Saturday 2 June 2018

Nivedita : The Queen of the Indian Freedom Movement - 4

यतो धर्म: ततो जय:


She died at an early age of 44 at Darjeeling after fourteen years of total stay in India. The legendary pioneer revolutionary and founder of the INA in Japan, Rashbehari Ghosh, wrote after her death: 'If the dry bones India was beginning to stir, it was because Nivedita breathed life into them. If we are conscious of a budding national life, it is because of her. If our young men were inspired with a burning passion of a purer, nobler life, the credit should go to the lady.'

Netaji Subhas Bose wrote: 'I loved India after reading Vivekananda and I could know Vivekananda after reading Nivedita.' Rabindranath Tagore called her 'Lokmata'—mother of the people. So there cannot be any doubt about the immense contribution Nivedita made to the Indian freedom struggle. Her contributions seem outstanding when compared with any other women of the pre-independence era. Unfortunately no comparative study on the role and contributions of the women freedom fighters in India has been undertaken so far. The point on which Nivedita scored much above all others was that she inspired a generation of top leaders of the country and legendary revolutionaries. The well-known parliamentarian, Samar Guha, who was a revolutionary during his youth, once wrote in an article that 'Vivekananda made the pedestal for revolution and Nivedita ignited the fire'.

Swami Devendrananda in his book writes that if ever an independent and unbiased history of Indian independence movement is written, then her name will feature at the top. I would like to add that her name will be right on top of all women freedom fighters. Therefore there is no problem in giving the crown of the 'queen' of the Indian freedom movement to this much-forgotten 'Sister'—Nivedita.

- Udit Bhanu Dasputa





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