institutions, wrote June 1924 letter to Gandhi supporting conversions of Muslims to Hinduism
Gogineni Ranga Nayukulu (alias 'Acharya Ranga')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu		Member (Leader)	His autobiography and writings refer to Gandhi’s religious philosophy and its Hindu roots, discussed Indian village life through the lens of dharmic ethics
Gopabandhu Das (alias 'Utkalmani')	Odisha	Odia		Member (Leader-Local President)	Founded institutions rooted in service (seva), dharma, and Hindu ethics
Gorur Ramaswamy Iyengar	Karnataka	Kannada	Yes	Member (Leader)	Referenced Hindu philosophical ideas, especially in his writings (i.e., Americadalli Gorur, wherein he referenced Upanishads and living by dharma), including essays that invoked Hindu principles for moral nationalism and social reform
Govind Ballabh Pant	U.P.	Marathi	Yes	Member (Leader)	Reference to Ram Rajya like in Constituent Assembly debate (1948), to Krishna for issues like cow protection, supported Hindu Code Bill reforms, first U.P. CM of independent India, "Real Swaraj means Ram Rajya. If secular State means that our children will not know about the Ramayana or listen to the Gita or the Koran or the Granth what is the political freedom worth? Sir, by 'Ram' I mean Hindu God and also Christian God." 1939: "We want Ram Rajya, we want Sarvodaya. But for achieving them it is necessary that every..."
Gulzarilal Nanda[6]	Punjab	Punjabi		Member (Leader)	"Nanda ji developed the great cultural and religious heritage of Kurukshetra by facilitating it for 22 years,..." says Kurukhshetra University. He wrote "A Sacred Legacy" about Baba Sitaramdas Omkarnath[7], founded the Bharat Sadhu Samaj along with other persons
Haladhar Bhuyan	Assam	Assami	Yes	Member	Established Srimanta Sankardev Sangha to protect Sankardev's Ekasarana Vaishnava sect from adopting unethical traits and to promulgate the sect's teachings, was jailed for participation in freedom struggle
Hansa Mehta (alias 'A founding mother of the Indian republic')	Gujarat	Gujarati		Member	Translated the Valmiki Ramayana's chapters "Aranyakanda", "Balakanda" and "Sundarakanda", and ensured MS University Baroda undertook projects to publish other scriptures of ancient India
Hanuman Prasad Poddar	Rajasthan	Marwari	Not strictly	Non-Member (Attendant, Rally Protestor)	Founder of Gita Press (provided more accurate translations of Hindu texts) and Kalyan magazine, affiliated with Hindu Mahasabha and RSS
Hardekar Manjappa (alias 'Gandhi of Karnataka')	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes	Non-Member (Volunteer)	Used Basava's teachings as a symbol against British rule, promoted Basava's teachings through celebrations (i.e., starting Basava Jayanti festival) and writings (wrote over 40 books, like Basava Charithre), presented a book on Basava to Gandhi, was part of Basweshara Seva Dala, organized first Ganesh Chaturthi in Belgaum (1905), which inspired Tilak to nationalize festival and utilize it for freedom struggle
Haribhau Upadhyaya (alias 'Pandit')	M.P.	Malwi	Yes	Member (Leader)	Wrote works on Hindu scriptures, such as Bhagwat Geeta, Sadhana ke Path Par, and Yug Dharm
Himmatlal Ramchandra Dave (alias 'Swami Anand')	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Member (Administrator)	A swami and Joint Secretary of the Bharat Sadhu Samaj, which he founded along with other persons
Indulal Yagnik	Gujarat	Gujarati			Used Shivaji as anti-imperialist symbol, used folk-Sanatan imagery in mobilization contexts
Jagat Narain Lal	Bihar	Bhojpuri		Member (Leader)	His Light Unto a Cell references Mahabharata, Bhagavad Gita, Isha Upanishad, among others
Jayaprakash Narayan Srivastava (alias 'Loknayak')	Bihar	Bhojpuri	Yes	Member (Leader-National GS)	Frequently invoked Ram Rajya as an ideal of moral, decentralized, and just governance in his later writings and the Total Revolution Movement (1970s), describing it as a society based on dharm, equality, and ethical rule, reference Hindu ethical concepts of dharm, ahimsa, and selfless action positively while blending them with social ideals
