Basanti Devi
Basanti Devi | |
---|---|
Born | Calcutta, West Bengal, India | 23 March 1880
Nationality | Indian |
Known for | Independence activist |
Political party | Indian National Congress |
Movement | Indian independence movement |
Spouse | Chittaranjan Das |
Awards | Padma Vibhushan (1973) |
Basanti Devi (23 March 1880 – 7 May 1974) was an Indian independence activist during the
Life and activities
Basanti Devi was born on 23 March 1880 to Swarnamayee Devi and her husband
Following her husband, Basanti Devi took part in various movements like the
During the
After Das' arrest, Basanti Devi took charge of his weekly publication Bangalar Katha (The Story of Bengal).[7] She was the president of Bengal Provincial Congress in 1921–22. Presiding over the Bengal Provincial Conference at Chittagong in 1922, she encouraged grassroots agitation. Travelling around India, she supported cultural development of arts in order to oppose colonialism.[3]
As Das was the political mentor of Subhash Chandra Bose, Bose had great regard for Basanti Devi. After Das's death in 1925, Bose is reported to have discussed his personal and political doubts with Devi.[8] Bose's fraternal niece-in-law Krishna Bose characterized Basanti Devi as his "adopted mother" and one of the four important women in his life, the other three being his mother Prabhabati, his sister-in-law Bibhabati (wife of Sarat Chandra Bose) and his wife Emilie Schenkl.[9]
Like her husband, Basanti Devi too was sympathetic towards the revolutionary activists in the Indian independence movement. In 1928, Indian freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai died days after being injured by the police in a baton charge against his peaceful protest march. Following this, Basanti Devi exhorted the Indian youth to avenge Lajpat Rai's death.[10][11]
After India's independence in 1947, Basanti Devi continued with social work.[12] Basanti Devi College, the first women's college in Kolkata to have been funded by the government, was established in 1959 and named after her.[3][13] In 1973, she was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.[14][15]
References
- ^ "Basanti Devi". Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- ISBN 9780195656978. Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ ISBN 9780195148909. Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ISBN 978-81-7648-025-3. Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ISBN 9780857287571. Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ISBN 9788184759327. Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ^ Bangla Academy Journal, Volume 21, Issue 2 – Volume 22, Issue 2. Bangla Academy. 1995. p. 23. Archived from the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ISBN 9788180694967. Archivedfrom the original on 7 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-670-99955-2. Archivedfrom the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
- ^ Lal, Chaman (2 November 2012). "Down Bhagat Singh lane". Frontline. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ "Bhagat Singh's association with Kolkata's Arya Samaj temple continues". The Tribune. 28 September 2018. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
- ^ Ajita Kaura, Arpana Cour (1976). Directory of Indian Women Today, 1976. India International Publications. p. 361.
- ^ "Basanti Devi College – History". Basanti Devi College. Archived from the original on 5 June 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- ^ "Padma Awards: Year wise list of recipients (1954–2014)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs (India). 21 May 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ Women on the March. Smt. Mukul Banerjee for the Women's Front of All India Congress Committee. 1973.