Participation of Women in the Freedom Struggle During the Gandhian Era: a Comparative Study Between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
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Odisha Review August - 2013 Participation of Women in the Freedom Struggle during the Gandhian Era: A Comparative Study between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh A. Sobha Rani S.C. Padhy Participation of women in the freedom struggle Role of Odia women in the Freedom forms an important and interesting aspect of the Movement: The Non-Cooperation History of Modern India. It is of great significance Movement: because it brought mass participation for the Women were more enthusiastic and political independence of the country. On Gandhi’s active in the Non-Cooperation movement in call large number of women joined the National Odisha. During his visit to Odisha, Gandhiji Congress and acted upon the advice by attended a meeting at Binod Behari. It was participating in the Movement. Gandhi opined that attended by forty women. Gandhi made a direct women were most suited to fight with the new 1 appeal to Odia women to join in the Non- weapons of non-violence and truth. When we 2 go through the history of freedom movement we Cooperation Movement. His speech had so see that his faith in women was true. They lived much inspired the Odia women present there that up to his expectation by actively participating in in response to his appeal many of them had the Non-Cooperation Movement, Civil donated their golden ornaments to the Swaraj Disobedience Movement and the Quit India Fund for freedom struggle. It may be worthwhile Movement. to note that after the speech many Oriya women had decided to join the national movement. One In the present study the two states of of them was Ramadevi, the wife of Gopabandhu Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are taken into Choudhury. Ramadevi had declared her decision consideration to study the work of women to join the freedom movement and had handed freedom fighters. Present Odisha remained under over all her golden ornaments to the Mahatma four separate British units, i.e., Bengal, Bihar, for the National Fund.3 ln addition to Rama Devi, Central Provinces and Madras. Likewise Andhra the other women leaders included Sarala Devi, Pradesh till its formation as a separate State was Godabari Devi, Haimavati Devi and host of others, a part of Madras Province and the Princely State mostly hailing from advanced and well-to-do of Hyderabad. Those parts which form the present families imbued with the feelings of patriotic States of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha are taken nationalism.4 into consideration for the present study. A few prominent personalities in different movements of The programme of Non-Cooperation of this period are studied from both the States. A Gandhi had negative and positive aspects. The comparison is drawn basing on the study. negative aspect of the programme consisted 16 August - 2013 Odisha Review boycott of British goods, legislative councils, minds of rural mass, particularly among the offices and educational institutions.5 The positive women folk of Ganjam.10 Educated women aspect included the promotion of swadeshi, belonging to high families came out of their homes removal of untouchability, prohibition, national and joined Congress demonstrations and in education etc. When the Movement was launched manufacture of salt. At least one thousand women in Odisha, very few women participated. Their participated in the movement from this area. participation was mainly in the programme of Kundalata Devi and Kishorimani Devi were Charkha and Khadi. imprisoned for disobeying the salt law. Kundalata The women of Cuttack organized public Devi helped Sarala Devi by donating all her golden bonfire of foreign goods at the call of Gandhiji. ornaments at Gobra meeting. She moved to The women Satyagrahis called upon the general different places of Ganjam with Sobhabati Panda public to boycott schools, colleges, law courts and Purnabasi Devi to popularise the Congress 11 and to non-cooperate with British administration ideals. Kishorimani Devi set up ‘Pragati Ashram’ in all possible manners. The women in Odisha at Berhampur for the purpose of providing training courted arrest in large numbers and filled the jails. and orientation to the young satyagrahis. She led In the town of Jharsuguda, one woman Satyagraha processions and addressed public Satyagrahi, Tulasi Devi was caught by the police meetings and rallies in support of the universal and arrested while influencing the women of some demand for national independence. She played a neighbouring villages to join the national significant role in spreading the message of freedom movement all over Odisha. Women movement.6 In Berhampur several brave women of Giri family including the mother of V.V. Giri, Satyagrahis helped their male counterparts when Subhadramma played their selfless role in the Non- the Satyagrahis attacked the government Salt Cooperation Movement, supporting the active godown at Huma. At Berhampur the women male members.7 