They Also Fought So That We Could Proudly Hoist The Tricolour

As another Independence Day passed by with flag hoisting and playing of patriotic songs, it is also time to remember some of our female freedom fighters so that they do not slip from memory.

Rani Laxmibai is well known, with several books and movies made about how she declared, “Main apni Jhansi nahin doongi,” and fought the British on the battlefront. Kasturba Gandhi is famous too, as Mahatma Gandhi’s constant companion and helpmate, at a time when women did not involve themselves in politics and public campaigns. Sarojini Naidu, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, and Usha Mehta have been given their due to some extent. However, there are other brave women who defied social norms of the era and contributed to the struggle for independence.

Kittur Chennamma was one of the earliest freedom fighters in India. Her armed rebellion against the British East India Company predates the more widely known Revolt of 1857. Born in 1778 in the village of Kakati in present-day Karnataka, Chennamma was the queen of the princely state of Kittur. She was trained from a young age in horse riding, sword fighting, and archery, skills that would later prove crucial in her fight against colonial rule. She married Raja Mallasarja of the Desai family and became the queen of Kittur. She rebelled against the British over their policy of annexation. In a story similar to that of the Rani of Jhansi, the British did not recognise her adoption of a son to take over the kingdom after the death of her husband and son. She went to war against the British and, after some early victories, was defeated, captured and imprisoned at Bailhongal Fort, where she died in 1829.

During the 1857 War of Independence, Begum Hazrat Mahal organised forces and led the resistance in Awadh. Wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah, she was a remarkable woman who rose from a humble background to royalty. Born Muhammadi Khanum in Faizabad, Awadh (present-day Uttar Pradesh), she was sold by her family into the royal harem. Her beauty and talent caught the attention of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah; he married her and bestowed on her the title Hazrat Mahal after the birth of their son. In 1856, the British East India Company annexed Awadh and banished the Nawab to Calcutta. Instead of following her husband into exile, Begum Hazrat Mahal took charge. She declared her young son, Birjis Qadr, as the new ruler of Awadh and became his regent. She rallied the troops and made all attempts to recapture Lucknow but failed. Turning down any negotiations with the British, she exiled herself to Nepal and spent the remaining years there.

Aruna Asaf Ali was known as the Grand Old Lady of the Indian Independence Movement for her leadership during the Quit India Movement. Born Aruna Ganguly in 1909, she worked as a teacher after completing her education. She met and married Asaf Ali, a leader of the Indian National Congress, despite opposition from her family, and immersed herself in the freedom struggle. She participated in the Salt Satyagraha of 1930 and was arrested. When most of the leaders of the Quit India Movement of 1942 were jailed, she stepped in and famously hoisted the Indian national flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan in Bombay, defying orders by the British. To evade arrest, she went into hiding for four years, and during this time, she published and edited the underground magazine Inquilab. After Independence, she continued her political work and became the first Mayor of Delhi in 1948. She was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1997 in recognition of her work for the nation.

Bhikaji Cama, also referred to as Madam Cama, was called the Mother of the Indian Revolution for her untiring work during the freedom movement. Her marriage to a wealthy pro-British lawyer was fraught with clashes of ideology due to her nationalist fervour. In 1902, due to poor health, she travelled to London for medical treatment, where she met Congress leader Dadabhai Naoroji. She was inspired by him to participate in the freedom struggle and famously unfurled an early version of the Indian national flag on August 22, 1907, at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. This flag she had co-designed with other revolutionaries like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar—a tricolour of green, saffron, and red stripes, with the words ‘Vande Mataram’ inscribed on it. She appealed to the international community to support India's struggle for independence, which forced her to leave Britain for Paris, where she mobilised Indian revolutionaries. She founded the Paris Indian Society and published and distributed revolutionary literature, including the newspaper Bande Mataram, which was smuggled into India to inspire the freedom fighters. She was only allowed to return to India in 1935 after being in exile for nearly 33 years and passed away in Mumbai a few months later, in 1936.

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Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was a great social reformer, freedom fighter, and a key figure in the revival of India's traditional arts and crafts. Born in 1903 in Mangalore, she was interested in politics and social reform from a young age. She married Harindranath Chattopadhyay, a poet and younger brother of Sarojini Naidu, in 1920, which caused a stir because it was an inter-caste match. She became an active member of the Indian National Congress and was a staunch supporter of Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement, facing arrest for her involvement in the Salt Satyagraha. In 1926, she became the first woman in India to run for a legislative seat, campaigning for a spot in the Madras Provincial Legislative Council. Although she lost by a narrow margin, she paved the way for other women to enter politics. After Independence, she dedicated her life to the preservation and promotion of India's rich cultural heritage. She founded the Crafts Council of India in 1964 and played a crucial role in establishing various state-level councils to support traditional artisans as well as institutions like the National School of Drama, the Sangeet Natak Akademi and the All India Handloom Board, creating and leaving behind a formidable legacy.

These are just a few of many women who continue to inspire and should be role models for women in India.

Deepa Gahlot is a Mumbai-based columnist, critic and author.