Bhopal: Even as we celebrate 70th year of our Independence, the role women freedom fighters who earned us independence never got the due place they deserved. The names of brave-hearts women fighters that we see in history books are numbered, but there are many women who fought against the British standing side by side their male counterparts but their valour remained in shadow. The city intellectuals speak about it and the reason why they their role remained unsung.
They were of the opinion that a book mentioning the name of women freedom fighters – Laxmi Seghal, Matangini Hazara, Kalpana Dutta, Pritilata Waddedar, Kanaklata Barua, Bhikaji Cama, Jhalkari Devi, Awanti Bai, and Mutthe Bai et al should be written separately and made part of the school and college curriculum and part of history.
Vibha Rathore, head of department in St, Joesph Co-ed, Idgah Hills said, “It is true that the contribution of women freedom fighters in freedom struggle is lot but they have not been highlighted due to male dominated society in our country. Our historians do not pay any attention to role paid by these women. The contribution of Begau Hazrat Mahal and Laxmi Seghal are immense in freedom movement but there are no records available. I think more research is needed to highlight their role in winning freedom from the British even their contribution should be in added in school curriculum.”
“History is witness to the contribution of female freedom fighters. They made sacrifices and contributed in the freedom movement equally as their male counterparts but their efforts remained unsung due to our patriarchal society. Even some of the prostitutes played an important role in the freedom movement by giving shelter to freedom fighters,” said Asha Shukla, head of department of Women Studies in Barkatullah University. She further added, “I think, there is needed to do more research to highlight the work of women freedom fighters. Also, there is need to in fact rewrite history.”
Similarly, Waseem Khan, a writer and theatre director who has done a lot of work on freedom fighters said, “ A lot of research work is needed to be done on female freedom fighters. We know only Rani Laxami Bai in the name women freedom fighters. But reality is something else. She was not freedom fighter. She fought to save her power and not for the country. There are some real women freedom fighters in the country especially from MP like Phoolkumari, Jhalkari Devi, Awanti Bai and others which contribution is needed to highlight”
“We didn’t get any written documents on them. On the basis of our imagination, we prepare plays. The government is spending lakhs of money but there is no one to work for women freedom struggle,” Khan added.
I think it is due to lack of publicity. We have around 15,000 books, based on freedom fighters including women in our library. But media is not taking notice of it. We in fact had organised an exhibition, centred on women freedoms fighters at Shaurya Smarak recently. – Sanjay Yadav, Assistant Director, Swaraj Sansthan Sanchanalaya
– Sanjay Yadav, Assistant Director, Swaraj Sansthan Sanchanalaya