satyagrahis went on a procession around the town singing patriotic songs and then condemning Thus Odia women remained at the British apathy. Thereafter another women forefront of Non-Cooperation Movement till such procession was taken around the town with V.V. time it was withdrawn by Gandhiji as a protest Giri’s mother Subbadramma, her daughter-in - against Chauri Chaura incident. law Saraswathi and two daughters Laxmi Bai and Civil Disobedience Movement: Sarojini to protest the sale of Toddy in the town.12 All of them were arrested for joining the Civil In Odisha the Salt Satyagraha was Disobedience Movement. launched with the commencement of the National Week on April 6, 1930.8 A noble feature of this In the district of Cuttack, the places where movement was the participation of women in large salt was made in defiance of Salt law by the number. The women picketed before the shops Satyagrahis were Chatera, Kalipat, Paradip, selling foreign goods and liquor. In Ganjam women Erasma, Kakkardia and Daradia. In the Puri leaders like Sarala Devi, Malati Devi and District Salt campaign was undertaken at several Kishorimani Devi (the wife of Niranjan Patnaik) centres like Astaranga, Chilika, Latra, etc. Kujang did extensive tours to the interiors of the district was another important centre of Salt Satyagraha enrolling volunteers and collecting funds.9 They in Odisha. The public meeting of women held at in fact drilled the ideals of Satyagraha into the Cuttack on 22nd April, 1930 under the 17 Odisha Review August - 2013 chairmanship of Mrs Kumudini Dasgupta involvement and participation of women was seen generated patriotic urge among the women to during the period of the Civil Disobedience enrol themselves as civil resisters.13 Movement. Ramadevi and Malati Devi worked with Quit India Movement vigour and dedication for the success of the After the failure of the Cripps Mission, movement. It received great impetus as soon as Quit India Resolution was passed by the All India Rani Bhagyabati Patamahadevi, prominent Congress Committee in Bombay. On 8th August woman of Kujanga joined the Salt Satyagraha. 1942, Indian National Congress held its session Despite the vigilance of one magistrate and the at Gwalior Tank Field in Bombay. It was attended police party Rani Patamahadevi, Rama Devi and by 250 representatives from States. Malati many other volunteers prepared contraband salt Choudhury was one among the five there. Hundreds of women following the ideal of representatives from Odisha. They returned with their patriotic Rani came forward to join them.14 Gandhiji’s message that “Our Country is Most of the prominent Congress leaders including independent from today, follow the peaceful leading women like Sarala Devi, Malati Devi and method, paralyse the Government. You yourself Rama Devi were put in the prison. Though become a leader. This is the struggle. In it there is government tried vigorously to suppress the civil no compromise.” While spreading this “Do or liberties in various ways, there was no sign of Die”, message among the people in Odisha, 24 retreat of the struggle. Besides salt, issues like Congress leaders including the gallant Rama Devi boycott of foreign clothes, no revenue campaign, were arrested who exercised effective control non-payment of Chaukidari Tax, picketing in over the public in the State.16 The Ashram at Bari liquor shops and boycott of forest department was declared illegal by the British Government. auction, peaceful mass violation of grazing and She had to undergo nearly two years of timber restrictions, change of forest laws and 17 boycott of the September 1930 Legislative imprisonment in Cuttack jail. Assembly elections were taken up to galvanise Malati Choudhury took an outstanding popular enthusiasm and mass mobilization. While role in the underground activities in the 1942 leading picketing at liquor shops and foreign Revolution. As an underground leader she guided cloths shops at Cuttack, Rama Devi and Malati the progress of the Movement at different parts Devi were beaten up with canes. But they never of Odisha. She remained a leading woman in the retaliated. Many women workers of Odisha movement. suffered police atrocities while a few thousand Shobabati Panda also dynamically took persons including 700 women were returning part in the Movement. She was arrested for her from Eram Salt centre at Balasore, the police dynamic activities. Smt. Champa Devi delivered attacked them and lathicharged several women an impressive speech at Russelkonda criticizing inflicting blows at their backs and legs. The women the Brithsh. She was arrested and sent to jail for volunteers who were distributing Congress her explosive speech against the British. Bulletins were beaten by the police. Even the girls of an orphanage in Cuttack were found to have In addition to them a host of other women distributed the Congress Bulletins like, “Bidrohi like Sunamani Devi, Susila Kanungo, Dela Devi, and Biplabi” taking great risk.15 Thus much greater Nisamani Devi, Bilasi Devi, Usha Devi, 18 August - 2013 Odisha Review Shakuntala Devi, Kshetramani Devi, Uttara duty and religion.