Jhinabhai Ratanji Desai (alias 'Snehrashmi')	Gujarat	Gujarati			Used spiritual symbolism, which occasionally included Sanatan devotional-cultural imagery
Jhaverchand Meghani (alias 'Rashtriya Shayar')	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Non-Member (Rally Protestor)	A poet and folklorist that mentioned Hindu figures, including Rajput resistance heroes and Bhakti Era sants, in patriotic literature, his works invoked cultural nationalism and religious-cultural imagery
Jivatram Bhagwandas Kripalani (alias 'Acharya Kripalani')	Sindh	Sindhi	Yes	Member (Leader-National President)
Jugal Chandra Ghosh	W.B.	Bengali		Member	Worked with groups mobilizing around Hindu protection and identity, including during the pro-Pakistan Direct Action Day riots in Kolkata
Jugal Kishore Birla	Maharashtra	Marwari			Funded both INC and Hindu groups like HM and RSS, and funded Kolkata Medical College, Marwadi Balika Vidyalaya in Kolkata and other such institutions
Kailashpati Mishra	Bihar	Bhojpuri			Was member of RSS from 1943, joined Bharatiya Jana Sangh
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay	Karnataka	Kannadiga	Yes	Member (Leader)	Promoted Hindu arts (theatre), crafts (handicrafts), and civilizational heritage
Kamalapati Tripathi	U.P.	Awadhi			Wrote historical-nationalist essays and speeches referencing Shivaji, Hindu political resurgence, and anti-Mughal resistance, frequently invoked Ram Rajya, Hindu civilizational continuity, pilgrimage symbolism, and Sanskrit heritage
Kanaiyalal Maneklal Munshi	Gujarat	Gujarati	Shifting view	Member (Leader)	Promoted Hindu cultural revival, founded Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, mentioned figures like Shivaji for nationalism, used pro-Hindu symbolism in writings
Kanhiyalal Mishra Prabhakar	U.P.	Hindi			Wrote Hindu cultural essays and referenced dharm/Indian spiritual traditions, and sants
Kanuparti Varalakshmamma	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			His writings included: Sanatan social themes, references to epics and ethical-cultural traditions
Karnad Sadashiva Rao	Karnataka	Kannadiga			Used Shivaji as a symbol of national resistance
Karumuttu Thiagarajan Chettiar	T.N.	Tamil			Involved in temple-based philanthropy
Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao (alias 'Desabandhu', 'Desoddhaaraka')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			Wrote exposition of Bhagavad Gita in prison, promoted the Gita, stating the scripture belongs to the whole world for its spiritual enlightenment and prosperity (not only for Hinduism)
Keshava Pillai (alias 'Bodheswaran')	Kerala	Malayali	Yes	Member	Disciple of Narayana Guru and Swamikal, promoted Hindu values, especially for reform
Kodumudi Balambal Sundarambal (alias 'Queen of the Indian Stage')	T.N.	Tamil			Disciple of Satyamurthy, produced devotional songs, performed devotional concerts (katcheris) to Murugan at temples
Konda Venkata Ranga Reddy	Telangana	Telugu			Supported demands involving: civil rights for Hindu populace of Telangana under Nizam Islamofascist, protection of Hindu social institutions
Konda Venkatappayya (alias 'Lion of Andhra')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu		Member	His journalism framed Indian nationalism as rooted in Sanatan cultural continuity
Koyapalli Kelappan (alias 'Gandhi of Kerala', 'Dakshin ka Gandhi')	Kerala	Malayali	Yes	Member (Leader-Local President)	Lived in Brahmacharya, and spoke of Hindu principles like dharm and sarvoday and worked to restore the historically-ruined Tali Temple
Krishna Ballabh Sahay	Bihar	Magahi			Would quote extensively couplets by renowned Vaishnav poets like Chaube, Surdas, and Tulsidas in parliament
Krishna Mehta	J&K	Kashmiri			Publicly acknowledged and honoured Magan Baba, and she spent over 10 years at his ashram, wrote in her Kashmir 1947: A Survivor's Story memoirs book of eyewitness testimony from the 1947 atrocities against non-Muslims in Kashmir
Krishna Nath Sarmah	Assam	Assami	Yes	Member (Secretary)	Prominent Gandhian freedom fighter, social reformer, and participant in movements like the Dandi March and Civil Disobedience, actively referenced and utilized Vaishnava institutions by inviting Mahatma Gandhi in 1934 to inaugurate/open his family namghar
