Atri Devi made invaluable contribution to the freedom struggle in Delhi. She was born in 1914 in Neb Serai village located in Mehrauli area of Delhi. Her husband’s name was Chaudhary Balak Singh Ram. She received education till ‘Bhushan’ which may be of primary or at best secondary standard. In 1939, Atri Devi was rewarded with a gold medal for her outstanding work by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. She represented Delhi in the Tripura session of the All India Congress in 1939 itself. Later she served in the District Congress Committee as a Vice President and later as a Minister. In 1941, she participated in individual Satyagraha and got arrested. On January 27, 1941, she was sentenced to one and a half years’ imprisonment. During that period, she first remained in the Central Jail in Delhi and on January 28, 1941, she was transferred to the Women’s Prison in Lahore. On January 26, 1942, while hoisting the flag, she was gravely injured by police lathi charge in Lahore Jail.
Atri was again sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for six months in November 20, 1942 and sent to the Central Jail, Delhi and later shifted to the Women’s Prison, Lahore on 26 November 1942. The Nation pays its tribute to this unsung hero of the freedom struggle for her sacrifice and courage.