Congress Radio and Underground Communication

The arrest of senior leadership during Operation Zero Hour on August 9, 1942, left the Quit India Movement without a central command. In response, a network of young activists established clandestine channels to coordinate resistance, relay news, and maintain public morale. Among these initiatives, the Secret Congress Radio emerged as an effective tool of anti-colonial propaganda. Operating underground from Bombay, this secret station bypassed strict wartime censorship imposed by the British administration, broadcasting speeches, news of police atrocities, and operational instructions across India.

Origin and Setup of Secret Congress Radio

Following the launch of the Quit India Movement, British authorities banned the Indian National Congress and seized its publications. The colonial administration enforced rigid censorship under the Defence of India Rules. To counter this news blackout, activists decided to build an independent radio station.

Key Organizers and Technical Support

• Usha Mehta: A 22-year-old student who played the central role in running daily operations and announcing broadcasts.
• Babubhai Khakhar: A Bombay businessman who financed the purchase of equipment and arranged secret transmitter locations.
• Vithalbhai Jhaveri and Chandrakant Jhaveri: Handled logistics, message drafting, and technical assistance.
• Nanka Motwane: Owner of Chicago Radio in Bombay, who secretly provided technical components, transmitters, and repair support.

First Broadcast and Transmission Details

• The Secret Congress Radio made its first broadcast on August 27, 1942.
• Usha Mehta opened the broadcast with the words: “This is the Congress Radio broadcasting on 42.34 metres from somewhere in India.”
• The station broadcasted twice daily in both English and Hindustani.
• The station played patriotic tunes, including Vande Mataram and Iqbal’s Sare Jahan Se Achha.

Operational Strategy and Mobile Transmitters

To evade British intelligence and signal-tracking vans, the operators frequently shifted the radio equipment between different residential flats in Bombay.

Locations Used

• Girgaum Road: Early transmission site.
• Chowpatty: Shifted to avoid local police surveillance.
• Parekh Wadi: Used briefly for evening transmissions.
• Laxmi Building: Final location in Bombay where the police eventually raided the setup.

Programming and Prominent Speakers

• Ram Manohar Lohia: Served as the chief regular speaker, delivering broadcasts on economic resistance, international developments, and anti-colonial action.
• Aruna Asaf Ali and Achyut Patwardhan: Provided written statements and messages to be read on air.
• Content Broadcasted: Uncensored news on factory strikes, peasant revolts, parallel governments, railway derailments, and police violence against peaceful protesters.

Police Raid and Trials

British authorities deployed specialized detection units to trace the radio signals. On November 12, 1942, police raided the Laxmi Building site during a live broadcast.

• Usha Mehta and Babubhai Khakhar were arrested while playing Vande Mataram.
• The operators faced trials in a special court under the Defence of India Rules.
• Usha Mehta refused to answer police interrogations during her detention.
• She was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment at Yerwada Jail in Pune and was released in March 1946.

Broader Underground Communication Networks

The Secret Congress Radio was part of a wider underground communication framework created to sustain the 1942 rebellion.

Key High-Yield Facts

• The Secret Congress Radio began broadcasting on August 27, 1942, on a frequency of 42.34 meters.
• Usha Mehta announced the opening line of the broadcast: “This is the Congress Radio broadcasting on 42.34 metres from somewhere in India.”
• Nanka Motwane, owner of Chicago Radio, supplied technical components and transmitters to the underground radio team.
• Ram Manohar Lohia was the main leader who regularly wrote and delivered speeches on the Congress Radio.
• Police raided the secret station at Laxmi Building in Bombay on November 12, 1942, arresting Usha Mehta and Babubhai Khakhar.
• Usha Mehta served her four-year prison term at Yerwada Jail in Pune until her release in March 1946.
• Jayaprakash Narayan escaped from Hazaribagh Central Jail during Diwali in 1942 to establish the Azad Dasta in the Terai region of Nepal.
• Clandestine news sheets such as Krantikari were printed secretly to circulate instructions among underground movement workers.