The Congress Radio, also known as the Azad Hind Radio (not to be confused with Subhas Chandra Bose’s Berlin-based broadcast), was a clandestine, underground wireless station that operated during the initial intense phase of the Quit India Movement. It served as a critical anti-colonial information network, filling the communication vacuum created by the British administration’s pre-emptive arrest of the top Congress leadership under Operation Zero Hour.
Tactical Genesis and Setup
Following the launch of the Quit India Movement on August 8, 1942, the British Raj imposed strict press censorship under the Defense of India Rules, blocking nationalist newspapers and regulating All India Radio (AIR) to broadcast state propaganda.
The Founders
To counter this information blockade, a group of young socialist activists and engineers came together in Bombay to establish an independent, underground broadcasting unit.
- Usha Mehta: A 22-year-old student who became the primary organizer, announcer, and driving force behind the station.
- Babu Bhai Khakar: A businessman who provided the initial financial backing and logistics.
- Vithaldas Madhavji Khakar and Chandrakant Jhaveri: Handled procurement of materials and secure locations.
- Nariman Printer: An expert radio engineer who custom-built the low-power amateur transmitter using salvaged components.
The First Broadcast
The station went on the air for the first time on August 27, 1942. Usha Mehta opened the broadcast with the historic announcement:
“This is the Congress Radio calling from somewhere in India.”
Operational Modus Operandi
Operating a secret radio station under wartime emergency regulations required exceptional precision and constant evasion of British radar detection.
Mobile Transmission Strategy
The team knew that the British authorities deployed mobile direction-finding equipment to trace wireless signals. To prevent detection, the team constantly shifted the physical location of the transmitter across Bombay. They moved between hidden apartments, empty warehouses, and private residences in areas like Walkeshwar, Khar, and Girgaum.
Broadcast Schedule and Reach
- Frequency: The station broadcasted on a shortwave frequency around 42.34 meters.
- Timing: Initially, it broadcasted once a day, but later expanded to twice daily (morning and evening transmissions).
- Geographic Spread: Despite the low-power equipment, the signal was strong enough to be intercepted by listeners across Bombay, and occasionally reached as far as Madras, Calcutta, and parts of the United Provinces (UP).
Content, Ideology, and Key Contributors
The Congress Radio was not merely a news outlet; it acted as the central ideological directory of the leaderless movement.
Programming and News Delivery
- Reporting British Atrocities: The station broadcasted verified news of mass shootings, public floggings, collective fines, and the air-bombing of protesting crowds in rural pockets like Talcher and Gorakhpur—news that was systematically suppressed by official British censors.
- Movement Updates: It shared the progress of parallel governments (Prati Sarkar) in Ballia and Tamluk, industrial strikes in Ahmedabad, and the sabotage of railway networks, keeping the public morale high.
- Ideological Speeches: Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, who was operating from the underground Central Directorate of the Congress, frequently wrote and delivered passionate speeches over the radio, urging the masses to remain resilient and stick to Gandhi’s “Do or Die” mandate.
The Raid and Historical Significance
The British administration viewed the secret transmitter as a significant security threat that challenged their monopoly on information during the war.
The Betrayal and Shutdown
The colonial police mobilized a specialized wireless detection unit to hunt down the station. After nearly three months of operation, the station’s location was compromised due to a betrayal by a local technician who assisted Nariman Printer. On November 12, 1942, the police raided the final transmission site at Parekh Wadi in Girgaum, Bombay, catching Usha Mehta and her associates mid-broadcast.
The Trial and Aftermath
The captured team was tried in a special court under the Congress Radio Conspiracy Case.
- Nariman Printer turned approver for the state.
- Babu Bhai Khakar was sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment.
- Usha Mehta was sentenced to four years of imprisonment at the Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, where she was kept under harsh conditions but refused to reveal the names of other underground leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan or Achyut Patwardhan.
Impact on the Freedom Struggle
The Congress Radio demonstrated the technological adaptability of the younger nationalist cadre during World War II. By sustaining an independent line of communication for 77 days, it successfully dented the colonial state’s propaganda machinery, kept the spirit of the leaderless Quit India mass movement alive, and provided a template for psychological warfare that forced the British to realize the deep penetration of anti-colonial sentiment.
Last Modified: June 12, 2026