Discuss the role of women in the freedom struggle especially during the
Gandhian phase. (200 words, 121/2 M)
The history of Indian freedom struggle would be incomplete without mentioning the contributions of women who fought with true spirit and undaunted courage and faced various torture, exploitation and hardship. When most of the men freedom fighters were in prison the women came forward and took charge of the struggle.
Role of women in the freedom struggle during pre-Gandhian phase were cis follow:
Pre-Gandhian Phase:
Bhima Bai Holkar and Rani Chennamma of Kittur were among the first woman rulers who led a rebellion against British even before the revolt of 1857.
During the revolt of 1857 Rani Lakshmi Bai, Begum Hazrat Mahal etc led their army to the battlefield against the British.
In the early phase of Nationalist movement Annie Besant emerged as an important leader and women participated on large scale in her Home Rule League.
The Gandhian Phase:
During the Gandhian Phase, women played diverse role in freedom struggle. They were the torch bearer of nationalism, communal harmony, peace and Satyagraha through prabhat pheris, poems and songs to mobilise people.
FREEDOM STRUGGLE AND POST INDEPENDENCE:
To begin with women participated in some local Satyagrahas viz, Champaran, Ahmedabad and Khera. Prabhawati Devi, Rajbansi Devi ( wife of Rajendra Prasad) were the main soldiers of Gandhiji during Champaran Satyagraha as they propagated against Purdah, untouchability, illiteracy. In Ahmedabad Labour Movement. Ansuya Ben Sarabhai stood with workers against her own brother, Ambalal Sarabhai, the owner of the mill.
During Kheda Satyagraha, Kasturba Gandhi, Miraben, Maniben Patel etc accompanied Gandhiji and organised women's meeting Bhajan Mandals for propaganda purposes.
They were active in participating in the Swadeshi movement, or the boycott of foreign goods, non-payment of taxes, picketing of liquor shops, and so on. There was mass participation of women in the non-cooperation Movement of 1921 and the Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930.
At the call of Non-cooperation, Sarojini Naidu returned her Kaiser-i-Hind gold medal. In Bengal, women organised themselves under organisations such as Nari Karma Mandir, Mahila Karma Samaj etc to carry out the propaganda of this movement. Such organisations were also formed in Bombay.
Women from all the parts of India, be it Punjab, Bihar or Gujarat where Kasturba Gandhi was most instrumental, participated in the movement by donating their belongings and jewelleries for the cause.
The Civil Disobedience started with Salt Satyagraha. Sarojini Naidu accompanied Gandhiji in breaking the Salt Law. Lado Rani Zutshi, Kamla Nehru, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Durgabai Deshmukh etc were the main woman leaders active during Civil Disobedience. S Muthulakshmi Reddi and Ansuyaben Kale resigned from the membership of their respective provincial legislative councils.
Miss Dickson, an English woman not only resigned from her seat in the Bombay provincial legislative assembly but also returned her Kaiser-i-Hind Gold medal as a sign of protest.
On the call of Individual Satyagraha in 1940, many women responded remarkably and courted arrest. One of the first to do so was Sucheta Kriplani. Bhag Devi, Priyamvada Devi and Mahadevi Kejriwal took the initiative of offering 'Individual Satyagraha' in Punjab, Orissa and Bihar respectively.
The participation of women in the Quit India Movement took many different forms. Usha Mehta, set up a radio transmitter, called the 'Voice of Freedom' to disseminate information about the war for freedom. In the rural areas large number of peasant women joined men in protesting against taxes, land tenure, and landholder's rights.
Matangini Hazra, a seventy-three year old widow, stepped forward, lifted the Congress flag in Bengal. Aruna Asaf Ali and Sucheta Kriplani were prominent leaders of the underground movement in 1942. They established contact with groups still active throughout India and encourage them to continue non-violent activity.
During the same phase, their were a group of women who did not subscribed to the non-violent method of struggle of Gandhiji and joined the revolutionaries. Prominent among them are Pritilata Waddedar, Kalpana Dutt etc who were involved with Surya Sen in Chittagong Armoury raid.
Gandhian phase of freedom struggle was a movement of social awakening for a free, liberated and moral society in which women were pivotal force.
Gandhi's idea of swadeshi, boycott of liquor etc merged the boundaries of national and social aspirations and women became the dedicated foot soldiers as well as leaders in this pursuit.
A tryst with such an experience provided the confidence and paved the way for the women to demand a just and equal society in the free India.