Congress Radio

Congress Radio, also known as Azad Radio, was a clandestine broadcasting station that operated during the Quit India Movement of 1942, a major phase of India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule. The station served as the unofficial voice of the Indian National Congress and became a vital communication channel for circulating nationalist messages at a time when official media were tightly controlled by the British government. It ran for a brief but impactful period—from 27 August to 12 November 1942—broadcasting from shifting secret locations in Bombay (now Mumbai) and, for a short period, Nashik.

Background and Establishment

During the Second World War, the British administration suspended all amateur radio licences throughout the Empire, requiring operators to surrender their equipment. The intention was to prevent unauthorised broadcasts and minimise the risk of radio communication falling into enemy hands. Meanwhile, All India Radio (AIR) broadcast government propaganda and provided no space for dissenting voices from the rapidly growing national movement.
In early August 1942, following the Indian National Congress’s proclamation of the Quit India Movement and Gandhi’s historic Do or Die call, nationalist leaders were swiftly arrested. The crackdown led to widespread unrest and an urgent need for an independent communication platform. Against this backdrop, Usha Mehta, then a 22-year-old student at Wilson College, partnered with Congress activist Vithalbhai Jhaveri to establish an underground radio station. They sought the assistance of amateur radio operators Nariman Abarbad Printer and Bob Tanna, who helped assemble and operate the equipment, assisted by Nanik Motwane of Chicago Radio, Bombay.
Other contributors included Ram Manohar Lohia, Achyutrao Patwardhan, Vitthaldas Khakar, Chandrakant Jhaveri, and Babubhai Thakkar, many of whom played significant roles in India’s political life after independence.

Operations and Broadcasting Methods

Congress Radio began broadcasting on 27 August 1942 at 7.30 p.m. from the top floor of the Sea View building in Chowpatty, Bombay. Usha Mehta opened the first transmission with the announcement:
“This is Congress Radio calling on 42.34 metres from somewhere in India.”
The station’s operators implemented strict security measures. The recording and transmission setups were kept separate, and the team frequently changed locations to evade detection. Sites included residential buildings such as Ajit Villa, Laxmi Bhavan, Parekh Wadi, and Paradise Bungalow near the Mahalakshmi Temple. For a brief interval, operations shifted to Nashik, where equipment was reportedly hidden in the Godavari River to prevent seizure.
Broadcasts aired on the 40-metre band, a frequency then unoccupied. Although the British occasionally attempted jamming, transmissions were heard widely across India and even in Japanese-occupied Burma.

Programming and Content

Programming typically began with the patriotic song “Sare Jahan se Achha” and ended with “Vande Mataram”, which later became India’s national song. The station aired recorded speeches and messages from key nationalist figures, including Gandhi, and provided news items that mainstream newspapers—subject to censorship—could not publish.
The news bulletins were read in English by Ram Manohar Lohia, Coomi Dastur, Achyut Patwardhan, Moinuddin Harris, and Usha Mehta. Mehta also voiced the Hindustani-language bulletins.
The content frequently highlighted themes of freedom, secularism and internationalism. Congress Radio broadcast reports of brutality and human rights abuses by British authorities, including accounts of assaults and rapes, urging resistance and collective action. It appealed to workers, peasants, students and soldiers to join the national struggle and emphasised the importance of unity between Hindus and Muslims. Messages also reached beyond India, placing the Quit India Movement within a global context of anti-colonial struggles.

Detection and Shutdown

British authorities became aware of the unauthorised broadcasts within three days but initially failed to locate the source, owing to the frequent relocation of the equipment. By October 1942, the CID Special Bureau had intensified surveillance and began transcribing transmissions.
Nariman Printer was eventually arrested and, under pressure, revealed the location of the final broadcasting site—Paradise Bungalow. On 12 November 1942, during the closing strains of “Vande Mataram”, police raided the property and shut down Congress Radio. Mehta and the other operators were arrested immediately afterward.
Usha Mehta faced a secret trial in what became known as the Radio Conspiracy Case. On 13 May 1943, she was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment at Yerawada Central Jail, Pune. Printer received legal immunity for cooperating with the Crown.

Legacy and Cultural Portrayal

Although short-lived, Congress Radio became a powerful symbol of resistance during the Quit India Movement. It demonstrated how clandestine communication could mobilise public sentiment, counter colonial propaganda and sustain morale during a period of severe repression.
The station—and particularly Usha Mehta’s role—continues to hold a significant place in India’s independence narrative. In contemporary popular culture, the story has been revisited through works such as the 2024 Hindi historical film Ae Watan Mere Watan, which dramatises the establishment and operation of the underground station and foregrounds Usha Mehta’s courage.