Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: A Resourceful Indian Woman who Wore Many Hats.

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay: A Resourceful Indian Woman who Wore Many Hats.

 

She was a national Icon. She was a leader of India’s independence movement and also the social reformer. She was a sophisticated political thinker. She was an actor. She was art enthusiast and free-thinking feminist. Her life was inspired by two personalities, one by Dr. Annie Besant and another by Mahatma Gandhi. She took a deep interest in the protection of Indian craft industry. She was the first woman who persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to allow women in the participation of civil disobedience movement and not to restrict the march only to men. Thus, Contributions of Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay in many senses make her the maker of modern India.

 

From Yogesh Gogwekar

 

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was born on 3rd April 1903 into conservative Saraswat Brahmin family of Ananthaya and Girijamma Dhareshwar in Mangalore. She was the fourth and youngest daughter. Her childhood life was full of tragedies. Her elder sister, Saguna, with whom she was very close, died in her teens after an early marriage. At the age of seven, she lost her father and family and started facing the financial crises. After the death of her father, the family shifted to the place of her maternal uncle who was a notable social reformer and had contact with public figures like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Srinivasa Shatri, Pandita Ramabai and Annie Besant. Such a situation helped Kamaladevi to develop her thinking towards social development. It was from them she inherited the lifelong love for books. She married at the age of 14 and within a year her husband died. Her father-in-law was very much liberal and allowed her to complete her education.

 

After completing her school education in Mangalore, her mother insisted her to go to Madras (Today Chennai) for further education. In Madras, she joined Queen Mary’s college where she met Harindhnath Chattopadhyay, brother of Sarojini Naidu and fell in love and married him. Their only son Rama was born the following year. With Harindhnath, she fulfilled her dream of producing dramas and started promoting such plays which are having social themes. She studied Sanskrit drama tradition of Kerala-Kutiyattam from Natyacharya Pandit Shri Mani Madhava Chakyar. She experimented with folk theatre and regional drama and also acted in silent films. She acted in one of the Hindi films Tansen with K L Saigal and Kursheed. After the marriage, Harindhnath Chattopadhyay and Kamaladevi went to London where Kamaladevi joined Bedford College to do a degree in Sociology. After many years of marriage, Harindhnath and Kamaladevi decided to separate their ways amicably and Kamaladevi filed the court case for divorce.

 

In 1923, Mahatma Gandhi started the movement of Non-Cooperation against the British Rule. She read about this in London and was inspired by such a movement and decided to come back to India to participate in the movement. She enrolled herself in Rashtra Seva Dal and became the head of women section. Her duty was to educate girls and women, enroll and recruit them as Dal members across India. In following years, she formed the All India Women’s Conference and became its General Secretary. Within the year of formation, All India Women’s Conference became a national organisation and spread its branches and its voluntary program throughout the country. As a general Secretary, she visited European countries to get help for her social reform welfare programs for women and for setting educational institutions which run for women and by women.

 

Again in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi again started the Salt Satyagraha. Kamaladevi convinced Mahatma not to restrict the march only to men. Mahatma Gandhi gave his consent for allowing women in the movement. With Avantika Gokhale, she went nearby Stock Exchange in Mumbai for selling Freedom Salt which had been prepared by her and started shouting Mahatma Gandhi Ki Jay. She had been arrested and that time she was the first woman to get arrested. This was her first public instance which portrayed her as a strong and fearless woman of Indian freedom movement. Before this, Madras Presidency was first to introduce a bill for allowing women to stand for election to the Legislature Assembly. Kamaladevi contested as an independent candidate and lost the election with a narrow margin. All these crucial moments made Kamaladevi as a national leader. Her visibility as a participant in Salt Satyagraha helped to bring thousands of women as volunteers.

 

In 1936, she became the president of the Congress socialist Party and got the opportunity to work with Dr. Rammanohar Lohia and Jayprakash Narayan. She participated in the Quit India movement of 1942 and again got arrested. Even though she participated in the freedom movement, feminism remained closed to her heart. For that purpose, she travelled again in Europe and the USA.  She deliberately spent much time in the USA to understand the length and breadth of American feminists and civil rights of African-American civil rights. She used to tell Americans that you are fighting for the patriarchy and Indians are fighting imperialism.

 

After Independence of India, Kamaladevi refused to enter into formal politics and rejected all offers of high positions in Government like ambassador, union minister, governor and even position of vice-president and devoted herself to humanitarian services. She had given the priority for drawing rehabilitation plan for thousands of post-partition refugees. She started construction of houses on a cooperative basis and for that she formed Indian Cooperative Union. Indian Cooperative Union managed to create an Industrial Township on the outskirts of Delhi, and today this city is known as Faridabad. Indian Cooperative Union built homes, created workshops and factories, Schools and hospitals under her direction in Faridabad.

 

After 1950, she developed her interest in India’s rich, varied and endangered craft tradition. For that purpose, she travelled through the country to understand existing handicraft traditions of weaving, sculptures, metal work, pottery and toy making. She formed a cooperative society to market these products. She also formed the Central Cottage Industries Emporium and Crafts Council of India and headed for twenty years.

 

Kamaladevi played an important role in making national institutions towards development of Art and Culture, Music, Dance, Drama, Puppetry and Handicrafts. She formed the National School of Drama popularly known as NSD, Sangeet Natak Academy, All India Handicraft Board and Central Cottage Industries Emporia. She also constituted several national awards for master craftsmen.

 

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was liberal and democratic social reformer. Due to her great contributions towards the development of modern India, she was honored with Padma awards. In 1955, she was honoured with Padma Bhushan and in 1987 with Padma Vibhushan. In 1974, she was awarded the titles of Ratna Sadsya by Sangeet Natak Academic and Desikottama by Shantiniketan. In 1966, she was conferred the Ramon Magsya Award for Community Leadership. She was also honoured by UNESCO, UNIMA (Union Internationals De La Marlonette) for her contributions towards the development of Handicrafts.

 

Kamaladevi was master of seven languages like Marathi, Konkani, Kannada, Tamil, Telgu, Hindi and English. She was a prolific writer also. She had written twenty books and many of these books were written about her experience during her visit in different countries. Her book on USA visit was an excellent book

 

Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay was a great daughter of India. She died on 29th October 1988 at the age of 85. It is very sad to know that we have forgotten such a remarkable personality who helped India to become modern India from her own vision.

 

Mumbai

15/08/2020