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Basanti Devi

Basanti Devi (23 March 1880 – 7 May 1974) was an Indian independence activist and pioneer in women's participation in the freedom struggle, renowned for mobilizing female supporters during the Non-Cooperation Movement and becoming one of the first women arrested by British authorities for publicly selling khadi in defiance of colonial bans.^[1]^[2]^[3] Married to prominent nationalist leader Chittaranjan Das, with whom she had three children, Devi transitioned from a domestic role to frontline activism following her husband's imprisonment, leading processions of women volunteers and promoting Swadeshi ideals through grassroots efforts in Bengal.^[4]^[5] Her arrest in December 1921 alongside relatives like sister-in-law Urmila Devi triggered widespread protests and highlighted the expanding role of women in anti-colonial resistance, influencing figures such as Subhas Chandra Bose, who regarded her as a maternal guide in political and social reform.^[6]^[7] Beyond the independence movement, Devi advocated for women's education and empowerment, founding organizations like Nari Karma Mandir to foster self-reliance and social upliftment, while maintaining a commitment to non-violent Gandhian principles amid Bengal's turbulent political landscape.^[8] Her legacy endures as a symbol of gendered agency in early 20th-century Indian nationalism, distinct from elite male leadership, though historical accounts often underscore her supportive yet autonomous contributions rather than independent command.^[9]^[10]

Early Life and Background

Birth and Family Origins

Basanti Devi was born on 23 March 1880 in Kolkata to Baradanath Haldar and Swarnamayee Devi.^[11]^[12] Her father held the position of diwan, or estate manager, for a large zamindari in Assam under British colonial administration, reflecting the family's ties to administrative roles in eastern India.^[13]^[1] The Haldar family belonged to the Bengali Hindu upper class, with roots in Bengal's landowning and bureaucratic elite during the late 19th century.^[1] This background provided Basanti Devi with early exposure to colonial governance structures, though her upbringing emphasized traditional values amid the zamindari's regional influence in Assam.^[13]

Education and Early Influences

Basanti Devi received her formal education at Loreto House in Kolkata, a convent school established by the Sisters of Loreto that provided English-medium instruction to girls from affluent families during the late 19th century.^[1]^[14] This type of schooling was uncommon for Indian girls at the time, typically reserved for those from zamindari or administrative elite backgrounds, reflecting the resources and priorities of her family under British colonial rule.^[1]^[13] Her early influences stemmed primarily from her upbringing in a Bengali zamindar family, where her father, Baradanath Haldar, served as diwan managing extensive estates in Assam, instilling exposure to administrative duties and regional socio-economic dynamics.^[15]^[16] The disciplined environment of Loreto House, with its emphasis on moral and intellectual development under missionary oversight, likely shaped her resilience and organizational skills, though direct accounts of personal mentors or readings from this period remain sparse in historical records.^[1] By her late teens, these formative experiences positioned her at the intersection of traditional Bengali elite culture and colonial educational norms, preceding her entry into public life.^[14]

Marriage and Personal Life

Union with Chittaranjan Das

Basanti Devi, born on March 23, 1880, to Baradanath Haldar, the diwan of a large zamindary in Assam under British colonial rule, received her education at Loreto House in Kolkata.^[13] There, she met Chittaranjan Das, a rising lawyer born in 1870 to a Brahmo family in Bikrampur (now in Bangladesh).^[13] Their marriage took place in 1897, when Basanti was 17 years old, aligning with common practices of arranged unions in upper-class Bengali society at the time.^[5]^[13] The union occurred amid financial hardships for Das, whose early legal practice in Kolkata had led to insolvency and family struggles between 1893 and 1906, including the loss of ancestral property.^[5] Despite these challenges, Basanti proved a steadfast partner, later described by contemporaries as an extraordinary figure who matured into a matriarchal influence in nationalist circles.^[5] The couple resided primarily in Kolkata, where Das built his legal reputation, defending clients in high-profile cases and gradually stabilizing their household. They had three children: two daughters, Aparna and Kalyani, and a son, Chiranjan, born between 1898 and 1902.^[5] Basanti managed domestic responsibilities while supporting Das's professional and intellectual pursuits, which included his advocacy for social reforms such as women's education and inter-caste marriages—he arranged his daughters' weddings to families from Brahmin and Kayastha communities.^[5] This early marital phase established a foundation of mutual reliance, with Basanti's role evolving from homemaker to active participant in her husband's public life as his career advanced.^[13]

