Role of Women in India's Struggle for Freedom
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Orissa Review impact on the minds of the old and frail, entered the fray Role of Indian people as the Rani of at its thickest. Kamala Nehru, Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai. She was married to Jawaharlal Nehru in the second wife of the ruler of 1916, participated in various Women in Jhansi Raja Gangadhar Rao movements, led the Civil who protested against the Disobedience Movement. She India’s ‘Doctrine of Lapse’. She played a prominent part in refused to surrender Jhansi and organizing the No Tax Struggle For fought bravely attired as a male Campaign in the United during the Revolt of 1857 and Provinces (Now Uttar Freedom died in the battle field fighting Pradesh). Jawaharlal Nehru’s the British forces. Her courage sister Vijay Laxmi Pandit Siddhartha Dash inspired many Indians to rise entered the Non- Cooperation against the alien rule. Movement. She was The entire history of the imprisoned thrice in connection freedom movement is replete Another woman whom with the Civil Disobedience with the saga of bravery, we remember in this context Movement in 1932, 1941 and sacrifice and political sagacity was Hazrat Mahal Begum. She 1942. In 1937 she was elected of hundreds and thousands of was the wife of the deposed to the provincial legislature of women of our country. Their ruler of Lucknow who actively the United Provinces and was participation in the struggle took part in the revolt of 1857 designated minister of local self began as early as 1817 when against the Doctrine of Lapse government and public health. Bhima Bai Holkar fought agaist under which Dalhousie wanted She played an important role as the British Colonel Malcolm her to surrender Lucknow. She India’s representative in San and defeated him in guerilla gave stiff resistance. But after Francisco during the first warfare. At a very critical time the fall of Lucknow she escaped meeting of the UN where she for our mother land when the to Kathmandu. challenged the might of the British East India Company British. She was the first Kasturba, the wife of woman to become the was fast expanding its empire Mahatma Gandhi, was one of in India, when Tipu Sultan had President of the United Nations the foremost supporters of the General Assembly. When she been eliminated (1799), the Gandhi’s programmes. One of proud Marathas had been was just 13 years old, Indira the first women to be Gandhi organized a ‘Monkey humbled (1815), Chennamma imprisoned in Transvaal, she the widowed queen of Raja Army’ (Vanar Sena) comprising took part in the Quit India of young teenagers which Malla Sarja frustrated the Movement (1942) and was machinations of British to annex proved her intention to fight for arrested. She died while the independence of her her kingdom Kittore, a tiny imprisoned in Poona. principality in the present country. She joined Congress in 1938 and was imprisoned Belgaum District of Karnataka. Many women of Nehru for 13 months in 1942 by the She fought against the mighty family joined the freedom British army and scored initial movement. The mother of British. She was India’s first and success. Jawaharlal Nehru, Swarup only female prime minister. Four generations of dedication Rani Nehru cheerfully gave her to public causes by the Nehru No other woman husband and children to the family stands out as unique in warrior in the history of India country’s cause and she herself, has made such a powerful the annals of history. 74 August - 2010 Orissa Review Sarojini Naidu holds Movement and went patriotism, she received praise pride of place among women underground to evade arrest. from the nationalist leaders. She freedom fighters of India. She She edited ‘Inquilab’ a monthly was arrested in 1932 and was responsible for awakening journal of the Indian National released after Indian the women of India. She was Congress. She was awarded Independence. “Rani of the first woman President of the India’s highest civilian award, Nagas” the popular title was Indian National Congress in the Bharat Ratna. bestowed upon her by 1925 at the Kanpur Session. In Jawaharlal Nehru for her 1928, she came to the USA Madam Bhikaji Cama influence and work for the with the message of the non- was influenced by Dadabhai Nagas. violence movement from Naoroji and was a source of Gandhiji. When in 1930, inspiration for Indian youth in Sarojini Naidu’s Gandhi was arrested for a the UK. She unfurled the first daughter Padmaja Naidu protest, Sarojini took the helms National Flag at the devoted herself to the cause of of his movement. In 1931, she International Socialist the nation like her mother. At participated in the Round Table Conference in Stuttgart the age of 21, she entered the Summit, along with Gandhiji (Germany) in 1907, organized national scene and became the and Pundit Malavyaji. She was