2. INTRODUCTION
The memoirs of Indian freedom struggle would
be half-done without remarking the contributions
of women.
In parallel to the sacrifice made by the men in
India’s freedom struggle, women occupied
prominent place in the history.
Women of India fought undaunted courage and
true soul and faced many troubles, exploitations,
tortures hardships to bring in the freedom.
3. ROLE OF WOMEN IN FREEDOM
STRUGGLE
Begum Hazrat Mahal (Born in the year 1820—Died on
7th April, 1879)
Begum Hazrat Mahal, wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah(was
a Lucknow ruler) played a vital role during the first war of
independence or the Revolt of 1857, which happened in
the period between 1857 and 1858.
She was also named as “the Begum of Oudh(Awadh)”.
She guided a troop of her supporters opposing the British
rulers and also abducted the control of Lucknow(now the
capital city of Uttarpradesh). Begum being a strategist also
fought in the battle field.
She was also one of those leaders who revolutionized
against the British East India Company.
But when the british battalion rounded up for the
second time and seized major part of the Awadh, Begum
was forced to withdraw and go away.
4. Her troop lost the clench and she retreated Oudh and
gathered soldiers again in other areas. Begum turned down all
grants of allowances and forgiveness by the British rulers
Lastly, she took shelter in an asylum in Nepal, where she
passed away on 7th April, 1879.
To certify her continuous efforts induced for India’s struggle
for freedom, on 10th May 1984 Government of India has
circulated stamps on her name.
5. Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi (Born on19/11/1828 – Died
on 17/06/1858)
Another important name to be mentioned in
the history of Indian freedom struggle is Rani
Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi.
She was a prominent warrior of India’s
freedom struggle who established a
remarkable impact on the succeeding women
freedom fighters.
Handling the control of her horse with her
words, holding sword in both hands and
dressing like a man, she used to attack on
enemies in the battlefield.
6. Rani Lakshmi Bai fought fearlessly and though beaten she
declined to give up and flattened as a warrior should,
combating the rivals to the last.
Her outstanding courage impacted the men and women in
India to fight against the opponent’s rule.
She was an icon of perseverance, bravery, generosity,
patriotism, self-respect and resistance to British rule.
She fought against britishers till her last breath for the benefit
of the women in the country and for a great cause of India’s
freedom.
7. Madam Cama(Born on 24/9/1861– Died
on 13/8/1936)
Bhikaiji Rustom Cama, popularly known as Madam
Cama born in a parsi family in Mumbai(formerly called as
Bombay) was a notable personality of the Indian
National Movement and a powerful freedom fighter
from the parsi community.
She being from a moneyed family, fought for the
welfare of the society and India freedom struggle.
Madam Cama in 1907 unfolded the first Indian national
flag in Stuttgart, Germany during the International
Socialist Conference.
She described that this flag represents the indian
independence and born from the blood of young Indians
who submitted their lives for the Indian freedom
struggle and called everyone to stand and salute this flag
and also appealed to the whole to support this flag.
8. Kasturba Gandhi (Born on 11/4/1869 – Died
on 22/2/1944)
Kasturba Gandhi, wife of Mahatma Gandhi also
supported and worked with him in India’s freedom
struggle.
She stood as a leader in the Women’s Satyagraha for
which she was jailed in the prison.
She coordinated her husband in the motive of No Tax
campaign in Kaira, Gujarat and Indigo workers in
Champaran, Bihar.
Kasturba was imprisoned for blockading the foreign
cloths and liquor and also for taking part in Rajkot
Satyagraha in 1939.
She replaced her husband’s position when he was
imprisoned.
9. Kasturba Gandhi got deteriorated because of
the chronic bronchitis.
Crunches from Quit India Movement led her
to stay behind the bars and fell sick in the
ashram life.
After causing Pneumonia, she passed away on
Feb 22, 1944 due to severe heart attack.
This happened when Kasturba and her
husband Mahatma Gandhi were in jail.
10. Sarojini Naidu(Born on
13/2/1879 – Died on 2/3/1949)
Sarojini Naidu, popularly know as ‘the
Nightingale of India’, was an exceptional poet,
well-known freedom fighter and great speaker
of her time.
She was chosen as the president of the
INC(Indian National Congress).
The aggressive stage of her career was in the
period 1917 to 1919, the time she canvassed for
the Khilafat Movement.
When Mahatma Gandhi introduced the Civil
Disobedience Movement, she demonstrated as a
trustworthy supporter and with exceptional
courage she defeated the rioters, sold
condemned literature and addressed agitated
meetings on the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh in
Amritsar.
11. In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi selected her to lead the
Salt Satyagraha Movement and her stories turned
out to be myriad.
After Gandhi was imprisoned, Sarojini gathered
2000 supportes under the sweltering sun to attack
the Dharasana Salt works, while the British
soldiers faced a lot of problem to handle them.
Later, she dropped writing poetry and
concentrated completely on the liberation of
women, Hindu-Muslim oneness, education etc.
12. Kamala Nehru ( Born on
1/8/1899–Died on
28/2/1936)
Kamala Nehru, wife of Jawaharlal Nehru gave
her husband full coordination and actively took
part in India’s freedom struggle.
She grouped processions, organized meetings
in Nehru home and led blockading foreign
cloth shops and liquor.
She played a vital role in organizing the No tax
canvass in the Uttar Pradesh(formerly United
Provinces).
13. In 1921, during the Non-Cooperation Movement, Kamala
formed many women groups in Allahabad and inseminated
use of Khadi fabrics.
When Jawaharlal Nehru was jailed, in order to avert her
husband delivering a rebellious public speech, Kamal replaced
her by reading it out and got imprisoned twice by the British
rulers.
Kamala passed away after suffering from Tuberculosis in
Switzerland on 28 February, 1936.
14. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (Born
on 18/8/1900 – Died on
1/12/1990)
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, sister of Jawaharlal Nehru and
daughter of Motilal Nehru was the president of Congress.
Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was Vijaya’s inspiration and vijaya
was impressed by the works of Sarojini Naidu.
She joined in the Non-Cooperation Movement to fight
against the aliens.
She represented India in many international conferences and
meetings, attended innumerable public speeches and
challenged the British authorities in obtaining Indian
independence.
She participated in various freedom movements and got
arrested many a times.