Women as Activists; Women as Symbols: A Study of the Indian Nationalist Movement

India's struggle for independence is of tremendous importance in the history of anti-colonial movements. The nationalist movement set the precedent of achieving independence through non-violence and thus a whole new philosophy based on ahimsal was born. The culmination of the movement in the partition on religious grounds of a country as big and culturally diverse as India was also significant. However, arguably the most important aspect of this movement for Independence from a historical point of view was that it saw mass participation by Indian women, women who had till then been confined to the domestic sphere. The contribution of women to the Independence movement was significant. They were involved in diverse nationalist activities, both within and outside the home. Within the home they spun and wove khadi, held classes to educate other women and contributed significantly to nationalist literature in the form of articles, poems and propaganda material. Shelter and nursing care were also provided to nationalist leaders who were in hiding from the British authorities. Outside the home Prabhat feris were organized in which women from all castes and classes would walk to the local temple singing songs to rouse the nationalist and patriotic feelings ofthe people. In addition they held meetings and demonstrations, took part in satyagraha, picketed toddy and foreign-cloth shops, went to prison and also suffered brutalities at the hands of the British police. Lastly, when the nationalist leadership were in gaol, the women took over the leadership roles and provided guidance to the movement. In various writings on the nationalist movement it is argued that both the participation and leadership of women's activities was pro