Free India Society and began joint founder of the Indian also the acting President of the the journal ‘Bande Mataram’ to National Congress of Congress in 1932. In 1942, she spread her revolutionary Hyderabad. She spread the was arrested during the ‘Quit thought. She travelled a lot and message of Khadi and inspired India’ protest and stayed in jail spoke to people about Indians people to boycott foreign for 21 months. She was a gifted Struggling for Independence. goods. She was jailed for poet of the English language She could aptly be called taking part in the “Quit India” and was popularly known as “Mother India’s first cultural movement in 1942. After the Nightingale of India. After representative of USA”. Independence, Padmaja independence, she became the became the Governor of West first ever woman Governor of Kalpana Dutta was Bengal. During her public life an Indian State (Uttar another prominent woman spanning over half a century, she Pradesh). revolutionary leader who was was associated with the Red influenced by the revolutionary Cross. Her service to the nation Aruna Asaf Ali played idea of Surya Sen. She joined and especially her humanitarian a leading role during the Quit the Chittagong armoury raids. approach to solve problems, Indian Movement. Her moment Later she joined the Communist will long be remembered. of reckoning came in 1942 Party of India. during the Quit India Sucheta Kriplani was Movement and she rose to Rani Gaidineliu was a an ardent nationalist with occasion. She unfurled the prominent Naga nationalist socialistic orientation. She was National Flag at the Gowalia woman leader from Manipur a close associate of Jai Prakash Tank maidan in Bombay to who took over the movement Narayany who actively signify the commencement of of Naga nationalists against the participated in Quit India the Quit India Movement and British. Her movement was Movement. This St Stephen’s became a legend for thousands active during the Civil educated politician sang Vande of youth that rose to emulate Disobedience Movement to Mataram in the independence her. She became a full time oust the foreigners from session of the Constituent activist in the Quit India Manipur. For her remarkable Assembly on August 15, 1947. August - 2010 75 Orissa Review She was a member of redemption of the world. A had also contributed to enrich Constituent Assembly in 1946. famous disciple of Swami India’s age-old heritage and She was general secretary of Vivekananda, Sister Nivedita culture. Indian National Congress from was an Irish lady named Miss Meera Behn and Sarla 1958 to 1960, and Chief Margaret Nobel who arrived in Behn Mahatma Gandhi’s two Minister of Uttar Pradesh from India in January, 1898 in search English daughters helped for 1963 to 1967. of truth. She propagated for the the cause of freedom. Born as cause of India throughout Raj Kumari Amrit Madeliene Slade in England, America and Europe. She she was named Mira Behn by Kaur was a close follower of attended the Benares Congress Gandhiji from 1919 onwards. Mahatma Gandhi. She was a Session in 1905 and supported close disciple and associate of A Congress member, she the Swadeshi Movement. actively participated in the 1930 Gandhiji. She accompanied Salt Satyagraha and the Quit Annie Besant, Irish by Gandhiji to Round Table India Movement. She became birth was a staunch supporter Conference. She did pioneering the first Health Minister in Post- of India’s struggle for freedom. work for social reforms in rural Independent India. She was the She founded the Home Rule areas. founder – President of Indian League in Madras in 1916. She Born as Katherine Council of Child Welfare and also founded the Theosophical Mary Heilaman, she was the founder-member of All India Society of India. She was the named Sarla Behn by Mahatma Women’s Conference. President (First Woman Gandhi. She was a great social President) of Indian National worker. She set up an Ashram Smt Kamaladevi Congress for one term at Chattopadhyay was elected at Kausali in the Kumaon Hills Calcutta in 1917. She also of Uttarakhand. She went from President of the Youth edited ‘New India’ and Congress in December 1929 village to village helping the ‘Commonwealth’. She had families of political prisoners. and appealed to the National done ample work to formulate Congress leaders to declare She authored a book entitled favorable opinion about the ‘Reviving Our Dying Planet’. Poorna Swaraj as their goal. Indian question in outside On January 26, 1930, world. Even today, India On the auspicious Kamaladevi captured the remembers with gratefulness occasion of the Independence imagination of the entire nation Annie Besant’s immeasurable Day of our country it will be when in a scuffle, she clung to work for the freedom struggle, most befitting on our part to pay the Tricolor in order to protect educational advancement and our respectable homage to all it.