Family and Domestic Responsibilities

Basanti Devi married Chittaranjan Das, a prominent barrister, in 1897.^[17] The couple had three children: two daughters, Aparna and Kalyani, and a son, Chiraranjan.^[17] In the initial decade of their marriage, Basanti Devi managed their affluent household in Kolkata while raising the children, fulfilling traditional domestic roles amid her husband's growing legal and political commitments.^[1] These responsibilities included overseeing family affairs and providing stability during Das's frequent travels and professional demands as a successful advocate.^[1]

Political Activism and Independence Involvement

Initial Entry into the Freedom Struggle

Basanti Devi began her active involvement in the Indian independence movement in 1921, during the height of Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement, which called for the boycott of British goods, institutions, and services to pressure colonial authorities. Motivated by the arrest of her husband, Chittaranjan Das—a prominent Congress leader detained on December 10, 1921, for sedition—she stepped forward to sustain nationalist momentum in Bengal.^[2] In early 1921, Devi collaborated with Das's sisters, Urmila Devi and Sunita Devi, to found the Nari Karma Mandir (Women's Action Temple) in Calcutta, an organization dedicated to training women volunteers in swadeshi principles, khadi spinning, and picketing foreign cloth shops. This initiative marked her transition from domestic support to organized activism, empowering women to participate in mass mobilization against British economic dominance by promoting indigenous self-sufficiency. The center served as a hub for propaganda, literacy drives, and skill-building, reflecting the movement's emphasis on grassroots non-violent resistance.^[1]^[18] Devi's initial public engagement involved personally selling khadi on the streets of Calcutta, defying British prohibitions on Congress-led economic boycotts and directly challenging foreign textile imports that undercut Indian industries. This act of civil disobedience, rooted in the movement's core tenet of economic non-cooperation, positioned her as a symbol of female agency in the struggle, culminating in her arrest alongside family members in December 1921—the first such detention of an Indian woman for promoting khadi during the campaign.^[13]^[15]^[2]

Role in the Non-Cooperation Movement

Basanti Devi actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920, aligning with her husband Chittaranjan Das's decision to abandon his legal practice and join the campaign against British rule.^[1] She supported the movement's core tenets of boycotting foreign goods and promoting swadeshi, particularly by organizing the sale of khadi and hand-spun cloth on the streets of Kolkata to encourage public adoption of indigenous products.^[13]^[14] In December 1921, amid protests against the Prince of Wales's visit, Basanti Devi led groups of women in these khadi-selling efforts, defying British warnings and directly challenging the importation of foreign textiles.^[1] She co-led one such group of five individuals with Chittaranjan Das, marking a shift from her domestic role to frontline activism that mobilized women in Bengal's urban centers.^[13] On 2 December 1921, her activities culminated in her arrest alongside her sister-in-law Urmila Devi, Sunita Devi, and other Congress women workers, making her the first Indian woman detained specifically for promoting khadi during the movement.^[14]^[1] The arrest triggered immediate public outrage in Kolkata, galvanizing support across communities and occupations, with protests and offers of voluntary arrests from youth that amplified the movement's momentum.^[1] Released shortly thereafter due to the uproar, Basanti Devi continued her contributions by editing the Congress weekly Banglar Katha during Chittaranjan Das's imprisonment, ensuring the dissemination of nationalist propaganda.^[14] In 1922, she was elected president of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee, where she advocated for broader mass participation in the ongoing non-cooperation efforts.^[14]^[1]

