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The Legacy of Congress Radio: Usha Mehta's Fight for Freedom

On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi's call to action inspired a young law student, Usha Mehta, to establish Congress Radio, an underground station that broadcasted crucial messages during India's fight for independence. This article delves into her remarkable journey, the challenges she faced, and the legacy she left behind. Learn how her broadcasts informed and mobilized the nation against colonial rule, and discover the impact of her courageous actions on the freedom movement.
By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 10, 2026, 17:41 IST

Usha Mehta and the Underground Radio Station


On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi delivered his iconic "Karo ya Maro" (Do or Die) speech, urging Indians to rise against British colonialism. A young law student from Wilson College in Bombay (now Mumbai), inspired by this call, initiated an underground radio station. With the assistance of fellow activists like Babubhai Khakar, Vithalbhai Jhaveri, and Chandrakant Jhaveri, she managed to secure a hidden transmitter to broadcast Gandhi’s messages through what became known as Congress Radio. Her voice resonated with the words, “This is the Congress Radio calling on 42.34 metres from somewhere in India.”


As detailed in Usha Thakkar’s book, Congress Radio: Usha Mehta and the Underground Radio Station of 1942, this secretive station transmitted recorded messages from Gandhi and other key figures in the independence movement. It operated from various locations to evade capture, reporting on significant events from Chittagong to Jamshedpur, and countering the colonial government's propaganda for three months until their arrest in November.


Initially, broadcasts occurred once daily but later increased to twice a day in both English and Hindustani. In a 1969 interview, Mehta remarked, “When the press is silenced and news is banned, a transmitter is invaluable for spreading the message of rebellion to the farthest reaches of the nation.” The Mahatma Gandhi website notes that on November 9, the station declared, “Congress Radio does not operate for entertainment or propaganda, but to provide directives to the Indian populace in their quest for freedom.”


Congress Radio was the first to cover the Chittagong bomb raid, the Jamshedpur strike, and events in Ballia. Mehta recounted to Thakkar, “We broadcast detailed accounts of the atrocities in Ashti and Chimur. Newspapers were too afraid to address these issues; only Congress Radio had the courage to inform the public about the reality.”


Alongside Mehta, Khakar, Vithalbhai, Chandrakant, and Nanak Gainchand Motwane were arrested. While Vithalbhai and Motwane were acquitted, the others received four-year prison sentences. Mehta was imprisoned in Pune’s Yerawada Jail and released in 1946. The media dubbed her “Radio-ben.” Despite her declining health, she remained a staunch Gandhian throughout her life, receiving the Padma Vibhushan in 1998 and passing away in 2000.