Independence Day 2022: Five women freedom fighters of India we should commemorate

Independence Day 2022: Five women freedom fighters of India we should commemorate

As India celebrates 75 glorious years of Independence, let us take a look at women leaders who helped shape Independent India.

FPJ Web DeskUpdated: Wednesday, August 10, 2022, 01:18 PM IST
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Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Tara Rani Srivastava and Madam Cama | Wikimedia Commons

The entire nation is currently busy preparing to celebrate anniversary year of Indian Independence. Through these years, India’s made great achievements and seen some grotesque days, yet the nation stood tall.

Fighting off the British and getting our independence came at the cost of sacrifices by millions of people. It would not have been possible had only part of population [men] participated in the Indian Independence movement.

Women were an integral part of this struggle as well. They fought with determination; their courage to look death in the eye, their love for the motherland and dreams of striving for free and prospering India fuelled their rebellion against the British Raj. It gave them the strength to make sacrifices that eventually freed us.

As India celebrates 75 glorious years of Independence, let us take a look at women leaders who helped shape Independent India.

Aruna Asaf Ali

Popularly known as Grand Old Lady of Independence movement, Aruna Asaf Ali is widely remembered for hoisting Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement.

Ali, who was Delhi’s first mayor, was a part of salt Satyagraha and other protest marched and was imprisoned by the British. Aruna, who joined INC after marrying Asaf Ali, organised political prisoners and protested against the ill-treatment given in the prisons by launching a hunger strike.

Reportedly, she was active in underground movements after she was released from jail in the early 1940s.

Madam Bhikaji Cama

Bhikaji Rustom Cama was born to a Parsi family in Bombay (now Mumbai). Madam Cama’s father Sorabji Framji Patel was a powerful member of the Parsi community.

Madam Cama fought for gender equality an gave away her assets to help an orphanage for young women. She wrote nationalist literature during the early 1900s from foreign countries. In 1902 she went to Britain for treatment and later was denied entry because she refused to comply with their condition that she wouldn’t participate in Indian freedom struggle.

As an Indian ambassador, she travelled to Germany in 1907 to hoist the Indian National flag.

Tara Rani Srivastava

Born to a simple family in Bihar, Tara Rani joined Quit Indian Movement in 1942 with her husband Phulendu Babu. Tara Rani regulated protests and planned to raise the Indian flag atop the Siwan Police station.

Tara Rani encouraged many women to join the freedom struggle against British Raj and also led the protest. They had begun marching toward police station shouting ‘Inquilab’ but the police opened fire. The freedom fighter’s husband was hurt. An undeterred Tara Rani bandaged her husband and continued her protest. Tara continually supported freedom struggle.

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was a distinguished theatre actor and was an integral part of the Indian freedom struggle. Born in April 1903, in Mangalore (then Madras presidency), Karnataka, she was the first woman arrested by British government for her active role in freedom struggle.

Kamaladevi was the driving force behind renaissance of Indian handicraft, handloom and theatres. She also improved socio-economic standard of Indian women. Among the participants of Mahatma Gandhi’s salt Satyagraha in 1930, she was one.

Chattopadhyay also contested elections and was first Indian lady to do so from Madras constituency and was instrumental in establishing the All India Women’s Conference.

Annie Besant

Born in October, 1847, Annie Besant was an Irish lady who joined INC and was involved in political and educational activities in India. Besant, who was first women President of Congress, was one of the founders of Banaras Hindu University.

Besant who was proponent of atheism and scientific belief in Britain was focused on providing impoverished with better living conditions. She helped launch of Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India.

Even after World War 1, she continued to campaign for Indian independence and for the causes of theosophy until she died in 1933. She authored many works and is also credited with starting a newspaper called ‘New India’.

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