Krishnalal Shridharani[8]	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		A writer, mentioned Hindu figures in nonviolence discussions
Krishnanand Swami	H.P.	Mandyali Pahari			A swami
Kushal Konwar	Assam	Assami		Member	Influenced by reading the Gita near death
Lajpat Rai (alias 'Lala Rai', 'Punjab Kesari')	Punjab	Punjabi	Not strictly	Member (Leader)	Arya Samaj member
Dr. Lakshmi Narayan (alias 'Sudhanshu')	Bihar	Maithili			Used Hindu/Sanskritic vocabulary in his works, and wrote the book Pracheen Bharatiya Arya Raj Vans ("Ancient Indian Arya Royal Lineage"), Government of Bihar constituted an award after him (Laxmi Narayan Sudhanshu Prize)
Lal Bahadur Srivastava (Shastri) (alias 'Shastriji', 'Man of Peace')	U.P.	Bhojpuri			Quoted Gita, spoke of Ram Rajya, occasionally praised Shivaji
Lal Chand Prarthi	H.P.	Kullavi Pahari	Not strictly	Member (Leader)	Documented Hindu folklore, village deities, and rituals, portraying them as symbols of cultural resistance against imperial and feudal oppression, supported Hindu institutions by advocating for preservation of local temples and festivals as part of regional identity
Laxman Vasudev Paranjape	Maharashtra	Marathi		Member	Involved in organizations promoting Hindu cultural and social revival
Laxminarayan Das	Chhattisgarh	Chhattisgarhi	Yes	Member	Was mahant of Jaitu Sao Math in Raipur, used symbolisms like saffron robes, spoke of Ram in devotional contexts
Madhavrao Sapre	M.P.	Marathi	Usually	Member (Leader)	Translated into Hindi Tilak's Gita Rahasya, Samarth Ramdas' Dasbodh, Chintamani Vinayak Vaidya's Mahabharat Mimansa, and other Marathi works (i.e., Shri Ram Charitra, Ekanath Charitra, Atma Vidya)
Maganlal Gandhi	Gujarat	Gujarati			Used Gita-centered ethics, and was associated with Ramnam recitation, apart from the regular Gandhian vocabulary
Mahadev Desai	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Member (Personal Assistant, Journalist)	Gandhi’s secretary, mentioned Hindu figures like Krishna [in Gita translations], his statements promoted Gandhian Hinduism as tolerant and inclusive, used Shivaji as anti-imperialist symbol
Mahadev Govind Ranade (alias 'Nyayamurti Ranade')	Maharashtra	Marathi	Usually	Member (Leader)	Founded Prarthana Samaj
Makhanlal Chaturvedi (alias 'Pandit Ji', 'Yug Charan', 'Ek Bhartiya Atma')	M.P.	Hindi		Non-Member (Rally Protestor)	Used Hindu imagery, including of Ram and Krishna, in his literature, and drew on spiritual themes to foster nationalism against British rule
Dr. Maithilisharan Gupt (alias 'Rashtrakavi')	U.P.	Bundeli			Used Hindu and Bauddh persons in his stories, like Urmila (wife of Lakshman) in Saket and Yashodhara (wife of Gautam Buddha) in Yashodhara, his Bharat Bharati book was widely quoted by freedom fighters
Malangi Shivalingiah Gurupadaswamy	Karnataka	Kannada	Yes	Member	Referenced Hindu culture and scriptures positively context of "Indianisation," suggesting in a Constituent Assembly speech that Muslims should respect Hindu scriptures and culture for national unity
Malati Choudhury	Odisha	Odia			Brahmo Samaji that made positive statements about the Samaj
Margaret Cousins	Ireland	Irish	Usually	Non-Member (Attendant)	Worked closely with Gandhi and attended INC events like INC Session at Kolkata (1917) and Gandhi's meetings and campaigns
Manikya Lal Verma (alias 'Gandhi of Mewar')	Rajasthan	Mewari	Yes	Member (Leader)	Worked closely with Arya Samaj
Manubhai Pancholi	Gujarat	Gujarati			Cultural-literary engagements with Hindu ethical traditions, apart from using the regular Gandhian vocabulary
Maurice Frydman (alias 'Swami Bharatanand')	Poland	Polish			Jewish convert to Hinduism, became rajyaguru to Anudh princely state's Raja Bala Sahib and drafted a constitution for the kingdom, lived at Gandhi's ashram and worked with him, worked with fellow Pole Gandhian Umadevi
Morarji Desai	Gujarat	Gujarati	Not strictly	Member (Leader)	Made pro-Hindu statements like "Hinduism is the most tolerant religion" and emphasized Hindu moral values, referenced Hindu philosophy in governance but balanced with secularism
