Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
Topic: The National Movement: Gandhian Era · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 3 "Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement"
Meaning
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay (1903–88) was a socialist and a Congress activist. In 1930, Gandhi at first wanted only men to break the salt law. Kamaladevi persuaded him to let women join the protest. She then broke the salt law herself and was jailed. The Salt Satyagraha became the first nationalist campaign in which women took part in large numbers. She was one of several leaders who made that possible.
Example
In 1930, during the Civil Disobedience Movement, women took part in marches, made salt, picketed (stood guard outside) liquor and foreign-cloth shops, and went to jail. These were mainly women from urban high-caste families and from rich peasant families in villages.
Don't confuse with
- Sarojini Naidu: she was also a woman leader of the 1930 movement. She led the raid on the Dharasana salt works and became Congress president in 1925. Kamaladevi is remembered for winning women the right to join the salt protest.
Related concepts
- Eleven demands of Gandhi 1930
- Salt monopoly
- Salt satyagraha
- Sabarmati Ashram
- Civil disobedience movement
- Vedaranyam salt march
- Dharasana satyagraha 1930
- Sarojini Naidu
- Abdul Ghaffar Khan
- Khudai Khidmatgar