Abhishu sharma

Inspirational

3  

Abhishu sharma

Inspirational

Mother of Our Nation

Mother of Our Nation

5 mins
190


                                                   

Sometimes one STEP by a person proves out to be a giant leap for the whole of mankind; I think this statement accurately describes the struggles and kind of life Madam Bhikaji. R.Kama chose for herself. The “Steps”, she has taken, Each and every single alphabet of these “steps” are considered to be the milestone in the revolution of our country’s freedom against the British autocracy. I think even if all the adjectives or synonyms for bravery, patriotism, intelligence and Empathy come together then also they will not be enough to describe her. But I think ‘Brave and Resolute’ could be used.

“Shook The Entire-Empire with her Patriotism .”

After deduction of these “steps” alphabet by alphabet, we understand how deeply these steps are saying very loud and crystal clear voice, the impact it had created which not only dismantle the foundation of the British Empire but also awakens the self-esteem and self-respect women of our country to give them the understanding that enduring torture is not a normal way of living. She makes them understand that enduring pain and torture and bear it calmly and patiently because there is no other choice in the name of traditions and customs is not normal at all. At that time patriarchy in our society was considered to be a way of how a society works. “Feminism=Equality” is the concept on which our society should be built upon, she introduced.

She was born on 24th September 1861 in an affluent Parsi  Zoroastrian family. Her Mother’s name was Mrs jaijibai Sorabji Patel and father’s name was Mr Sorabji Framji patel. As per her parents, since the age of three she was a very focused, hardworking, assiduous and a disciplined girl. She had a very deep aptitude for learning different languages. Because Mr. Sorabji F Patel was a lawyer by training and a merchant by his profession, Bhikaji was growing up in such a patriotic environment where the Indian Nationalist movement was gaining it’s momentum at a slow yet strong base but the seed of the patriotism was somewhere Sown in her heart and dissolved in blood through her veins by these movements . She was very active in these circles and spent much of her time arguing competently for the cause of these movements.

On August 3, 1985, she was married to a rich Pro-British Lawyer Rustom cama. He was the son of Mr Kharshedji Rustom Cama. Her husband always wanted to get into politics. After marriage, Bhikaji association in the nationalist movement and different socio-political issues continued. This association was not well taken by her husband and these results in discussions, questions lead to certain restrictions. Heated arguments between the couple became a part of their routine life.

Bhikaji did not want to end this unhappy marriage so she was calmly was bearing the mental torture by her husband. But destiny had something else in its mind.

In October 1896, a famine struck in Bombay, and the city was still struggling to survive in it, the people there at the same time had to face a Bubonic( having Swollen inflamed lymph nodes in different parts of the body like armpit or groin area) Plague. The severity of this plague went to the peak of the pain for the affected people. Bhikaji, kept aside her personal issues and played a vital role in providing help and taking care of the infected ones. For the vaccination and immunization, she was involved with one of the groups which is working out of Bombay’s Grant Medical College.

She herself contracted the plague while working for the patients. She was sent to Britain for medical care in 1902 because although she survived the plague, her condition was severely weak.

It took her almost three years to fully recover. At the time of discharge from the hospital, the first thing she asked was to go back to India and serve the patients of plague and take part in the nationalist movements in the freedom struggle of the country. But she was told that she would be allowed to return to India on only one condition that she has to sign a statement which says that she would not either actively or even passively will not participate in any sort of nationalist movements.

Till now, she had clearly understood the reason for her existence, the reason she will live for the rest of her life i.e. to make India an Independent country, where each and every citizen can breathe, live with pride and independence. So, she refused to sign that statement and promised herself that she will never bow down before anyone and anything wrong from now on.

She moved to Paris later in the same year and co-founded the ‘Paris Indian Society’, along with Mr M.B. Godrej and Mr S.R. Raina. It was the branch of IHRS( Indian Home Rule Society) by Mr Shyamji Krishna Varma . This society works primarily to provide shelter to Indian Revolutionaries.

BHikaji also wrote some revolutionary literary works like Madan’s Talwar and Bande mataram ( This was the answer by her to the British government in response to their ban on the Vande mataram Poem by Bankim Chandra chatterjee).

‘India is for the Indians’ was the slogan given by her.

“ Be-hold, the flag of independent India is born! It has been made sacred by the blood of Young Indians who sacrificed their lives in its honor. In the name of this flag, I appeal to lovers of freedom all over the world to support this struggle.” Were the exact words in her fury speech while hoisting the ‘Flag Of Indian Independence’ on the foreign soil in Germany. The flag was designed by her only along with Mr varma.

In the year 1935, she had a stroke which made her health much worse and after some time she was paralyzed. She knew that her end time was near so she made a petition to the British government to return to her roots because she wanted to be in the lap of her motherland in her last time.

On August 13, 1936, she took her last breath. She donated her whole property to a Girl orphanage.

Many streets and places are named after her to honour Bhikaji’s contribution in India's struggle for freedom.

VANDE MATRAM



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