New Delhi: While ‘Bapu’ is celebrated as one of the tall heroes of the Indian freedom struggle, very less is heard about ‘Ba’. But as the old and famous saying goes, “Behind every successful man, there stands a woman.” Without the unfailing support of Kasturba Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi would neither have become a law practitioner nor a Mahatma, Gopalkrishna Gandhi, Ba- Bapu’s grandson Gopalkrishan Gandhi had said two years ago.
Kasturba didn’t spend her life in the shadow of the 'Father of the Nation'. It would be a fallacy to think so.
Kasturba Gandhi was born in 1869, in Porbandar to Gokuldas and Vrajkunwar. She had two brothers. Her father was a wellknown businessman dealing in grains, cloth and cotton. He was close to Mahatma Gandhi's father, Karamchand who was the Dewan of Porbandar. Mahatma Gandhi and Kasturba were engaged at the age of seven and they were married in 1882 when they were 13.
She never received any schooling before her marriage, and so, Mahatma Gandhi took it upon himself to educate his wife. The couple was blessed with a son in 1885, but he died shortly after. Their first child to survive was Harilal who was born in 1888.
Mahatma Gandhi went to South Africa in 1893 to practice law. Kasturba later joined him and quickly got involved in politics and non-violent movements. She played a pivotal role in establishing the Phoenix Settlement, which was a cooperative village where residents grew their own food.
In 1913, the activist was jailed for three months for protesting against the treatment meted out to Indian immigrants in South Africa. Kasturba was highly influenced by the idea of non-violent struggle and played an active part in assisting him.
Unfortunately, Kasturba's health deteriorated when she was in South Africa. However, the strong-willed activist kept herself involved in the freedom struggle. She even took Mahatma Gandhi's place and addressed his followers when he was in jail.
In the words of Sarojini Naidu, Kasturba Gandhi was "the living symbol of Indian womanhood. Never once did her feet falter or her heart quail on the steep path of perpetual sacrifice, which was her portion in the wake of the great man whom she loved and served and followed with such surpassing courage, faith and devotion. She has passed from mortality to immortality and taken her rightful place in the valiant assembly of the beloved heroines of India's legend, history and song".
Kasturba had two heart attacks in January 1944, following which she spent most of her time confined to the bed. Her health, initially, saw a marginal improvement, but later worsened. She breathed her last at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune at 7:35 pm on February 22, 1944
