Yashika Goel
This 15 of August 2022, India will celebrate its 75th anniversary of independence. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is the name given by the government, which would have been an impossible dream if men and women hadn’t fought side by side to free us from the British.
Although the contributions of the males were outstanding, we frequently forget that even in those long-ago times, women defied the expectations that kept them confined to the four walls of their homes. Some of them used weapons and ammunition while others used rhetoric to fight for our nation.
We honor their achievements and honor their sacrifices.
1. Kamala Nehru
Kamala Nehra was a proponent of Indian independence who participated actively in the Harilal Gandhi Movement in 1931. An anti-foreign liquor and clothing shop movement was organized in Allahabad, presently known as Prayagraj.
Over time, British people came to recognize her as a strong voice, stirring up Indians to rebel against them. They repeatedly took her into custody. Kamala Nehru – She has numerous colleges and hospitals named in her honor. Her husband was India’s first prime minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru.
2. Rani Lakshmi Bai
Rani Lakshmi Bai was the one who fought the British on her own before giving her life in defense of the nation. Jhansi Ki Rani instigated a rebellion against the colonial authorities who were attempting to seize the city. Her bravery is frequently celebrated in a poem that celebrates her life. Raja Gangadhar Rao was married to her.
3. Usha Mehta
Usha Mehta was one of the nation’s youngest freedom fighters and was motivated by Mahatma Gandhi. She took part in the “Simon Go Back” protest when she was just eight years old. She gave up her studies to join the war for independence. She was even detained for hosting radio shows critical of the colonial administration.
4. Kasturba Gandhi
Few people are aware that Kasturba Gandhi played a significant role in organizing women to fight for India’s independence despite being the wife of the man known as the “Father of the Nation.” She educated people about writing, reading, writing technique, discipline, and health during the movement against Indigo plantations. She advocated for civil rights, much like her husband, by raising her voice.
5. Aruna Asaf Ali
Aruna Asaf Ali took part in Mahatma Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha movement. She even served as the movement’s leader and advocated for the rights of prisoners at the Tihar jail. She was a woman who defied all gender norms and pursued a life of her own choosing.
6. Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu, known as the Nightingale of India, played a significant role in the Quit India and civil disobedience movements. She was the second woman to lead the Indian National Congress and the first to serve as governor of a state. She was frequently detained because she was a vocal opponent of the British.
7. Bhikaji Cama
Bhikaji Cama, often known as Madam Cama, was one of the first women to speak up on women’s empowerment and equality. She inspired a lot of women to join the Indian freedom movement. In 1907, she unfurled the nation’s initial rendition of the flag.
8. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Even before independence, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was the first woman to serve in the cabinet. She presided over the UN General Assembly and was the first female governor of Maharashtra. She participated in the Quit India Movement and the Non-Cooperation Movement.
9. Gulab Kaur
Gulab Kaur was a woman who abandoned her marriage to take part in the freedom movement in India. She took part in the mass mobilization for the armed revolution. She played the role of a journalist, provided weapons to combatants, and inspired others to join the Ghadar Party, an organization that opposed British authority in India.
10. Begum Hazrat Mahal
Begum Hazrat Mahal played an important role in India’s First War of Independence, the 1857 uprising. She collaborated closely with Nana Saheb and other revolutionaries as the Begum of Awadh.
