Women's Day: The Role Of Kasturba In Gandhi's Life And Indian Independence

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International Women's day on 08 March 2023, is never complete without the mention of Kasturba, Gandhiji's wife who played a leading role along with him in the freedom movement.

Born to an affluent and famous Kapadia family in Porbandar, Gujarat, to Gokuladas Kapadia who was a wealthy merchant, on April 11th 1869, as Kasturba, she showed streaks of boldness and an independent attitude to match it right from her childhood days. As she turned 14 years old she was already a year older than her husband, Karamchand Gandhi in 1833. She lived as a shadow to her husband all her life, and played a huge role in the independence struggle. Let us glance through some unknown facets of Kasturba in this article.

1. Taught by Gandhi to read and write, she did not go to school for education. She learnt the elementary syllabus after marriage, from her husband and never through a formal education.

2. She had four sons out of which the death of the first son devastated her for life.

3. She was thoroughly independent minded who never saw eye to eye on any topic with her husband and also refused to take his opinions at face value.

4. She had very serious disagreements with him on many topics and hence at the far end of their 2 decade-old marriage, Gandhi tried to forcibly bring her under his control.

5. Kasturba funded Gandhi's law course in England, by selling off her ornaments as per Gopalkrishan, the grandson of Ba and Bapu

6. She stayed away from him for longer periods whenever he travelled worldwide. Finally, they were able to live together in South Africa for some time.

7. Involved deeply in the South African political scenario, she once showed exemplary courage in helping Gandhi escape a band of white people who were threatening him. She was behind the establishment of the Phoenix settlement near Durban and won respect and admiration of people from this. It was in the year 1904 when she got actively involved in this political endeavor.

8. The ill-treatment of Indian immigrants by the Englishmen hurt her so much that she protested against this by leading a movement, as a result of which she was jailed in 1913 for three months. In prison she spent her time in a worthwhile way by teaching the other illiterate jailed women how to read and write.

9. Again she had one more opportunity that landed her in Jail at Rajkot in a nonviolent freedom movement for more than a month's time.

10. She had resisted Gandhi's plans when he took vow of chastity saying that it goes against her duties as a Hindu wife.

11. She also donned Mahatmas role when he was imprisoned and addressed his followers as well.

12. Whenever Gandhiji was stopped from taking charge of his movements, it was Kasturba who would enter the scene and carry out his role with aplomb.

13. She espoused the cause of Khadi and swadeshi goods and this gathered momentum and took her on the path of freedom movement.

14. When Gandhi was busy taking care of the Indigo planters, in 1917, Kasturba also pitched in and helped the Women of Champaran get their justice.

15. She took lead role in managing all his activities including the ones at Sabarmati Ashram which was basically Gandhi's brainchild.

16. In early 1939 when protests in Rajkot were rampant and the situation had reached the unruly limits, she protested in a nonviolent way against the British and later was arrested for one month which led to decline in her health.

17. She was again imprisoned at Aga Khan palace at Pune in 1942 for participating in Quit India movement. Here she was just 74 years of age but succumbed to a series of heart attacks and finally pneumonia. She died on at 7.35 pm on Feb 22, 1944.