Saquib Salim

“Usha Mehta was convicted and sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment, in what is known as the Congress Radio Case. The programmes broadcast from the illegal Radio Station included speeches, songs, news bulletins, and directions to the public in furtherance of the civil disobedience movement. In nearly every case, these programmes were broadcast from gramophone records. Usha Mehta made several of these records, repeating speeches written by Ram Manohar Lohia, a leading Congress Socialist. She also operated the transmitter and did the necessary announcing through the microphone.”

The above note of the Secretary to the Government of Bombay was sent to the Home Department, at Delhi, in January 1946.

What was the Congress Radio Case?

On 8 August 1942, the All-India National Congress led by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad passed the Quit India Movement proposed by Mahatma Gandhi to start a nationwide civil disobedience movement. At a time when the British Army was bogged down in World War II, the movement posed a serious threat to the British. By the morning of 9 August, almost all the leaders of Congress were arrested; only a few like Ram Manohar Lohia managed to go underground.

Congress was a banned organization, and its leaders were behind bars. The question was how to disseminate the nationalist propaganda to the masses. At this time, a 22-year-old graduate student, Usha Mehta, volunteered for the task. Usha had participated in the agitations against the Simon Commission at the age of 8 and the Salt Satyagraha at the age of 12 years.

Usha was present at the session where the Quit India resolution was adopted. She later recalled, “Based on my study of the history of revolutions in other countries of the World, I suggested that if we could establish a radio station of our own, it would help us very much in keeping the people informed about the latest developments in the movement. A perusal of the history of the campaigns had convinced us that a transmitter of our own was perhaps the need of the hour. When the press is gagged and news banned, a transmitter helps a good deal in acquainting the public with the events that occur. We had realized the tremendous propaganda value of a transmitter, and the idea that with a powerful transmitter, we could reach foreign countries thrilled us. So, Babubhai (Khakar), I, and other colleagues decided to work for Freedom Radio.”

The Bombay Congress Bulletin informed its readers on 3 September 1942 that the Congress Radio would start broadcasting from ‘somewhere in India’ at 42.34 mts. on the same night. The news alerted the British intelligence services, but they could not locate the transmission centre till 12 November 1942. It took collaborative operations by the special branch, CID, Military Intelligence, Naval Department, and Air Force to arrest the persons running the radio.

The police also arrested Jaganath Raghunath Thakur, Nariman Adarbad Printer, Vithaldas Madhavji (Babubhai) Khakhar, V. K. Jhaveri, and N. G. Motwane for establishing Congress Radio. The police investigations showed that Ram Manohar Lohia was behind financing the equipment and also writing the text for the speeches broadcast on the radio.

Every day, the broadcast started with the song “Hindustan ke hum hain Hindustan humara” and ended with “Vande Mataram”, in between the speeches of the leaders like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel etc. were read by Usha and Jhaveri. A news bulletin was also read out to inform people about the ‘brutalities’ by the British government. It is believed that the mass rapes at Chimur by the British Army were brought to the public attention by Congress Radio.

In the court Usha did not defend herself. The judge noted, “If accused No.3 had gone there for any innocent purpose in ignorance of what was going on, she could have said so, but she deserves all the credit for refusing to state a falsehood to save herself.…… Accused No.3 is thus found to have joined the conspiracy from the beginning and to have continued taking active part in it until the transmitter was seized by the police. She is, therefore, guilty of the offenses in items Nos.1, 2, 3, and 5 of the charge.”

Later, in an interview with Chandrika Vyas, Usha Mehta recalled, “I was kept in an isolated cell and taken to the C.I.D. for constant interrogation. This went on for about 6 months, which was a real mental torture. The jail authorities tried to lure me with all the temptations such as foreign studies, pursuing hobbies, etc, but they could not succeed. My colleagues at that time were Vithalbai Jhaveri, Chandrakant Jhaveri, Nanik Motwani of Chicago Radios, and Babubhai Thakkar. We were all arrested together because of our underground radio activities. I was the only woman prisoner, and you know what solitary confinement can do to a human being. Yet, I am grateful to God that I could remain normal despite all the harassment in jail.

Investigations went on for 6 months, after which a special court was set up. For 1-2 months, we went to the High Court and then were sent to jail. Anyway, I had decided not to open my mouth come what may, even if they offered to do things for me. The Judge asked me several questions. I only said,' Is it compulsory to answer your question? To which he replied. “No!”

When the Congress Provincial Ministries were formed in 1946, Usha was released from Yarvada jail. Thousands of people welcomed her at the railway station in Mumbai. She narrated to Usha Thakkar, “As I was thinking about this and thanking the Lord for showering His grace on me, an old man with shaking hands came near me and put a small silver idol of Lord Krishna in my hands. I gave it to my mother, who was a great devotee of Lord Krishna, her dear Ranchhodji as he is popularly known and worshipped in Gujarat. She asked me, “Who gave you this?”

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I said, “This old man, who is hardly able to walk.” Looking around, I did not find him. He was either pushed out by the surging crowd or deliberately chose to disappear. While I was trying to solve this riddle, my mother said, “My Ranchhodrai came to bless you. We are unfortunate that we could not have His darshan. We are fortunate we got His blessings. Let us bow down to Him and pray that India becomes free soon.”