As part of Azadi ka Mahotsav, Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakashi Lekhi unveiled a pictorial book on "India's Women Unsung Heroes" of the freedom movement on Thursday.
According to a press statement from the Ministry of Culture, the book was published in collaboration with Amar Chitra Katha, a well-known Indian publication.
Lekhi, speaking at the event, said, “the book celebrates the lives of some of the women who led the charge and lit the flame of protest and rebellion throughout the country. It contains the stories of queens who battled colonial powers in the struggle against imperial rule and women who dedicated and even laid down their lives for the cause of the motherland.”
She further said, “if we go through the glorious past of Indian history, we find that the Indian culture was the one which celebrated women and there was no place for gender discrimination. This is amply evident from the fact that women had the courage and physical strength to fight like soldiers in the battlefield.”
Lekhi added while narrating the bravery stories of some of the book's unsung female heroes, “women were equally vocal in expressing dissent against imperial powers. For example, Rani Abbakka repulsed the Portuguese attacks for several decades”.
She said, “however, history has hardly been written with this perspective and now as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, as is the Prime Minister's vision, the sacrifices of these unsung heroes will be brought to light. The celebration of freedom has a meaning only when we familiarise our youth with the past and make them feel proud of their history. It is important for the youth to understand the history of the freedom struggle through an Indian perspective rather than the colonial one, which the book being released seeks to do.”
In collaboration with Amar Chitra Katha, the Ministry of Culture has planned to publish pictorial volumes on 75 Unsung Heroes of the Freedom Struggle. The second edition, which is now in the works and may take some time, will focus on 25 unsung Tribal Freedom Fighters. According to the press release, the third and final edition will feature 30 unsung heroes from various fields.
The release, "the movement to gain India's Independence brought together millions of people from every walk of life in protest of colonial rule. However, we all know only a few legendary, iconic leaders of the freedom struggle. In view of this, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) commemorating 75 years of India's Independence, the Government of India has decided to recall and remember forgotten heroes of our freedom struggle, many of whom might be renowned yet unknown to the new generation.”
