The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) will organise a programme to honour 160 young freedom fighters who died from 1857 to 1947, officials said on Sunday.
Under its the theme “martyrs under 20 years”, the ICHR will oraginse exhibitions, seminars and youth conclaves from May 2026 to “inspire youth through stories of unsung heroes”. Coinciding with the birth centenary of Baji Rout, India’s youngest freedom fighter and martyr who was shot dead by British police at the age of 12 in Odisha’s Dhenkanal, the first leg of the programme is slated to be held in Odisha. Rout’s ongoing birth centenary celebrations, which began last October, will conclude on October 5 this year.
“The activities, costing over ₹75 lakh, will feature stories of teenage victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre to young revolutionaries like Khudiram Bose (19), and Kanaklata Barua (16), to child martyrs like Kali Bai (12) with an emphasis on reclaiming ignored histories,” officials said.
ICHR, an autonomous body under the ministry of education, in its latest research projects committee held in the last week of February 2026, has approved the proposal to organise academic activities on the theme martyrs under 20 years in collaboration with Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR). The objective of the project is “to spread awareness among youth and students about the sacrifice and patriotism of freedom fighters” and “to instill love for the motherland and a sense of national responsibility among the younger generation,” according to minutes of the meeting, approved in the third week of March 2026. HT has seen the minutes of the meeting.
The activities will include student and youth congregations, seminars and conventions across universities, colleges and schools; curated exhibitions on the theme; publications and monographs; talks and interactive sessions; essay competitions, debates and discussions; as well as the production and screening of documentary films.
{{/usCountry}}The activities will include student and youth congregations, seminars and conventions across universities, colleges and schools; curated exhibitions on the theme; publications and monographs; talks and interactive sessions; essay competitions, debates and discussions; as well as the production and screening of documentary films.
{{/usCountry}}Officials said the programme will highlight figures such as 12-year-old Kali Bai, who was shot in 1947 while trying to save her teacher; 16-year-old Kanaklata Barua, killed while leading a procession during Quit India; and 19-year-old revolutionary Khudiram Bose, executed in 1908. The list also includes several child victims of Jallianwala Bagh such as nine-year-old Hassan Mohammad and 12-year-old Hukam Singh, alongside teenage revolutionaries like Kartar Singh Sarabha, one of the youngest members of the Ghadar Party, who was executed in 1915 for his role in anti-colonial activities against British rule.
Historian Narayani Gupta said the approach of isolating teenage martyrs may miss a broader historical context, suggesting it would be more meaningful if it conveyed the diversity of places and moments in which these events occurred. “The theme could be an opportunity to convey a stronger sense of geography and the varied moments when history took unexpected turns… otherwise, there is a possibility it may remain broadly celebratory and shaped by present-day concerns,” Gupta said.
ICHR member secretary (officiating) Om Jee Upadhyay said the list of 160 Indian martyrs below the age of 20 has been drawn from primary archival sources and original documents. “The programmes on the theme of martyrs under 20 years old will be held nationwide. Through these programmes, ICHR aims to inspire youth, inculcate a sense of patriotism, and bring attention to lesser-known freedom fighters,” he said.
Among other proposals, the ICHR approved a two-day national seminar on Guru Tegh Bahadur to mark his 350th Shaheedi Diwas, as well as a two-day national seminar on the contribution of South Odisha to India’s traditional knowledge systems.