Wishesh magazine january 2018 Wishesh magazine january 2018 | Page 98

FREEDOM FIGHTER
98
Naidu played
an immense
role in
presenting
the nuances
of the Indian
non-violent
struggle for
freedom to the
world.
She was deeply affected by
the partition of Bengal in 1905
and decided to join the Indian
freedom struggle. She met
regularly with Gopal Krishna
Gokhale, who in turn introduced
her to the otherleaders of the
Indian freedom movement.
Gokhale urged her to devote
her intellect and education for
the cause. She took a respite
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from writing and devoted
herself fully to the political
cause. She met Mahatma
Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer
and Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Her relationship with Gandhi
was that of mutual respect
as well as of benign humour.
She famously called Gandhi
‘Mickey Mouse’ and quipped
“It costs a lot to keep Gandhi
poor!” helped found the Women’s
India Association with Annie
Besant and other prominent
leaders. She also presented
to Congress the need to
involve more women in
the freedom struggle. She
travelled extensively to the
United States of America
and many European
countries as the flag-bearer
of the Indian Nationalist
struggle.
She met Jawaharlal Nehru
in 1916, worked with him for
the disheartening conditions
of the Indigo workers of
Champaran in the western
district of Bihar and fought
vehemently with the British
for their rights. Sarojini
Naidu travelled all over India
and delivered speeches on
welfare of youth, dignity of
labor, women’s emancipation
and nationalism. In 1917, she In March 1919, the British
government passed the
Rowlatt Act by which the
possession of seditious
documents was deemed
illegal. Mahatma Gandhi
organized the Non-
Cooperation Movement to
protest and Naidu was the
first to join the movement.
Sarojini Naidu religiously
followed Gandhi’s example
and actively supported