Mylai Ponnuswamy Sivagnanam (alias 'Sivagnanam Gramani', 'Silambu Chelvar')	T.N.	Tamil			Influenced by Subramanya Bharathi and wrote 10 books on him (i.e., Vallalarum Bharathiyum), wrote books on Silapathikaram, wrote books on V.O.C. Pillai, wrote books on Veerapandiya Kattabomman, wrote books on Sant Thiruvalluvar, wrote The Universal Vision of Saint Ramalinga
Nanabhai Bhatt	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes		Educationist and Nai Talim pioneer, promoted Hindu ethical values like simplicity and self-reliance in education but without sectarian pro-Hindu statements, referenced Hindu cultural inheritance in educational philosophy
Nand Lal (alias 'Master Ji')	Punjab	Punjabi		Member	He wrote the Ramayan in a drama form and organized a play on the same on Navratras and Dussehra festivals (he played Dasrath in the play)
Narayan Desai	Gujarat	Gujarati			Referenced bhajans and Gita ethics, apart from the regular Gandhian vocabulary like Ram Rajya
Dr. Narayan Subbarao Hardikar	Karnataka	Marathi	Yes	Member (Leader-Local GS)	Established the Hindustani Seva Mandal (later became Rashtriya Seva Dal) in 1923, established the Arya Bala Sabha, taught the Gita during his student days in Kolkata, was a fan of Lokmanya Tilak, and had enthusiastically worked with Lala Rai
Narendra Dev (alias 'Acharya Dev')	U.P.	Hindi	Shifting view	Member (Leader)	Referenced Ram Rajya as socialist utopia, and Hindu ethical traditions and figures like Krishna as sources of moral inspiration for selfless action and justice
Narhari Dwarkadas Parikh	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Non-Member (Attendant, Rally Protestor, Volunteer)	Referenced Hindu ethics in satyagraha
Naurang Rai (alias 'Swami Sahajanand Saraswati')	U.P.	Bhojpuri	Not strictly	Member	Wrote books in Sanskrit and Hindi, on Hinduism and independence, helped form All India Kisan Sabha, in which he was its first President, worked with INC, Swatantra (N.G. Ranga ), and CPI (E.M.S. Namboodiripad), organized Bakasht Movement in Bihar in 1937–1938, built ashram at Bihta, Bihar
Nautamlal Bhagavanji Mehta (alias 'Nagar Seth of Jetpur')	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Non-Member	Supporter of Gandhi — coined 'Mahatma' for him, invoking Hindu reverence, promoted Hindu unity in nationalism
Nilakantha Das (alias 'Pandit', 'Veritable Father of Orissa')	Odisha	Odia			While imprisoned, he wrote Interpretation of the Gita (Hazaribagh Jail), and outside of jail wrote Gita Prabesha also on the Gita, and wrote books of other spiritual topics; Arya Jeeban, Bhaktigatha, Pilanka Bhagabata, and Sanskruta O Sanskruti
Padam Dev (alias 'Pandit', 'Kaviraj')	H.P.	Mahasuvi Pahari	Yes	Member (Leader-Local GS)	Arya Samaj preacher — promoted shuddhi (even converting American Samuel Evans Stokes), referenced Hindu scriptures in his campaigns (i.e., against Begar or forced labour and reet or feudal tax, speeches invoked figures like Dayanand
Pandurang Mahadev Bapat ('Senapati Bapat')	Maharashtra	Marathi	No (revolutionary)	Non-Member (Attendant)	Hindu symbolism (Shivaji, dharma) in speeches, including religious symbolism in anti-colonial struggle
Pandurang Sadashiv Khankhoje	Maharashtra	Marathi	No (revolutionary)
Pandurang Sadashiv Sane (alias 'Sane Guruji', 'Gandhi of Maharashtra')	Maharashtra	Marathi	Yes	Member	Wrote the Geeta Hridaya, from his notes on the lectures in prison that Acharya Bhave delivered in the same jail, the latter compiled the Gita Pravachane book, orgaqnizations Akhil Bharatiya Sane Guruji Kathamala, Antar Bharati, and Rashtriya Smarak Samiti were modelled on Guruji's teachings
Pandurang Vitthalapanta Valame (alias 'Rang Avadhoot'[9])	Gujarat	Marathi			A mystic sant, mentioned Hindu figures like Dattatreya, used devotional slogans like "Jai Guru", teachings were spiritual
Puripanda Appala Swamy	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			Worked extensively with: Telugu literal renderings of epics, Hindu cultural literature, Ramayan/Mahabharata themes Some works include: Mahabharatam, Sridevi Bhagavatam, Srimadbhagavatam, Valmiki Ramayanam, Jagadguru Shankaracharya
