Contribution of Women of Bihar in Freedom Movement

• With the debut of Mahatma Gandhi in Bihar in 1917 AD, the inclination of women in the movement increased.
• Sarala Devi led the movement to boycott the celebrations during the visit of the Prince of Wales to India in 1921.
• In 1921, when Gandhiji visited Bihar for the Deshbandhu Fund, the women here even donated their jewellery.
• Along with Mahatma Gandhi, Mrs. Prabhavati Devi (Jayaprakash Narayan’s wife) made an important contribution in this work.
• Women of Bihar also participated with great enthusiasm in the salt movement of 1930. Impressed by the eloquent speech of Shailbala Rai, the women of Santhal Pargana broke the salt law.
• Saraswati Devi and Mrs. Sadhna Devi of Hazaribagh were also sentenced to six months for violating the salt law.
• In Patna, under the leadership of Mrs. Hasan Imam and Vindhyavasini Devi, the women protested successfully in front of foreign cloth shops.
• Seven women, including Rajvanshi Devi and Chandravati Devi, wife of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, were arrested in Patna for celebrating Independence Day on January 26. The two were sentenced to one and a half year imprisonment.
• On August 9, 1942, a huge procession of women took place in Patna under the leadership of Bhagwati Devi, sister of Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
• The women in Hazaribagh were being led by Saraswati Devi, who was arrested. But when Saraswati Devi was being taken from Hazaribagh to Bhagalpur Jail, a group of students attacked and rescued her. A few days laters he was again arrested.
• Shanti Devi presided over a huge public meeting in Chhapra on 19th August, 1942.
• Sharda and Saraswati, two daughters of late Ram Vinod Singh of Malkhachak, were sentenced for 14 and 11 years for hoisting the tricolor flag at Dighwara block of Chhapra district.
• Birji Devi, wife of Harihar Mirdha of Santhal Pargana, was killed by the police.
• Police also arrested Pyari Devi of Gaya district.
• Vinda Devi of Vaishali, Tara Devi, wife of Shaheed Phulaina Prasad, Bhavani Mehrotra of Muzaffarpur, Ramswaroop Devi of Bhagalpur, Kumari Dhaturi Devi, Jiriya Devi, Sampatiya Devi of Munger, Phul Kumari of Shahabad, Sudha Kumari Sharma of Patna etc. made unique contribution in the freedom struggle.
• During the Quit India Movement of 1942, many women were also martyred by police bullets, prominent among them were Mrs. Viraji Madhiyain of Chhodmara village, Akeli Devi, wife of Shiv Gopal Dusadh of Lasadhi village of Shahabad, Kumari Dhaturi Devi of Rohiyar village of Munger etc.