THE PEOPLE'S STRUGGLE

P.Sainath’s new book tells stories of the ordinary men and women who won Independence

- Shougat Dasgupta

Written with young readers in mind, The Last Heroes is both a tribute and an education

Journalist P. Sainath’s latest book is titled The Last Heroes. It’s a phrase that applies to the book’s author alongside the freedom fighters he profiles.

Because in a fraught and divided media landscape, Sainath is among the very last of India’s journalistic heroes. Certainly, he is the only well-known journalist left in India who makes it his business to focus on the travails of the rural poor, who still make up the vast majority of the country and who remain underserved by the government and media alike.

In keeping with his lifelong endeavour, Sainath tells the stories in The Last Heroes of ordinary people, of “farmers, landless labourers, workers, couriers, forest produce gatherers, homemakers, domestic help... even a couple of rebel members from families of landed gentry”. He tells the stories of those who have never been recognised or feted for their valour. Take Baji Mohammad from Odisha, who died in 2019 at the age of 103. He had met Gandhi and was firmly instructed to go back to Odisha: “Jail jao, lathi khao,” Gandhi told Mohammad. “Sacrifice for the nation.”

These instructions and the spirit of satyagraha stayed with Mohammad throughout his life. Sainath begins the chapter by describing Mohammad sitting under a