Armed revolutionary activities were used as a means to achieve independence in the sub-continent since colonial rule. Most of the documentation around these revolutionary activities were however androcentric. The first phase of the Bengal revolutionary movement was marked by an absence of women’s participation even though the ideological foundation of the movement was embodied through the image of the “mother goddess”. Reverence for women became the main selling ideology of the movement, similar to that of the larger nationalist movement.
Along with this, the ideal masculinity also began to be defined in terms of male celibacy as a norm for revolutionaries to abide by. With very rigid underpinnings on masculinity and appropriate gender roles to be served during this period, women’s ‘active’ participation in the revolutionary movements were looked down upon: “The country is in a miserable state; even girls are engaging in killing.” Women were expected only to serve as support systems to their male counterparts and remain passive entities who ensured the domestic spheres were in control so as to further ensure that the public sphere could be managed by the men. In this context, the lives of two Bengali revolutionary women Sarala Devi Chaudhurani and Bina Das, become important.
Also read: Sarala Devi Chaudhurani: Founder Of India’s First Women’s Organisation | #IndianWomenInHistory
Women were expected only to serve as support systems to their male counterparts and remain passive entities who ensured the domestic spheres were in control so as to further ensure that the public sphere could be managed by the men. In this context, the lives of two Bengali revolutionary women Sarala Devi Chaudhurani and Bina Das, become important.
Sarala Devi was born in 1872, into a family of Bengali intelligentsia. Her father Janakinath Ghosal, was one of the early secretaries of the Bengal Congress and her mother, Swarnakumari Devi, was a noted author and also the sister of Rabindranath Tagore. Sarala Devi was a disciple of a certain Sivanarain Swami, who played a significant role in building the revolutionary movement in Bengal through physical culture clubs, and the teaching of yoga.
Sarala Devi went on to played an instrumental role in the formation of a new revolutionary organisation: the Suhrid Samiti in 1900. After the establishment of the Anushilan Samhiti, one of Bengal’s earliest revolutionary groups in 1902, she called for a series of gymnasiums and centres for physical training to be established which later became secret spots for revolutionary groups to gather. These gymnasiums trained individuals in lathi and dagger play for the purpose of defence training. A list of clubs and samitis associated with the Swadeshi movement also included Sarala Devi’s “Fencing Club”. After her ‘forced’ marriage initiated by her maternal grandfather, Debendranath Tagore, her involvement with these revolutionary movements reduced. She later went on to start the Bharat Stri Maha Mandal along with her husband in Allahabad, in order to spread education among women.
Bina Das was born in 1911, in Krishnanagar of the Bengal Province. She was inspired by her family of social workers, freedom fighters (her own sister, Kamala Das) and teachers to take part actively in revolutionary movements. Documents on women Bengali revolutionaries did not include much information about Bina Das. However, there is one event that has been recorded which documents Bina Das’ revolutionary participation. On the 6th of February 1