Women in India's Freedom Struggle

NAWAZ B. MODY Editor

ALLIED PUBLISHERS LTD. 15, J. N. Heredia Marg, Ballard Estate, Mumbai - 400 001. Tel.: 2617926-27 • Fax : 91-22-2617928 • Tlx : 011-86506 APPL IN! Contents Photographs 07 Notes on the Contributors 27 Acknowledgements 33 Introduction Nawaz B. Mody 36 1 Women in India's Freedom Struggle Y. D. Phadke 49

PART - I The contribution made by revolutionary women to the national movement. 2 Yesubai Savarkar : A Story of Silent Sacrifice Uttara Sahasrabuddhe 67 Appendix I Vahinees Patra by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, in Marathi, also translated into English 75 3 The contribution of Kalpana Dutt Preeta Nilesh 78 4 The sufferings of the wives of the Chapekar family Aneela Gadre and Anuya Rajiv Chapekar 90 5 Aruna Asaf Ali - A daring daughter of Mother India Manisha Dikholkar 95 6 Captain Laxmi Sehgal : Live wire revolutionary Rohini Gawankar 102

PART - II The role played by women who worked with Mahatma Gandhi in his various movements and their impact on the national movement. 7 Maniben Nanavati : Spinning the Yarn of Freedom Usha Thakkar 117 8 Mridula Sarabhai : An invincible crusader for freedom Kunjlata Shah 127 9 Padmashri Maniben Kara - A true revolutionary Leela S. Patel 142 10 Smt. Kamlaben Patel - The courageous woman Leela S. Patel 162 11 The Freedom Struggle and Gujarati women as grassroot workers and Satyagrahis : 1915 to 1930. Shirin M. Mehta 185 12 Avantikabai Gokhale Mrudula Deivasthale 194

PART - III The contribution made by women belonging to the minorities to the national movement. 13 Perin Captain : From Dadabhai to Mahatma Gandhi Nawaz B. Mody 205 14 The role played by the Tyabji women in the national movement Yasmeen M. Lukmani 219 Appendix I a,b&c-Bombay Chronicle July 7, 8 and 10, 1930 234 15 Mithuben Petit : Freedom fighter to rural constructive worker Mani P. Kamerkar 237 16 Women in the Khilafat struggle Amrita Shodhan 249 17 The role played by Violet Alva and Alice Alvares in the freedom movement Kranti K. Farias 261 18 Dalit women's participation in India's freedom struggle Abhinaya Gaikwad 282

PART - IV The contribution made by women from abroad to the national movement 19 Meeraben (Madeline Slade) and the national movement Sunita Ganpule 295 20 The contribution made by women to the freedom movements in South Africa and Goa. Champa Limaye 304 21 The contribution of Sister Nivedita Gulab and Usha Jani 335 Appendix I Poem by Subrahmanya Bharati 363 22 The contribution of Annie Besant Ruby Maloni 364 23 Reminiscences Usha Mehta 371 24 Select Bibliography on Women in India's freedom struggle 379 25 Programme Schedule of the National Seminar 413 26 Index 418 *****