Potti Sreeramulu	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu			Promoted ascetic-sacrificial ideals, used spiritualized language
Phanishwar Nath Mandal (alias 'Renu')	Bihar	Maithili			Used Hindu imagery in his works, including references to gods and devotional songs, as well as ritual life and village customs, attended Kashi Hindu Vishvavidyalay
Prabhavati Devi	Bihar	Bhojpuri			Lived ascetically like Gandhi in his ashram, practiced social work as part of spiritual lifestyle, spiritualized public ethics
Purushottam Das Tandon	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Member (Leader-National President)	Advocated for Hindu militarism to fight perceived threats in India, used Hindu cultural symbolism (i.e., Ram Rajya), worked with K.M. Munshi in the Constituent Assembly against forced or induced conversions, was Sanskrit scholar, supported education in Vedas, Upanishads and Gita
Sir Puttige Sivaswami Subramania Iyer (alias 'Grand Old Man of South India')	T.N.	Tamil	Usually	Member
Rajendra Shah	Gujarat	Gujarati			Used spiritual themes, particularly devotional undertones influenced by Sanatan literary culture
Ramaswamy Aiyer Krishnamurthy (alias 'Kalki Krishnamurthy')	T.N.	Tamil	Yes	Member	Adopted the name Kalki, his works like Ponniyin Selvan and Sivagamiyin Sapatham drew heavily from Tamil/Hindu epics and they used Hindu themes to evoke modern nationalism
Raghunath Vinayak Dhulekar	U.P.	Marathi	Yes	Member	Wrote commentaries about shastras and ideas, like Shweta-Shwatrupanishad Bhasya on Shvetashvatara Upanishad and Shaivism, Prashnapanishad Saral Bhashya on the Prashna Upanishad, Atmadarshi Geeta Bhashya on the Gita, Chaturvedanugami Bhashya on Vedas, and Pillars of Vedant on Vedanta
Dr. Rajendra Prasad	Bihar	Bhojpuri	Yes	Member (Leader-National President)	Strongly defended traditional Hindu dharm and personal laws against the Hindu Code Bill, arguing to Nehru that changes would undermine core Hindu scriptural and cultural traditions (i.e., family structure rooted in shastras and dharm), referenced Hindu concepts like dharm positively as the ethical foundation of Indian society and expressed respect for figures like Ram and Krishna as moral ideals
Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia	U.P.	Marwari	Shifting view	Member (Leader-National Secretary)	Wrote essay "Ram, Krishna, aur Shiva" as "India's three great dreams", invoked Ram Rajya positively, engaged positively with Gita and Hindu ethical concepts like dharm, and praised Krishna's call for nishkam karma as model for selfless struggle and social change, used Hindu figures to foster cultural confidence and mass mobilization (i.e., Ramayana Mela at Chitrakoot, U.P.) to connect with tural and traditional audiences, argued Hindu symbols could transcend narrow religious boundaries and promote unity
Ram Prasad (alias 'Agyat', 'Bismil', 'Pandit')	U.P.	Hindi	No (revolutionary)	Non-Member (Attendant, Volunteer)	Arya Samaj member that encouraged shuddhi for Muslims
Rambriksh Benipuri	Bihar	Magadhi			Wrote of Sanatan and Bauddh themes, like his play Ramrajya and his book Amipure based on a Bauddh convert and Netradaan on Samrat Ashok
Ramdhari Singh Dinkar	Bihar	Magadhi			Wrote nationalistic literature with Hindu imagery/references (i.e., Kurukshetra and Rashmirathi), was influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and translated his works from Bengali to Hindi
Ramesh Chandra Jha	Bihar	Magadhi			Used light Sanatan themes in his patriotic poetry, like Murlika referencing Krishna but a metaphor for the human voice, expressing the inner music, longing, and dreams of ordinary citizens, and wrote Meera Nachi Re to depict Sant Meera Bai as someone who positively broke social chains, and wrote works like Kaling Ka Lahu on Samrat Ashok Chalo-Dilli (referenced Dharm-Yuddh), freedom fighter Kanhiyalal Mishra Prabhakar wrote a biography of him
Ravishankar Shukla	M.P.	Hindi	Yes	Member (Leader-Premier)	Headed Kanyakubja Sabha and collaborated with Malaviya to mobilize Brahmans, joined Theosophical Society to explore vastness of Hindu canon, 1st CM of independent M.P.
