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The Sentinel CMYK CMYK AUGUST 11, 2018 POTPOURRI Slayers in Red Useful Apps & Websites Sight & Sound Recipes from the Shazam, Meme Generator , 'Village Rockstars' Bags Top Award Winning Author Chegg Books, and others Prize at BRICS Film Fest Mridula Baljekar A Lady who Wishes to be Role of Women in Indian Freedom Movement Born as a Stork: Purnima B Buddhadev Nandi If we impartially study the history of India's free- dia" joined active politics during Partition of Bengal dom movement, we find that despite our male dom- in 1905. She became the second woman President of inated patriarchal culture, the role of women in pro- Indian National Congress. Her special contribution test against the oppressive British cannot be dimin- in launching Women's Indian Association is remem- ished. What is the most significant is that a bevy of bered still today. women waged their relentless campaign against the After returning from South Africa in 1915, Mohan- British Raj even before the Indian Rebellion of 1857 das Karamchand Gandhi organized mass movements popularly known as the Great Sepoy Mutiny which against the British. Unlike violent method his weap- is considered India's First War of Independence. on of non-violence inspired a large section of wom- Though there were innumerable Indian women who en irrespective of their social and economic status dedicated their lives for India's freedom, I here try to participate in the Indian freedom movement. Thus to commemorate a few among them. Gandhi's advent in Indian politics gave a new lease Bhima Bai Holkar, daughter of Yashwant Rao of life to the women's movement against the colo- Holkar, Maharaja of Indore and the elder sister of nial rule. Aruna Asaf Ali, a member of the Indian Malhar Rao Holkar II may be commemorated as the National Congress, took active part in the Salt Saty- first woman who bravely agraha in 1930 and Quit India fought against the British. She movement in 1942 respectively. defeated the British colonel She was called Grand Old Lady of Malcolm in guerilla warfare at the Independence movement for the Battle of Mahidpur in her indomitable courage during the 1817. The queen of Jhansi, August Movement in 1942. Suche- Laxhmibai is another name ta Kripalani, a great freedom fight- that notched an indelible mark er worked closely with Mahatma in India's First War of Inde- Gandhi. pendence. She mustered cour- A strong current of patriotism age enough to refute the im- hardly failed to sway the women perialistic policy in the guise members of the Nehru family. of Doctrine of Lapse es- Kamala Nehru, wife of Pandit poused by Lord Dalhousie, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vijaya Lak- the Governor-General of the shmi Pandit, sister of Pandit Neh- British East India Company. ru, played crucial roles in Gandhi's This cavalry-attired virago Non-Cooperation Movement. In- A lady who has always stood for the rare beauties, storks; and has fought in their religion. We establish the bird as a sacred being, who unfortunately with her son tied in her back dira Gandhi when she was a girl of for their conservation, Hargila Baideu (Stork Lady), wishes to be born as becomes a victim. It was very challenging in the beginning. Scientific embraced death in the battle of Gwalior Fort in 1858. mere 12 organized Monkey Brigade to aid the revo- a stork in her next birth. She was honoured with the prestigous Whitley awareness is of utmost importance, but I took a different approach towards She is still considered the incarnation of women lutionaries by undertaking various risky jobs. Usha Awards known as Green Oscars. the conservation method because I am working on the private properties. prowess, patriotism, resilience and fortitude. An- Mehta was a Gandhian and freedom fighter of India. We are talking about Purnima Devi Barman, a lady whose heart is filled Every year, I organize a Stork baby shower like "Panchamrit" ceremony, in other queen of a princely state who rebelled against She with her close associates began the Secret Con- with immense love and care for the endangered storks. the temple. People have also started being a part of it, and including the the British East India Company was Begum Hazrat gress Radio, a clandestine radio station that worked She was also conferred with the Nari Shakti Puraskar in 2017, which is bird in their 'Nam song'. This is an act of respecting a bird (a living entity). Mahal of Awadh. She captured Lucknow as an act underground broadcasting against the British. Ma- considered to be the highest civilian award for Indian women. Along with How long have you been working in this segment? of rebellion against the British. Even Karl Marx re- hatma