Buoyed by the positive feedback from part I, Sagarika went back to tweet about the latter half of India’s independence movement. Picking up from where she left off, Sagarika arrived in the year 1921 to witness the elevation of Mahatma Gandhi to the top post in the Indian National Congress. Gandhiji launched the non-cooperation movement, a vehicle for mass civil disobedience, which, amongst other things, encouraged Indians to boycott foreign goods. As a consequence, Gandhi started spinning khadi clothes on his chakra, inspiring thousands of Indians to do the same and eschew western clothing. Sagarika had her own unique perspective, airing her views on the aesthetic suitability of Indian males donning khadi.

In 1922, as the movement was gathering momentum, Gandhiji abruptly called it off after an agitating mob turned violent and killed 22 policemen in Chauri Chaura, a town near Gorakhpur. Gandhiji was arrested and tried for sedition. Sagarika had her own demons to slay and went a little off-script once again.

1928: As an act of retribution for Lala Lajpat Rai’s death from a lathi-charge ordered by the then superintendent of police, James A Scott, Bhagat Singh and Rajguru decided to shoot him but ended up mistakenly killing officer John Saunders.

Bhagat Singh’s fame spread further when in 1929, along with Batukeshwar Dutt, he threw a couple of bombs into the Punjab Assembly from the visitors’ gallery as a symbolic protest against British rule. While these heroic acts made him a household name, there were other moderate voices, including Mahatma Gandhi, who denounced these acts for their inherent nihilism and violence. Sagarika, however, had some interesting concerns.

1930 saw the inception of the “Salt Satyagraha” or the “Dandi march” started by Gandhi, an extremely long trek from Ahmedabad to Dandi to protest against the tax on salt. The campaign, which can undoubtedly be counted as one of Gandhi’s most successful ones, saw the British imprisoning about 60,000 people.

While waiting in Dandi to report Gandhi’s arrival, Sagarika had some interesting things to say about the place.

March 1931 saw the Gandhi-Irwin Pact being signed, as a consequence of which Gandhi agreed to discontinue the civil disobedience movement and participate as the sole representative of the Congress in the talks for devolution of political power. However, when the second Round Table Conference, which was held in London, ended in failure, Gandhi returned to India, determined to resume the civil disobedience movement in 1932. Sagarika focused on another aspect of the mass agitation.

In 1935, the historic Government of India Act, a constitutional act to devolve power to local elected bodies, was enacted, amid deteriorating relations between the Congress and the Muslim league over the issues of separate electorates. Sagarika took the road less travelled with an invigorating debate on Face The nation.

In 1939, Britain declared war on Germany with the then Viceroy, Linlithgow, declaring India’s entry, without prior consultations. Sagarika had her own online war to fight.

However, being the brave fighter that she is, she didn’t let any of the criticism and abuse hamper her reporting, which won appreciation from various quarters.

In what can be seen as a difference of opinion over ideologies and approaches, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose quit the INC, parting ways with Gandhi. Sagarika feared another violent revolution on the cards.

In 1942, just when the allies were turning the corner against the axis powers, Gandhiji decided that enough was enough and launched the ‘Quit India’ movement for complete independence. While most people looked at the positive aspect, Sagarika, for the sake of a balanced debate, flagged concerns.

Meanwhile, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who had broken ranks with Gandhiji and his cohorts, went on to raise the Indian National Army (INA), preferring military methods to gain unconditional independence. As Sagarika had feared earlier, Subhas Chandra Bose made one of his most-famous speeches in 1944, in which he said “Give me blood and I shall give you freedom”.

As the war came to an end, the subcontinent welcomed the Mountbattens into India, with many gushing over Lady Edwina Mountbatten. She was cordially welcomed to Face The Nation.

August 15th, 1947 saw the decades of struggle culminating in India’s independence. However, this was accompanied by savage butchery, loss of human life, and displacement of people as the mother country was partitioned. India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, delivered the much-revered Independence speech, which Sagarika promptly discussed on her show.

Sagarika signed off in style, with one final tweet, expressing delight and marvel over the Indian tricolour unfurled in all its majestic glory over the ramparts of the historic Red Fort.