Ravishankar Vyas (alias 'Maharaj', 'Father of Gujarat')	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Non-Member (Rally Protestor)	Mentioned Hindu dharma in both devotional culture and Gandhian contexts
Saroj Kumari Gaurihar	U.P.	Bundeli			Used devotional-national imagery, feminine-sacred symbolism, and traditional Hindu motifs
Sarojini Naidu	Telangana	Bengali	Yes	Member (Leader-National President)	Used women like Sita, Savitri, Gargi, and Damayanti as ideals for women's empowerment, used Hindi ideas of tolerance for harmony between communities
Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (alias 'Philosopher President', 'Bridge Builder')	T.N.	Telugu	Usually		Authored a highly influential commentary called The Bhagavad Gita (1948, praising it as the pinnacle of Hindu philosophy and a universal guide to ethics, dharm, and spiritual realization, celebrated Hindu scriptures (Gita, Vedanta, Upanishads) as profound expressions of eternal truth, dharm as moral order, and Krishna as a symbol of divine wisdom and action within his works Indian Philosophy and The Hindu View of Life
Savalai Ramaswami Mudaliar	Puducherry	Tamil	Usually	Member (Leader)
Seshadri Srinivasa Iyengar (alias 'Lion of the South')	T.N.	Tamil			Devout Sri Vaishnava that authored a book on Mayne's Hindu Laws, became monk (Swami Anvananda) later in life
Seth Govind Das (alias 'Mahakoshal Kesari')	M.P.	Hindi	Yes	Member (Leader-Local President)	Invoked Hindu scriptures (including Vedas, Upanishads, Vishnu Purana, and Brahma Purana) and figures in Constituent Assembly, wrote drama plays and texts of Hindu subject matter, partook in demonstration against cow slaughter in 1966 led by RSS, VHP, and RRP
Shankarrao Trimbak Dharmadhikari (alias 'Dada Dharmadhikari')	M.P.	Marathi	Yes	Non-Member	Mentioned Hindu figures like Krishna in philosophical contexts, was studying Shankaracharya's works for about a year before joining independence movement
Shankarlal Banker	Gujarat	Gujarati	Yes	Non-Member (Rally Protestor)	Referenced Hindu ethics in labor reforms
Shiv Prasad Gupta	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Member (Financier)	Founded Kashi Vidya Peeth for Indian and Hindu studies, funded Hindu institutions like BHU, built Bharat Mata Mandir, held the First National Congress at his residence, Gandhi called him Rashtra Ratna
Shyamlal Gupta	U.P.	Awadhi			Wrote Vijayi Vishwa Tiranga Pyara, a nationalistic book that often invoked Shivaji, Rajput resistance, and Hindu martial heroes
Sohan Lal Dwivedi (alias 'Rashtrakavi')	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Non-Member	Mentioned Ram Rajya, like in Bharavi collection of poems, used both Krishna and Rama in patriotic poetry to describe India as the privilaged land they lived in
Sonaram Sutiya	Assam	Assami	Yes		Vaishnav pandit that [through the Srimanta Sankardev Sangha] promoted nam-kirtan, satras and namghars, and Sankardev's teachings
Subhadra Kumari Chauhan	U.P.	Awadhi			Mentions Hindu figures in her poetry, like Ram in" Vijayadashmi", and Krishna in a few like "Ye Kadamb Ka Ped", "Vida", "Bhaiya Krishna!", "Krishna-Yashoda"
Sundara Sastri Satyamurti (alias 'Firebrand of South India', 'Dheerar')	T.N.	Tamil	Yes	Member (Leader-National President)	Engaged with Hindu scriptures, sometimes invoked dharma for moral nationalism
Dr. Sampurnanand	U.P.	Hindi	Yes	Member (Leader-Local Secretary)	Wrote books like Yogadarshan and commentaries on Vedic texts, portrayed Hinduism as the nationalistic force for strengthening India, mentioned Ram Rajya, openly discussed the threats of Muslim disloyalty
