The Flame of Freedom: Bela Mitra—Netaji’s Niece Who Fought with Courage and Sacrifice

Special Report | Online Bango Barta

Bela Mitra (née Bose), born in 1920 in Kodalia, South 24 Parganas, was the fiery niece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A freedom fighter and social worker, she played a vital role in India’s struggle.

She joined the Jhansi Rani Brigade of the INA, built a secret shelter for revolutionaries, and operated a clandestine radio transmitter in 1944—sending messages from Kolkata to Singapore at great personal risk.

When her husband Haridas Mitra was sentenced to death by the British, she appealed directly to Mahatma Gandhi. Due to relentless petitions, the British commuted the sentence, saving Haridas and three other revolutionaries.

After independence, she formed the Jhansi Rani Relief Team and worked for the rehabilitation of refugees from East Pakistan. Tragically, she passed away young—at only 32 years old, on 31 July 1952.

Her name lives on: in 1958, the Belanagar Railway Station was named after her—the first station in India to be named after an Indian woman.

👉 Former Finance Minister Amit Mitra was her son.