RSS volunteer Umakant Kadia was the first martyr during 'Quit India' movement

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) – Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteer Umakant Kadia was the first martyr to sacrifice his life for the country during the ‘Quit India’ movement. The British shot at 21-year-old Umakant Kadia while he was at the forefront of the protest in Ahmedabad the day after the ‘Quit India’ movement began.

1. India celebrated its 79^th Independence Day on August 15^th. Lakhs of people sacrificed their lives for this freedom. The names of some revolutionaries were recorded in history; but there were many who were forgotten by the people. Umakant Kadia is one of them.

2. The ‘Quit India’ movement started on 8^th August 1942. Protests started in Ahmedabad on 9^th August. The first leader of this movement was Umakant Kadia of Ahmedabad. He himself was a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

3. When the protests started on August 9^th, Umakant Kadia was standing in the front. Someone in the crowd asked him to retreat; but he remained firm. Seeing such fearlessness in a young man, an Englishman shot him, and he died on the spot.

4. The incident took place in the Khadiya area of Ahmedabad. A memorial of Umakant Motiram Kadia was later built there. He was the first martyr of this movement.

5. Umakant Kadia was a resident of Dariyapur area of Ahmedabad. He was only 21 years old at the time of the ‘Quit India’ movement. He was not only a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, but also the head teacher of a RSS branch.

6. The sacrifices of volunteers like Umakant Kadia prove that the RSS played an important role in India’s freedom struggle. However, the Congress and the Communists deliberately ignored this.