Sir Subramania Iyer	T.N.	Tamil			Activist in Besant's Hindu organizational circles
Subramaniya Siva	T.N.	Tamil			Used Tamil-Hindu cultural imagery in poetry
Swami Purnanand	H.P.	Mandyali Pahari		Member (Leader)	A swami
Tanguturi Prakasam (alias 'Andhra Kesari', 'Prakasam Pantulu')	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu		Member (Leader)	His public rhetoric frequently invoked dharma and the moral authority of Hindu epics, quoted Gita, occasionally invoked Krishna and Ram as moral exemplar in speeches, occasionally praised Shivaji, supported protection of Hindu religious institutions and saw them as part of national heritage
Tara Chand (alias 'Kashyap Bandhu')	J&K	Kashmiri			Became an Arya Samaji and an editor of Arya Gazette in Lahore, where he also performed social service for the association
Uchharangrai Navalshankar Dhebar	Gujarat	Gujarati			Used spiritual-national vocabulary shaped by Sanatan idioms
Vaidyanath Mishra (alias 'Nagarjun', 'Yatri')	Bihar	Maithili			Was disciple of Rahul Sankrityayan, and like him, became a Bauddh monk and wrote works (i.e., essays like "Ayodhya ka raja" and "Bum Bholenath", poems like "Harijan Gatha" and "Mantra Kavita") using a high amount of Sanatan imagery (i.e., Ramayana), references (i.e., Mahabharata), gods
Valangaiman Sankaranarayana Srinivasa Sastri	T.N.	Tamil		Member	Public lectures frequently praised Sanskrit literature and ethical universality of Hindu scriptures, presented Hindu philosophy to Western audiences as one of India’s greatest contributions to world civilization
Vallabhbhai Patel (alias 'Sardar')	Guajrat	Guajrati			Supported rebuilding of Somnath Temple
Vallinayagam Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai (alias 'Kappalottiya Tamizhan')	T.N.	Tamil	Not strictly	Member	Met Swami Ramakrishnananda (Vivekanand’s brother) in Chennai and was advised by him to serve the nation as a form of dharm (spiritual duty), became a member of the militant Bharatha Matha Sangam, his literature includes the commentaries Thirukural (1917) and Tolkappiam (1928), memorials to him exist in places like Theni district, erected by the Shaiv Vellalar community, his promotion of Tamil literature often intersected with Shaiv devotional texts (Tirumurai, Periya Puranam), was active in organizations like the Shaiva Siddhanta Sangam (Madurai)
Dr. Vavilala Gopalakrishnayya (alias 'Andhra Gandhi', 'Telugu Bhishma')[10]	Andhra Pradesh	Telugu	Yes		Spoke of Ram Rajya in the context of democratic accountability, welfare state ideals ("land of dharma and a real of peace"), and political morality (nonviolence to achieve goals)
Vedaratnam Pillai (alias 'Sardar')	T.N.	Tamil			Involved in temple-based philanthropy (donations to schools attached to temple towns, supported annadanams near temples, helped build hospitals, hostels, or schools on temple-endowed lands), promoted ethical Gandhian vocabulary in public life
Dr. Venkata Subrahmaniam[11] (alias 'Shuddhananda Bharati')	T.N.	Tamil			Edited the journal Bharata Shakti wrote novels Kasturi and Viduthalai that contained both spirituality and politics
Vijay Singh Pathik	U.P.	Hindi			His revolutionary rhetoric drew from Rajput resistance memory and heroic anti-imperial traditions
Vinayak Narahar Bhave (alias 'Acharya Vinoba')	Gujarat	Marathi	Yes	Non-Member	Bhoodan leader, mentioned Hindu figures like Krishna in philosophical contexts, used slogans like "Jai Jagat" (Victory to the World), his statements emphasized spiritual equality and non-violence, drawing from Hindu texts for universal humanism, spoke of Ram Rajya like in Bhoodan movement discourse
