Even though she’s no more, Noor lives on

Devanshee

Even though she’s no more, Noor lives on

Noor’s death was a symbol of courage and resilience that echoes through the annals of history. There’s always a fear that some stories might fade with time. But when it comes to people like Noor who evoke powerful emotions through their actions, even the future generations honour them.

The princess, author, and spy. Image source: Femina.in

Many shows and movies (A call to Spy) have been directed that encompass the life of Noor Inayat Khan.

Even though Noor Inayat Khan met a tragic end, one must not overlook the resilience and courage of women like Noor, who put their lives on the line because they believed in the right cause.

Fear and oppression will always be spread by tyrannous agents in our society. Stories of spies like Noor Inayat Khan should inspire people and invoke these qualities of courage, determination, harmony, and resilience to move ahead and forge a better world.

When spies of the Allied forces realized that the Gestapo might be closing in on Noor any time soon, they did everything in their power to protect her. The first thing they did was change her appearance by getting her a haircut and a completely new wardrobe.

However, she was still caught due to one minor slippage- her love for the colour blue. The Gestapo were aware that Noor’s favourite colour was blue.

The efforts to conceal her identity by changing her physical appearance were in vain because Noor was arrested by the Gestapo and shot at the Dachau concentration camp.

The news of Noor's death reached the headquarters quite late, and naturally, everyone was heartbroken.

It was only because of the sheer grit and bravery of women like Noor that the Allies were able to win the war.

Even though their contributions are often overlooked in the popular narrative, and very few people know of female spies, history remembers them.

She was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1949 and the Croix the Guerre for her contribution to the allied forces. Her bravery and resilience echo throughout Britain and France.

It did seem that Noor Inayat Khan would be forgotten, but her story was prevented from fading with time. A bust of hers was commissioned and installed near her childhood place, the Bloomsbury house. It was unveiled by the Princess Royal on 8th November 2012.

In 2019, Noor became the first woman of South Asian descent to be honoured with a Blue Plaque at her wartime house.