Arrest and Imprisonment in 1921

In late 1921, during the height of the Non-Cooperation Movement, British authorities in Bengal intensified crackdowns on Swadeshi activities, particularly amid the boycott of the Prince of Wales' visit to India. Basanti Devi, having assumed a more active role after her husband Chittaranjan Das's arrest on December 10, led groups of volunteers in openly selling khadi on the streets of Kolkata, defying police warnings and orders prohibiting such public promotions of indigenous goods.^[2]^[19] Her actions directly challenged British efforts to suppress nationalist mobilization, positioning her as a key figure in escalating civil disobedience.^[1] Devi's arrest occurred shortly after Das's detention, on or around December 7–10, making her among the first Indian women imprisoned specifically for khadi vending and anti-colonial agitation during the movement.^[20]^[21] In some instances, her son was detained alongside her, with charges centered on violating assembly restrictions and speaking against British rule.^[22] The brief imprisonment—often described as lasting until midnight or a short period—occurred in Kolkata facilities overwhelmed by subsequent arrests, though detailed conditions remain sparsely documented in primary accounts.^[23] Her detention sparked immediate and widespread public outrage across communities and occupations, propelling mass participation in the boycott and filling two Kolkata prisons with over 30,000 volunteers nationwide in the ensuing weeks.^[2]^[21] Released soon after, Devi persisted in nationalist efforts, assuming editorship of Das's weekly publication Bangalar Katha to sustain propaganda against colonial policies.^[2] This episode underscored women's emerging frontline roles in the struggle, amplifying the movement's momentum despite repressive measures.^[19]

Support for Key Nationalist Leaders

Basanti Devi demonstrated strong support for Mahatma Gandhi by actively participating in his satyagraha campaigns and promoting khadi as part of the swadeshi initiative. In 1921, she became one of the first Indian women arrested during the Non-Cooperation Movement for selling khadi on the streets of Calcutta, defying British prohibitions on nationalist economic boycott.^[24] She learned spinning under Gandhi's influence, vowing to spin yarn daily for at least half an hour and encouraging her family, including husband Chittaranjan Das, to adopt the practice; in 1925, she fulfilled Gandhi's request by sending him her initial quota of 30 days' yarn production.^[25] Gandhi, in turn, praised her commitment in publications like Young India (18 June 1925) and provided emotional support after Das's death, highlighting her resilience in continuing his constructive programs.^[25] As president of the Bengal Provincial Congress Committee from 1921 to 1922, Basanti Devi advanced Gandhi's vision of mass mobilization by presiding over the Bengal Provincial Conference in Chittagong in April 1922, where she delivered a speech urging grassroots agitation against British rule and emphasizing women's role in the independence struggle.^[26] Her leadership in this body fostered unity among Congress workers aligned with Gandhi's non-violent resistance, earning her affection from allied leaders including Motilal Nehru and Sarojini Naidu for galvanizing female participation in dharnas and picketing.^[24] Basanti Devi also exerted significant influence on Subhas Chandra Bose, whom she mentored as a maternal figure following his close ties to Chittaranjan Das. Bose, viewing her as an adopted mother, exchanged moving letters with her and drew inspiration from her dedication to the nationalist cause; after Das's death in June 1925, Bose urged her to enter active politics to carry forward the Swaraj Party's objectives.^[27] Her guidance shaped Bose's early political outlook, reinforcing his commitment to aggressive anti-colonial strategies while she continued supporting broader Congress unity under Gandhi's framework.^[27]

