Randomly scrolling the youtube I found a video talking about Neera Arya: India’s First Female Spy, but the video was neither very pleasing nor very adorable it reflected the harsh reality of british army and the pain faced by our superheroes who gave their lives for the independence of our motherland. I searched the entire web to gather more information and knowledge about her but I barely found much more covering about her.
Let’s understand what historical evidence actually says. The truth is, Neera Arya was indeed a real fighter and a pioneer in Bose’s Rani of Jhansi regiment.
Born on 5th March 1902 in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. She was passionate about India’s freedom. She eventually joined the Azad Hind Fauj as she was always passionate about India’s freedom, she always wanted her motherland to be free.
She was married to Shrikant Jai Ranjan Das, a British intelligence officer who was a CID officer of the British Army. Her husband found that she was deeply involved into
Neera Arya was born on 5 March 1902 in Khekra Nagar, Baghpat district (now Uttar Pradesh) to a well established family of Arya Samaj.She and her brother were educated in Kolkata where they were influenced by nationalist ideals. Neera from a young age was interested in the cause of freedom of India. Finally she joined Indian National Army (INA) under the leadership of Netaji Bose and became a member of Rani of Jhansi Regiment (All Women Regiment).
In fact, Bose later bestowed her name as the first female spy of the INA because of her zeal. As per Neera Arya’s official biography, she was serving in the ranks of Bose and was involved in secret missions for the cause. The interesting thing is that, although later stories embellished her tale with dramatic flair, this is a documented patriotism.
The True Incident: Saving Bose by Sacrificing Personal Ties
Neera Arya’s marriage was arranged to a British intelligence officer, Shrikant Jai Ranjan Das.
Shrikant was a CID Inspector with the British and Neera was a nationalist. Conflict was inevitable. Multiple histories state that Shrikant found out about Neera’s involvement in the INA and started somehow demanding her information regarding Netaji. One day, in 1943, he followed her, and when she met with Bose, he fired her.
Luckily for Bose he did not come to harm and was shot in the driver’s seat. It was then that Neera Arya realized her husband was going to betray India’s leader. She was almost immediately able to kill Shrikant and save Bose’s life.
This act is not a myth, there are sources that provide evidence that Neera took the life of her husband for the cause of the freedom movement.
Netaji himself called her, “Neera Nagini” for this.
In 1945, as the Indian troops from the Azad Hind Fauj, who have fought with the Japanese surrendered, the British troops rounded up the INA soldiers. All the other female soldiers were freed, but Neera Arya was picked out. She has been prosecuted in the Red Fort trials for murder, espionage and treason.
When it came out in court, it was revealed that she had murdered the British CID officer Shrikant. The judge condemned her for committing that act. Sentenced to life imprisonment in infamous Andaman “Cellular Jail” (Kala Pani)
This murder sentencing occurred outside of the other INA cases, and is backed up by historical records and period press accounts.
Kala Pani (Cellular Jail) in the Andaman Islands where Neera Arya was imprisoned and tortured. This remote fortress served as a prison for political prisoners, including INA officers, for the British.
Prison and Torture:
In the Cellular Jail Neera Arya was frequently interrogated regarding where Netaji Bose was. Historical records and her own words indicate that she did not provide any information.
The British used all of their enticements. They are said to have given her liberty or bail, provided she disclosed Bose’s whereabouts or any other information regarding the Independence movement.
Neera however, flatly declined. Even spat at one of the guards in defiance when threatened by British officials. Documents and biographies of Neera Arya note that she was a “pillar of courage” under interrogation
Historical sources prove that Neera Arya suffered severe beatings in jail.
One British commandant even ordered the jail blacksmith to extract her leg and hand chains, using hammers to break the chains and cause blood to flow from her wrist and ankles.
She was screaming in agony but she didn’t break. Worse tortures followed. According to modern accounts, she was used to a “breast ripper.” According to prison folklore, the jailers beat this hard object into her chest to disfigure her breasts as punishment for her silence.
There is no doubt in any source that when Neera Arya was asked the question ‘Where is Netaji?’, she would only say ‘I know nothing’ or ‘Netaji lives in my heart’, defying them.
Yes, the Brits tortured her bad, for this silence.
The Heart-Removal Story
The popular story goes that, after Neera replied “Netaji is in my heart” a furious British officer shouted “If he is in your heart, we will take it away” and had her heart cut out. Severe chest torture is recorded in the main historical accounts and biographies. For instance, The Better India and Her Circle report how Neera’s breasts were cut and cauterized during interrogation.
However, cutting out her heart is never mentioned. Likewise, there is no record in the prison records of the Cellular Jail (or in Neera’s own testimony) of anyone having her heart ripped out of her. Sensational “heart removal” aspect only shows up in later retellings and Internet posts, and not in the archival documents. That, in brief, is more than likely a later embellishment in that story. What can be confirmed is that Neera Arya never betrayed Bose and the INA in the face of every torture. Despite the agony she faced would be unimaginable, she would not reveal any secret.
Legacy and Later Life
Once India became independent in 1947 all INA prisoners were set free. Finally Neera Arya walked out of Kala Pani. She went to Hyderabad where her adoptive father was living and lived out her years quietly. Unfortunately, Neera Arya died in poverty and in obscurity due to her remarkable sacrifices. She was said to have made a bare living by selling flowers around Charminar, a monument.
She had said that her service to the country of India did not need any reward and she did not want any pension or honour.
Neera Arya died on July 26, 1998 at Osmania Hospital, Hyderabad.
Her story has appeared only recently – a new biopic will be made to celebrate her patriotism. These facts remain: she preferred country to comfort, she endured unspeakable torture under the British colonists but did not say a word, she was unknown in colonial histories.