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Nation   Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav


           MIRABEN              A devoted follower of Mahatma Gandhi


           who took part in the freedom struggle of India


                         Born: 22 November 1892, Death: 20 July 1982


               ahatma Gandhi had followers across the         1931. After coming back to India from London, she
          Mworld. But among these followers, there was a      got involved in the promotion of Khadi and traveled
          wealthy woman who left her country to follow the    all over the country for this. Miraben wore a simple
          path of truth  and  non-violence.  This follower was   dhoti, spun yarn, and traveled from village to village.
          none other than Miraben whose real name was         She continued to follow the messages of Mahatma
          Madeleine Slade. She was the daughter of British    Gandhi and was active in propagating the message
          Navy officer Edmund Slade. She was born on 22       of non-violence. She wrote thousands of articles for
          November 1892 in Britain. Influenced by Mahatma     Young India and Harijan Patrika.
          Gandhi's principles of non-violence, she made India    She was also arrested several times and kept in
          her  home.  Miraben  devoted  her  whole  life  to  the   custody during the Civil Disobedience Movement.
          advancement of Mahatma Gandhi's principles and      The British also accused her of sending information
          freedom struggle. She was an Englishwoman, who      to Europe and America while in India. She was also
          took up the cause of the Indian freedom struggle.   arrested during the Quit India Movement. Miraben
             She lived in India for about 34 years. Miraben came   was imprisoned from 9 August 1942 to 6 May 1944
          to Ahmedabad on 7 November 1925 where she was       at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune along with Mahatma
          received by Mahadev Desai, Vallabhbhai Patel, and   Gandhi  his  wife  Kasturba  Gandhi,  secretary
          Swami Anand. Mahatma Gandhi allowed her to stay     Mahadevbhai Desai, Pyarelal Nair, Sarojini Naidu,
          at the Sabarmati Ashram and named her Miraben.      and Dr. Sushila Nayar. She established an ashram
          Since then, as a trustworthy ally of Mahatma Gandhi,   near Rishikesh in 1947. During the next 11 years,
          she  always  stayed  with  him.  It  is  said  that  Bapu   she  traveled  to  different  regions  of  India,  running
          considered Miraben his daughter. During the initial   community projects and working on environmental
          years  of  her  stay  in  India,  Miraben  learned  Hindi   issues.  Miraben  left  for  England  on  January  18,
          and traveled to villages to learn and understand    1959. A year later, she moved to Vienna and lived
          India. Soon, she became one of Mahatma Gandhi's     there for the rest of her life. The Government of India
          trusted aide. She accompanied Gandhi to London      honored  her  with  the  Padma  Vibhushan  in  1982.
          to  attend  the  Second  Round  Table  Conference  in   Miraben died on 20 July 1982.



        Buckland  Stevens  on  14  December  1931  on  the   Mahatma Gandhi and the British government in 1939,
        pretext of giving candy and chocolates to him before   she was released after serving a seven-year sentence.
        Christmas.  Stevens ate the candy and said, 'These   After  her  release,  she  joined  the  Bengali  Women's
        are delicious!' On hearing this, Santi Ghosh and Suniti   College  and  completed  her  studies.  After  the
        Choudhary took out the pistol hidden under the shawl   independence of the country, she was continuously
        and said, 'Well, how is this Mr. Magistrate?' And with   involved in political and social activities. She remained
        that, they fired at the magistrate. The magistrate   a member of the West Bengal Legislative Council
        died shortly after being shot. After this incident, Santi   from  1952  to  1962  and  again  from  1967  to  1968.
        Ghosh and Suniti Choudhary were arrested and put     She was a member of the West Bengal Legislative
        on trial for the murder of a magistrate. Due to their   Assembly from 1962 to 1964.  She has also written
        young age, both were sentenced to life imprisonment   her autobiography in the Bengali language by the
        and sent to Hijli Detention Camp in Kharagpur. She   name 'Arun Bahni'. Santi Ghosh continued to work
        was kept in a separate barrack from her companion    for the betterment of the country till her death on 28
        Suniti. However, as a result of negotiations between   March 1989.


        48  New India Samachar    November 16-30, 2022
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