Post-Independence Era Activities

Following India's independence in 1947, Basanti Devi established the Jhansi Rani Relief Team, a social organization dedicated to providing aid to victims of partition violence and fostering communal healing amid the displacement of millions.^[28] This initiative reflected her commitment to addressing immediate humanitarian crises through grassroots relief efforts, prioritizing rehabilitation for affected families in Bengal.^[29] Devi sustained her advocacy for social reform by challenging entrenched inequalities, including caste-based discrimination and restrictions on women's participation in public life, drawing from her earlier experiences in nationalist mobilization to promote unity and equity in post-colonial society.^[30] She extended these efforts to marginalized groups, establishing training centers for tribal communities to enhance skills and self-reliance, while engaging in famine relief operations to mitigate rural distress during periods of scarcity in the 1950s.^[31] In the realm of education, Devi's longstanding promotion of opportunities for girls, particularly in underserved neighborhoods, culminated in recognition through the establishment of Basanti Devi College in Kolkata on August 5, 1959—the first government-sponsored institution for women's higher education in the city, funded by West Bengal's administration to honor her role in advancing female empowerment against social barriers.^[14] This naming underscored her indirect influence on educational access, as the college integrated into a network supporting women's academic advancement, though Devi herself eschewed formal political roles post-1947 to focus on non-partisan service.^[1]

Continuation of Nationalist Legacy

Following India's independence in 1947, Basanti Devi distanced herself from formal politics, declining an invitation from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to assume a position within the Indian National Congress, opting instead for independent social service aligned with the self-reliance and communal harmony principles of the nationalist movement.^[29] She sustained welfare initiatives originating from her husband Chittaranjan Das's era, including community centers focused on education, health, and economic upliftment for underprivileged groups, thereby extending the freedom struggle's emphasis on grassroots empowerment beyond anti-colonial resistance.^[32] Devi's post-independence efforts also targeted social fragmentation, vocally opposing caste-based discrimination and advocating for societal cohesion, which echoed the unifying rhetoric of early 20th-century nationalists like her husband and Gandhi.^[33] Through public service, including support for women's training and cultural preservation amid rapid modernization, she preserved nationalist ideals of cultural sovereignty and ethical self-governance, influencing younger generations without institutional power. Her refusal of political office underscored a commitment to apolitical patriotism, prioritizing enduring societal reform over partisan roles.^[1]^[26]

Death and Legacy

Final Years and Passing

In the decades following India's independence in 1947, Basanti Devi resided primarily in Kolkata, where she sustained her dedication to social welfare and women's education, drawing on her earlier experiences in nationalist organizing to support community initiatives. Though advanced in age, she remained a symbolic figure of resilience, quietly influencing younger generations through personal counsel and advocacy for rural upliftment.^[34] Basanti Devi passed away on May 7, 1974, in Kolkata at the age of 94, after enduring 49 years of widowhood since Chittaranjan Das's death in 1925.^[11] No public records detail the precise cause of her death, but her longevity underscored a life marked by unyielding commitment to public service amid personal trials.^[11]

Historical Recognition and Enduring Impact

Basanti Devi was posthumously honored with the naming of Basanti Devi College in Kolkata, established by the Government of West Bengal in 1959 to advance women's education in alignment with her post-independence advocacy for social reform.^[14] In 1973, she received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian award, acknowledging her leadership in the Non-Cooperation Movement and broader nationalist efforts.^[1]^[13] Her arrest on December 10, 1921, as the first Indian woman detained for defying British prohibitions by selling khadi on Kolkata's streets, symbolized women's entry into direct confrontation with colonial authority, galvanizing female participation in satyagraha and swadeshi campaigns.^[35] This act, alongside her organization of volunteer groups and fundraising for the Tilak Swaraj Fund—collecting gold ornaments and 2,000 coins from Jalpaiguri—reinforced economic self-reliance as a core nationalist strategy with enduring resonance in India's post-colonial identity.^[26] Devi's influence extended to mentoring emerging leaders, including Subhas Chandra Bose, whom she guided politically and personally after Chittaranjan Das's death in 1925, fostering continuity in Bengal's swarajist tradition.^[1] By co-founding Nari Karma Mandir, an institution for women's training and empowerment, she laid foundations for gender-inclusive social reform, impacting educational access and cultural resistance against colonial suppression.^[36] Her legacy endures in commemorations like Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav events highlighting women's roles, underscoring her as a bridge from early 20th-century agitation to institutional nation-building.^[26]

References

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