Women Freedom Fighters
Kittur Rani Chennamma –
She was the queen of the princely state Kittur in Karnataka but, yet to gain recognition across the country for her efforts during the Independence struggle. Against the British policy of “Doctrine of Lapse”, she bravely led an Army rebellion at the age of 33 in 1824. The resistance ended in her giving up her life for the nation. Her valor proves to be an inspiration to women even today.
Lakshmi Sahgal –
Lakshmi Sahgal was a former Indian Army officer called Captain Lakshmi. She picked up a Gun for Indian National Army (INA) founded by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and led it like a tigress in the struggle for Freedom. She was in charge of establishing and leading the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, comprising women soldiers. Also, before joining INA, she had served a sentence in a Burma prison for her role in World War II.
Aruna Asaf Ali –
She is popularly known as ‘The Grand Old Lady’ of the Independence Movement. She was an Indian Independence activist and a freedom fighter who is best known for hoisting the Indian National Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay during the Quit India Movement. She also took part in the Salt Satyagraha movement as well as other protest marches and was imprisoned. She organized political prisoners and protest against the ill-treatment given in the prisons by launching a hunger strike.
Matangini Hazra –
Matangini Hazra was known as Gandhi Buri. She participated in the Quit India Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement. During one procession, she continued to lead with the Indian flag even after being shot thrice. She kept shouting “Vande Mataram”. The first statue of a woman was put up in Kolkata, in Independent India and that was Hazra’s in 1977. The statue stands at the spot where she was killed in Tamluk. Even Hazra Road in Kolkata is also named after her.
Bhikaiji Cama –
An eminent personality of the Indian Nationalist Movement, she was born as Bhikaiji Rustom Cama on 24th September 1861 to a Parsi family in Bombay (now Mumbai). Well, we are talking about none other than Madam Cama, who is a well-known freedom fighter. She came from a good family and her father Sorabji Framji Patel was a powerful member of the Parsi community. She emphasized equality between men and women. She gave away all her assets to help out an orphanage for young girls. As an Indian ambassador, she also traveled to Germany in 1907 to hoist the Indian National flag.
By- Vihaan Mhatre
Class-Empowering IV A
