________________
in Midnapore in Bengal carrying the national flag in collection of data from old records and oral history. a procession succumbed to the soldier's bullets. In Karnataka, young students Hemlata and Gulwadi
The glimpses of women's participation in the attacked the building of the court and exhorted the
freedom struggle bring on surface some important judge to resign. In Punjab a young school girl, while
undercurrents and the lessons for the twenty-first answering the questions of the police, captured the
century. Though the history of women's non-violent mood of those times. To the question 'what is your
protests goes back to Rome in 195 B.C. when name?', her answer was 'Baghi (rebel) No. 1,2,3'.
women had protested collectively in a non-violent To the question 'what is your father's name?', her
way against the law prohibiting Roman women from answer was 'Gandhi', and to the question 'what
wearing purple and gold-traditional insignia of is your mother's name?', the answer was
power and authority - in public and from riding in 'Bharatmata.'
horse-drawn carriages in towns and cities, it is in The police tried to repress the popular uprising this century that the frequency and diversity of with brutality and force. A special train with Indian collective action and non-violent protest by women and European soldiers was going to Wardha. Some have increased. Women in different countries are soldiers looted the property and raped the women raising their voices against injustice and are making at Chimur. There was much public protest. Bhansali, concerted efforts to remove discrimination. a respected leader and associate of Gandhi, went Women's actions have very often roots in their on an indefinite fast against the outrageous spontaneous, non-violent and firm response to a behaviour with women. The Congress radio was particular issue. Women organise themselves in the first to announce the news about the rape of peaceful demonstrations and processions against women at Ashti and Chimur.
the unjust powerstructure and channelise their The upheaval caused by the 1942 movement energy towards some meaningful goal. Most of the continued till the attainment of independence. Indian women, who participated in the freedom Women, young and old, were involved in this great struggle, also got involved in this non-violent struggle struggle. They went to the jail sometimes with their spontaneously and wholeheartedly. This babies and contributed to the programmes of unprecedented phenomenon while making the constructive work. There were, however, some history in the twentieth century contains some women who joined the revolutionary activities for messages for the twenty first century also. the independence of the nation.
The Indian women by their non-violent struggle Biographies, autobiographies and personal demonstrated that inner strength is more powerful interviews of some women fighters give us the than the brute force, and the so-called weak can be glimpses of their saga of sacrifice and their strength strong. This powerful lesson is important for us as to stand on their own feet in adverse situations. It is we prepare ourselves to enter the next century with not easy to know about all the women who apprehension and hope. The Indian women also participated in the freedom struggle. Names and showed the strength of peaceful collective action. contributions of some women have been retained, There were thousands of women, unacknowledged but many remain virtually unknown, their sacrifices and virtually unknown, who have given everything unacknowledged and their contributions unnoticed. they had for the nation. It is not easy to get the record The task calls for intensive concerted research and of their names and work. Some studies
(૧૦૪) (સત્ય-અહિંસા-અપરિગ્રહ
પ્રબદ્ધ જીવન : ગાંધી સાર્ધ શતાબ્દી વિશેષાંક (ઑકટોબર- ૨૦૧૮
