This article is written for Tnpsc for the topic ‘role of women in freedom struggle Tnpsc’.
Women Freedom Fighters of Tamilnadu
Velunachiyar (1730–1796) and Kuyili
Velunachiyar was born to royalty, she was well-versed in English, French, and Urdu and good in martial arts.
She was married to Raja of Sivagangai, Muthu Vadugar at the age of 16. Muthu Vadugar was killed by Nawab of Arcot and company troops under the command of Lt.Col.BonJour, and Sivagangai was captured.
With the help of Gopala Nayakar and Hyder Ali, Velunachiyar recaptured Sivagangai. Velunachiyar is the first ruler or queen to resist the British.
Another woman, Kuyili, a friend of Velunachiyar led a women’s soldiers, did a suicide attack by setting herself on fire and destroying all the ammunition.
Annie Besant
She was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress and she was responsible for the launch of the Home Rule movement.
Anjalai Ammal
In 1921, she took part in the Non-Cooperation movement, Neil Statue Satyagraha, Salt Satyagraha, and the Quit India Movement. She was nicknamed South India’s Jhansi Rani.
Other famous female freedom fighters of Tamilnadu are Supriya Cherian, Rukmini Lakshmipathi, Krishnammal Jagannathan, etc.
Women Freedom Fighters in other parts of India
Sarala Debi
She created an organization or group of activists ‘Bharat Stree Mahamandal’ in the year 1910 and combined Hindu revivalism with political protest.
Sarala Devi Chaudhurani founded ‘Bharat Stree Mahamandal‘ in 1910 in Allahabad. It was a women’s organization, and its primary goal is to promote female education.
She opened several branches all over the Indian Subcontinent such as Lahore, Karachi, Kolkata, Delhi, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Bankura, Midnapur, Hazaribagh, and Bankura.
This organization tried to improve the situation of women, which was very bad at that time.
Margret Cousins
Margret Cousins launched the Women’s India Association and also drafted the Indian Women’s voting rights bill.
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu also called Nightingale of India, became president of the Indian National Congres and also emerged as an important freedom fighter.
Rashtriya Stree Sanghas
Sarojini Naidu established the independent body Rashtriya Stree Sanghas which joined with district congress committees and that saw the inclusion of women from all sections of the society including Windows.
Abadi Bano Begum
Abadi Bano Begum, also known as Bi Amma, is the mother of the Ali brothers. She addressed women to join men in picketing.
Also, she made thousands of Devadasi hear Gandhi’s speech.
Katherine Mayo
An American writer, who wrote the book ‘Mother India’. Criticized the Hindu men for treating women like a slave and made the Nationalists and reformers focus on Women.
Sarojini Naidu, Muthulaxmi Reddy, and Margret Cousin were imprisoned for participating in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Durgavati Devi helped Bhagat Singh escape after the Saunders Killing and she was part Hindustan Socialist Republican Association, and also took part in armed rebellion.
Kalpana Dutt of the Indian republican army led an armed rebellion along with Surya Sen in Bengal. Kalpana Dutt and Pritilata Waddedar attacked European Club in Chittagong in 1931.