Several foreigners made India their homeland and participated in various movements. Analyse their role in the Indian struggle for freedom.
(200 words, 10M)
Foreigners played a limited but a significant role in the Indian struggle for freedom.
Some of the important personalities who associated themselves with freedom movement are as follows:
AO Hume:
He was a civil servant and a political reformer. His effort led to the formation of Indian national Congress, the party which eventually played the most important role in mobilizing Indian masses towards freedom movement.
Annie Besant:
She started the Indian Home Rule League on the lines of the Irish Home Rule Leagues. In India, she set up Home Rule League along with Lokmanya Tilak in 1915. She was arrested on the allegation of tyranny. It was the combined effort of Congress and Muslim league that she was set free. She was one of the few foreign members in the Congress, and the first to lead a Congress session in December 1917.
Charles Freer :`Dinabandhu' Andrews :
He was touched by the social and cultural injustice inflicted upon the Indians by the British. He soon became a part of the social and political movements of the day, and even championed the causes of the laborers, railway workers and other such downtrodden people. In fact, his service to uplift untouchables and the Harijans, along with Dr. BR Ambedkar won him the title 'Dinabandhu' which means a 'friend of the poor'.
He utilized his connections among influential people in England, and tried to arouse sound public opinion against the atrocities inflicted upon the colonized people in India. He negotiated release of Gandhi from the prison.
Madeleine Slade :
She was from a aristocratic family in London, but preferred to live a humble
and simple life after coming in contact with Mahatma Gandhi. She took part in Gandhi led socio-political struggles, promoted Khadi and Satyagraha. She was placed under detention for her support and participation in Quit India Movement.
Satyanand Stokes or Samuel Evan Stokes:
His real name was Samuel Evan Stokes Jr. He came to work in a leaper home in Himachal Pradesh. There, he championed the causes of Labourers
in Shimla, and fought relentlessly for their welfare.
Later, he joined Congress and attended Nagpur Session of 1920. He was the sole foreigner to sign the Congress manifesto in 1921, which called all the Indians to join the National Independence struggle by giving up government jobs. He was jailed for six months on the charges of sedition.