Gandhi's wife Kasturba led Women's Satya- the award, she was given one lakh rupees as reward money, and she In the beginning, my intention was to only complete a PhD research vered her saying, "Hazrat Mahal, Begum of Oudh, graha and was imprisoned twice. Another Gandhian donated the entire amount to the women of Dadara in Kamrup, asking on the bird. However, gradually, I changed my mind when I was during the national liberation uprising of 1857 - 59 Matangini Hazra of Medinipore was shot repeated- them to weave the gamusa with GAS (greater adjutant stork) motifs. Team collecting data on the bird (as a part of the study) in 2008. headed the rebels." ly by the British police. She embraced death chant- Saturday Fare met this enthusiastic environmentalist, recently whose PhD But in the 20th century, the role of the women in the ing Vande Mataram and holding the flag of the Indi- I felt disheartened, when I saw a man cutting down a tree injuring freedom movement took a new shape quite coming research became one of the most important goals of her life. Get to know an National Congress aloft. nine tiny baby birds. We cannot blame them because they don't know out from the confinement in some her more, through this interaction. Needless to say, the history of In- the importance of the bird. And I think, it is our duty to generate princely states and personal in- dia's freedom movement is replete Tell us about yourself. awareness about the same. I thought my bird should not only be in terests. This new approach of with glorious and proud exploits of I was born and brought up in a village in Palasbari situated near the my thesis, but it should be there in its natural habitat. I have been freedom movement was pio- women nationalists who fought banks of the river Brahmaputra. When I was a child, I lived with my working for almost 10 years now to fulfill this goal. neered by Annie Besant. Despite shoulder to shoulder with their male grandmother for almost six years. My father was an army officer Are you also working towards protecting other endangered being a British socialist, she was counterparts. Now we the Indians and he travelled a lot. I have two siblings. With a heavy heart my species of fauna? the proponent of Indian self- have achieved much-awaited inde- parents decided to keep me with my grandmother. My grandmother Right now, I am more focused on protecting the Hargila species. rule. She became the President of pendence. Unfortunately, the frown used to take me out to the paddy fields. She introduced me to the When we save Hargila, we are also saving its habitat, its landscape. Theosophical Society. Later she of patriarchal society in the form of birds. She also made me write rhymes on birds. When I was a toddler, Through this, we might be able to reduce the percentage of other along with Lokmanya Tilak start- numerous atrocities still cripples the I lived in Nashik and Jamshedpur. After a while I came back to threatened species. There are approximately 1200 birds (Storks) ed All India Home Rule League. overall development of our human Assam, where I studied in a local Assamese medium school. existing. So, until I establish a good population of the bird, I cannot She was elected the President of resource. Freedom in the true sense You're known as Hargila (stork) Lady of Assam. Please throw go to work on other things. Taking Hargila as the main focus, I Indian National Congress. Her of the term is impossible till the some light on the threatened population of Storks in Assam would like to expand the movement in Assam, and also make it an participation gave an impetus to women are shackled. There is noth- and, what has been done to protect them. international movement. the freedom movement. Madam ing more humiliating when India in Technically, Storks are more endangered than Rhinoceros and Tigers. Since you're working in the wildlife conservation area your work Bhikaiji Cama hailing from Parsi the 21st century is considered the would be demanding you to travel often. We would community played an active role most dangerous country for wom- like to know about any constraint or challenges that in India's independence. She along en. We must not forget the famous you have faced as a women, in addition to travelling? with Dadabhai Naoroji and Singh comment of Swami Vivekananda: Rewabhai Rana supported the "There is no chance for the welfare Since I was a student, I used to go for camping. At that founding of Shyamji Krishna Ver- of the world, unless the condition time, it actually meant like breaking the stereotypes, ma's Indian Home Rule Society in 1905. Sarojini of women is improved, it is not possible for a bird for women.

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