Usha Mehta

Usha Mehta was a firebrand activist during the Quit India movement in Bombay. Well known for her role in organising and running what came to be known as 'Congress Radio' in the year 1942. While as an owner and the chief announcer of her radio station Usha started its broadcasting on August 14, 1942; saying, “This is Congress Radio calling on 42.84 meters from somewhere in India. Her associates included Vithalbhai Jhaveri, Chandrakant Jhaveri, Babubhai Thakkar and Nanka Motwani, owner of Chicago Radio, who supplied equipments and provided technicians.

She broad casted news and gave talks in Hindustani. This was the first radio station to relay the news of chittagong bomb raid, Jamshedpur strikes and atrocities at Ashti Chimur etc. The speeches were meant to highlight the Congress stand both from national and international point of view. The Radio station operated till the end of December 1942, with Rammanohar Lohia as a frequent speaker and patriotic songs like Iqbal’s ‘Sare Jahan Se Aehha Hindustan Hamara’ as well as Vande Mataram were sung regularly. Thereafter, it was raided by the government on November 12, 1942 and she was arrested what came to be known as 'Radio Conspiracy Case'. She was sentenced to four year imprisonment and sent to Yerwada jail where she remained till April 1946.