The above quote becomes more relevant when we talk about Mahatma Gandhi. The biography of Mahatma Gandhi is incomplete without the mention of this name. An unsung and uncelebrated but integral part of mahatma Gandhi’s life was Kasturba Gandhi. She was epitome of courage and strength.
Kasturbai Makhanji Kapadia(her maiden name) was born on 11 April 1869 to the parents Gokuladas Kapadia and Vrajkunwerba Kapadia in the coastal town of Porbandar Gujrat. The family being the wealthy merchant was economically sound. At the age of 13 in 1883 she was married to Mahatma Gandhi. For the first few years of marriage Kasturba stayed with her parents mostly. They hardly spent couple of years together. In the beginning of the marriage Gandhiji behaved more like a possessive and manipulative husband. In his autobiography Gandhiji writes ‘’her duty was easily converted into my right to exact faithfulness from her, and if it had to be exacted, I should be watchfully tenacious of the right.”Gandhiji restrained her from going out to play or to meet friends. Gandhiji writes’’ but Kasturba was not a girl to brook such things and she made it a point to go out whenever and wherever she liked.”He further writes ‘’if I had the rights to impose restrictions on her,had not she also a similar right?’’All that is clear to me today, but at that time I had to make good my authority as a husband.’’ They had five children, eldest one died soon after the birth, four of them were Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas, Devdas. She stayed back home when Gandhiji went first to England to pursue his studies in Law in 1888. He moved to South Africa later to start Law practice, where Kasturba Gandhi with her sons joined him subsequently.
She was illiterate but understood the importance of justice and rights. And this gave rise to her interest and involvement in fight against ill treatment of immigrants in South Africa. She became the part of this protest for which she was imprisoned for three months in 1913. Even after returning to India she actively participated in civil actions and protests. She also became the active part of Satyagrah in 1922 and often led the protest or movement when Gandhiji was detained. In 1939 she was arrested once again because of her involvement in non violent protest against British rule in Rajkot despite of her being in poor health. She was kept in a solitary confinement for a month but she did not give up her fight for freedom and was again arrested along with Gandhiji for participating in Quit India Movement in 1942. This time she was detained in Aga Khan Palace in Pune where her health deteriorated further and she took her last breath in 1944.
She was resilient. She was obstinate. Her dedication towards Mahatma Gandhi was incredible. She didn’t approve of everything Mahatma Gandhi did but as a devoted wife she always followed his foot prints. She became the pillar of his strength. Her contribution in the fight for freedom was not that remarkable but surely vital and will be remembered forever. She spent a great amount of time in ashram serving and helping people. And out of reverence people would call her Ba(mother). She will remain in our heart forever.
