IRON LADIES FOR INDIA'S FREEDOM

IRON LADIES FOR INDIA'S FREEDOM

History has witnessed many women with exceptional bravery and intelligence, who walked shoulder to shoulder with men of their times. Let us remember women of the freedom movement era, who fought bravely for their country and contributed towards the achievement of independence of the country India. They are still a source of inspiration to not only women but to all.

Kittur Rani Chinammma

She is regarded as one of the bravest women in Karnataka even today.She was the queen of a princely state of Kittur in Karnataka who led an armed rebellion in 1824 against the British. She was eventually arrested in the end of the rebellion but even today, Chennamma’s legacy and the first victory of war are still commemorated in Kittur from 22nd–24^th October,  in the Kittur Utsav. She became a symbol of one of the first resistances against the British in the Independence movement. Her statue was unveiled in the Parliament House complex in 2007.

Savitribhai Phule

One of the pioneers of women’s education in India during the British rule, even after being subjected to insults and rebuke, she continued in her endeavour to provide education for the girls and the women of this country in the middle and the later parts of the 19th century. Seen as a major social reformer in British India, she, along with her husband, founded the first women’s school in India at Bhide Wada, Pune in 1848. She always fought for women rights and even for those who were considered untouchables in those times.

Begum Hazrat Mahal

She was a brave figure of the National Uprising of 1857, the First War of Independence. She took control of Lucknow during this Uprising and declared her son as the King of Oudh. On 10 May 1984, the Government of India issued a commemorative stamp in honour of Mahal. She has also been named as the ‘Lakshmi Bai’ of Awadh due to her strength and valour, shown during the 1857 mutiny.

Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi

She is an epitome of strength and courage displayed by a woman. In fact, her bravado is often attributed to the iconic picture of the Rani fighting the British in the battlefield with her son, Damodar Rao tied to her on the horseback. She was the Maratha queen of Jhansi, who resisted the British and even defied the Doctrine of Lapse, according to which the British rulers refused to accept her adopted son Damodar as the legal heir. Between 1857-58, she resisted the British from taking control over her kingdom of Jhansi.

Bhikaiji Cama

She is best known for inspiring and revolutionary speeches, advocating gender equality in both India and abroad. Many revolutionary literary works were produced by her and she gave a number of fiery speeches of a nationalist hue before enthusiastic audiences. She was a stalwart who took the issues of the subcontinent to foreign and tried to get the world’s attention on the issues plaguing the Indian nation. On 22 August 1907, at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany, Cama raised and unfurled what she called the “First flag of Independence”.

 Kamala Nehru

An eminent freedom fighter, besides being the wife of the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, she actively took part in the Swadeshi movement and arranged for the burning of foreign goods as a mark of protest against the Empire. Spent a large part of her time in Gandhiji’s Ashram, trying to imbibe the ideals of Gandhi-ism. She was a major force behind the Non-cooperation movement in 1921. In fact, during her lifetime and even later on, she was addressed to as JL Nehru’s wife more than anything else. Despite being under the constant shadow of India’s one of the most popular leaders, she carved a niche for herself by encouraging women’s groups to participate in the freedom struggle and also went to jail twice under the British rule.

Sarojini Naidu

The ‘Nightingale of India’, was a spirited freedom activist and a poet, who took part in the Civil Disobedience movement of 1930-34. She even went to jail with the likes of MK Gandhi and others of the Indian National Congress in British India. She joined the INC in the wake of the partition of Bengal in 1905. Became the first woman governor of independent India. Her collection of poems are still considered as important Indian writing in English, even though many consider them to be of mediocre literary content. She was given the Kaisir-i-Hind medal by the British government for her work during the plague epidemic in India

Sucheta Kriplani (Mazumdar)

She came into the forefront of the freedom struggle during the Quit India movement in 1942. Played a role in allaying communal tensions during the partition riots in 1946-47. She was a part of the subcommittee that drafted the Indian Constitution. She was also the founder of All India Mahilla Congress, which came into existence in 1940. Post independence, she was involved actively in public life and Indian politics.She was the first woman Chief Minister in India and served a term between 1963 to 1967 in the state ofUttar Pradesh.