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UPSC MainsGeneral Studies Paper IModern Indian HistoryPractice question

Women's Contribution to Indian Freedom Struggle

Explain the contribution of women to the Indian freedom struggle across its various phases and regions.

Explain~250 words2 min readmedium
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How to approach

Begin by contextualizing how women transformed from domestic subjects into frontline political actors during the freedom struggle. Detail their participation chronologically across major phases including Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience, Quit India, and the armed struggle. Then examine their broad regional distribution across the country, concluding with their long-term impact on constitutional equality.

Model answer

387 words

Introduction

During the Indian national movement, women transitioned from passive domestic observers into active political agents, simultaneously confronting colonial subjugation and challenging traditional patriarchal restrictions. Their involvement progressively evolved from localized protests to mass civil disobedience, revolutionary operations, and military participation.

Contributions Across Key Phases

  • Early Phase and Non-Cooperation Movement (1920s): Moving past the feudal and military defiance of 1857 represented by Rani Lakshmibai, the Gandhian era brought mass public participation. During the Non-Cooperation Movement, women actively picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops, donated jewellery to the Tilak Swaraj Fund, and courted arrest, with leaders like Basanti Devi and Sarala Devi Chaudhurani normalizing female political agitation.
  • Civil Disobedience Movement (1930s): Women emerged as frontline organizers and mass mobilizers. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to recruit women into the salt satyagraha, while Sarojini Naidu directed the non-violent raid on the Dharasana Salt Works after Gandhi's arrest.
  • Quit India Movement and Revolutionary Actions (1940s): With senior male leadership imprisoned, women spearheaded both underground and direct defiance. Aruna Asaf Ali hoisted the national flag at Gowalia Tank Maidan, while Usha Mehta operated the clandestine Congress Radio. Concurrently, revolutionary actors like Pritilata Waddedar and Kalpana Datta organized armed raids in Bengal.
  • Indian National Army (INA): Captain Lakshmi Sahgal led the all-female Rani of Jhansi Regiment within Subhas Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj, breaking conventional gender barriers by engaging directly in military combat.

Regional Spread of Women's Participation

  • North and West: In Punjab and Delhi, figures like Durga Bhabhi assisted revolutionary units, while Bombay became the epicentre of underground communications under Usha Mehta and Sophia Khan.
  • East: In Bengal, Matangini Hazra led thousands during the Quit India Movement in Tamluk, sustaining fatal bullet wounds while keeping the tricolour aloft; Bina Das undertook a direct armed attempt against Governor Stanley Jackson.
  • North-East: Rani Gaidinliu organized the Heraka religious movement against British authority in Manipur and Nagaland, while teenage activist Kanaklata Barua led a procession in Gohpur, Assam, sacrificing her life for the national flag.
  • South: Durgabai Deshmukh spearheaded the Madras Salt Satyagraha, while Accamma Cherian led civil resistance demonstrations in the princely state of Travancore.

Conclusion

The multifaceted participation of women across diverse social strata and geographic terrains expanded the democratic breadth of the freedom movement. Their leadership and sacrifices ensured that independent India enshrined universal adult franchise and fundamental equality as non-negotiable constitutional guarantees.

Key facts to remember

example
Secret Congress Radio (1942)

Usha Mehta along with associates operated an underground radio transmitter during the Quit India Movement to counter British censorship and broadcast news of resistance.

case study
Rani of Jhansi Regiment

Formed in 1943 under the command of Captain Lakshmi Sahgal, this all-women combat unit of the Indian National Army saw active service in the Burma Campaign, dismantling traditional gender roles in military warfare.

example
Resistance in the North-East

Rani Gaidinliu mobilized the Zeliangrong Naga community against British colonial rule at age 13, leading an armed spiritual and political revolt that resulted in her imprisonment for over a decade.

Frequently asked questions

How did the role of women change from the 1920s to the 1940s in the Indian national movement?

In the 1920s, women's roles largely revolved around picketing, khadi spinning, and non-violent marches. By the 1940s, women took over leadership roles, organized underground networks, broadcasted covert communications, and joined armed combat in the INA.

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