Vyenkatesh Bhagvanrao Khedgikar (alias 'Swami Ramanand Tirtha')	Karnataka	Kannada	Yes	Member (Leader)	Was an Arya Samaj monk, drew from scriptures like Gita, rallied people against Nizam, became first President of the Hyderabad State Congress in 1947
Wanda Dynowska (alias 'Umadevi')	Poland	Polish			Established Polish-Indian Library (translated Hindu and Bauddh scriptures into Polish to share with fellow Poles), worked with fellow Pole Gandhian Swami Bharatanand

Non-aligned

Freedom Fighter	Home Region	Ethnicity	Ahimsa	Role	Symbolism
Alluri Sitarama Raju	Telangana	Telugu			Took sanyas, used to teach Gita to people
Ayodhya Prasad Upadhyay	U.P.				Volunteered lecturing Hindi at the Banaras Hindu University, wrote important works
Arani Subramaniya Sastri	T.N.	Tamil
Akkur Ananthachari	T.N.	Tamil
Bandopadhyaya (Acharya Buddharakkhita)	Manipur	Bengali			Opposed Christian missionaries wanting to converting Bauddhs and Sanatans, monk who founded Maha Bodhi Society[12] of Bengaluru, translated Dhammapada into English
Belagere Krishna Shastry	Karnataka	Kannada			Member of Gokhale Institute of Public Affairs[13], which promoted Hindu literature and philosophical discourse
Chatursen Shastri	U.P.			Yes	Wrote works both religious and sociopolitical, even critiquing Gandhi's nonviolent stance and in independent India, Nehru attempted to ban his books
Sir Chetput Pattabhirama Ramaswami Aiyar	T.N.	Tamil
Kattamuthu Ocha Thevar (alias 'Pappapatti Kattamuthu Mookiah')	T.N.	Tamil			Was disciple of Ukkirapandi Muthuramalinga Thevar
Natesa Iyer (alias 'Father Gangadhara Shastri')	T.N.	Tamil
Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty	T.N.	Tamil
George Arundale	England	English			Close friend of Besant, wrote Nirvana, which contained Hindu beliefs and terminology, and wrote other works
Sakkottai Krishnaswamy Iyengar	T.N.	Tamil
Kallidaikurichi S. Subramaniya Iyer	T.N.	Tamil
Mandayam Parthasarathi Tirumal Acharya	T.N.	Tamil
Nanak Bheel		Bhili			Propagated the movement of Govind Guru (disciple of Swami Dayanand) among tribals, organized public gatherings that incorporated bhajans and patriotic songs, and was martyred by British imperialist forces
Pothiram Upadhyay ('Swaroopanand Saraswati', 'Revolutionary Sadhu')	M.P.			Yes	A participant in 1942 Quit India Movement, he later 1st president of ABRRP, supported reclaiming Ram Janmabhumi and including shastras in curriculum, was Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharada Peeth from 1982 and before that of Jyotir Math, Badrinath (1973), mentioned Hindu figures like Ram, Krishna, Hanuman, and Shiva in speeches
Ramanathapuram Sankara Venkatarama Iyer	T.N.	Tamil
Rangaswami Iyengar (alias 'Alathur')	T.N.	Tamil
Seshayengar Srinivasa Raghavaiyangar	T.N.	Tamil
Dr. Swaminatha Sastri	T.N.	Tamil
Thakur Akshay Singh Ratnu	M.P.				Renovated the Karni Mata temple, wrote devotional works like "Maa Karni Vandana Stotram", in his family memoirs is credited with instilling "Sanskaras of Sanatan Hindu Dharma", wrote about Maharana Pratap, known as Sahityabhushana
Tiruppur Subrahmanya Avinashilingam Chettiar	T.N.	Tamil			Ramakrishna Mission member
Ukkirapandi Muthuramalinga Thevar (alias 'Pasumpon')	T.N.	Tamil			Lived as a sadhu, combined political activism with Hindu spirituality and community leadership, kept strong links to Hindu religious networks in T.N., had temple-centered authority
Varahaneri Venkatesa Subramaniam Aiyar	T.N.	Tamil
Veer Narayan Singh	Chhattisgarh	Chhattisgarhi