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From Rani Lakshmibai to Sarojini Naidu: The unsung female freedom fighters of India
On this Independence Day, let us remember some of the supreme women of our country who fought for the freedom of their motherland and helped in shaping the independent India.
India’s struggle for freedom is completely incomplete without mentioning the women who participated fiercely in it. Today, we celebrate the struggles of these bold women who brought us where we are today.
These brave women are long gone and forgotten. They gave selfless sacrifices and gave up on their lives to see their nation independent. Here are the unsung brave women who inspired and fought for a free country with boldness, intelligence and bravery.
1. Aruna Asif Ali
Known as The Grand Old Lady, Aruna Asif Ali was a freedom fighter who hoisted the Indian National Congress flag during the Quit India Movement at the Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay. She was also a part of the Salt Satyagraha Movement and many other protest marches. She organised a protest against the ill-treatment in the prisons by initiating a hunger strike.
2. Bhikaji Cama
Bhikaji Cama came from a respectable family background and her father was an influential member of the Parsi community. As Indian ambassador, she travelled to hoist the Indian National flag in 1907 in Germany. She emphasised on equality between men and women. Thus, she gave away all her possessions to orphanages for young girls.
3. Captain Lakshmi Sehgal
Lakshmi Sehgal was a former Indian Army officer called Captain Lakshmi. She had served a sentence for her role in World War II in a Burma prison. She is known for her part in Indian National Army founded by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and led it like a tigress. She also led the Rani of Jhansi Regiment that comprised of women soldiers.
4. Matangini Hazra
Known as Gandhi Buri, Matangini Hazra participated in the Quit India Movement and Non-Cooperation Movement. During a march, she continued leading with the Indian flag even after being shot thrice and kept shouting Vande Mataram. She was the first woman whose statue was put up in Kolkata in Independent India and is located in the exact spot where she was killed in Tamluk. She also has a road in Kolkata named after her, called as The Hazra Road.
5. Sarojini Naidu
Known as ‘The Nightingale of India’, Sarojini Naidu was an Indian independence activist. With her noble work during the struggle for freedom, she is also known for actively supporting Mahatma Gandhi’s movement. She led campaigns like the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms, the Khilafat issue, the Sabarmati Pact, the Satyagraha Pledge and the Civil Disobedience Movement and garnered global attention for her determination and involvement as a freedom fighter.
6. Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi
Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, the epitome of leadership and heroism, is one of the great feminine symbols of resistance and courage to British India and leading figure of Indian 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
