Bharati Choudhary alias Asha Sahay at her Nathnagar residence. Picture by Amit Kumar

Bhagalpur, Sept. 25: As a teenager, she stood up against the Britons for our Independence. Now, octogenarian Bharati Choudhary alias Asha Sahay has decided to form a trust in the name of her father for women empowerment.

Bharati, 83, a former lieutenant colonel of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Azad Hind Fauj, is the daughter of late Anand Mohan Sahay, a prominent member of Netaji’s army.

Bharati was born in Japan in 1928 to Anand Mohan Sahay and his wife Sati Sahay. Freedom fighter Rash Behari Bose was her maternal uncle. The young couple migrated to Japan in 1923, and like non-resident Indians were highly influenced by Netaji, who visited Japan on their invitation in 1943.

Bharati, who at present, lives with her younger son in Delhi, now passes her time in solitude and fondly remembers her days with Netaji. She still has a house in the Purani Rai locality at Nathnagar in Bhagalpur. Recently, she came to Bhagalpur and had a talk with The Telegraph about her plans for women empowerment and girls’ education.

She said: “My father always advocated women empowerment and founded several charitable institutions, like schools, to promote girls’ education in his time. He also established the Rajkiya Kanya Uchcha Vidyalaya in Nathnagar. “My father always spoke of welfare of women and so I decided to open a trust in his name at his native place here. It will be dedicated to the welfare of women,” Bharati added.

On the present scenario of India, she said: “The great leader always stressed on the need of a disciplined Indian society, sometimes which the society still lacks. Even during my last interaction with him on July 25, 1945, in Bangkok, Netaji told us (girls of the regiment) not to be afraid and continue fighting for Independence.” Alleging the state government’s harassment in receiving her freedom fighter’s pension, Choudhary said: “Earlier, I did not take freedom fighter’s pension on my father’s instruction. But after the death of my husband and elder son, I was compelled to accept the freedom fighter’s pension from 1987.”