Assamese Women in Indian Independence Movement

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The Indian National Movement has been the topic of a wide range of scholarly studies. In most of these studies the epic struggle has been assessed too often from the national and provincial viewpoint. In this connection, role of Assamese women in Indian Independence Movement has got a stronghold in the political history of contemporary India.

To a great extent, more than elsewhere in the North-Eastern region, the freedom struggle of Assam has certain unique and striking trends. The socio-economic aspects of this region underwent a significant change on the eve of the awakening of national consciousness in the country and made the region more fertile to achieve the growing seedlings of national upheaval. Hence, a series of studies have been made regarding the Independence Movement in Assam. Some studies have also been made with regard to some individual women freedom fighters. In this book an attempt has been made to study the work of some of the hitherto neglected Assamese women who had a glorious past and attained a prominent place in Indian Independence Movement.

The book presents the struggle of martyr Kanaklata Barua in the context of the National Movement for Independence of Assam in a systematic manner. This is a pioneering work on this perspective of the National Movement.

GUPTAJIT (b. 1975) got his first PATHAKT Master's Degree in 1997, a first class second position holder from University of Pune and M. Phil degree in History in 2006 from Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu. His subject was- "Role of Assamese Women in Indian Independence Movement with special Reference to Kanaklata Barua: A Study He did Master's in Political Science and Sociology too with B. Ed. At present, he is pursuing his Ph.D Degree in the Department of History.

Mr. Pathak has been teaching History since 1997 in Pachim Borigog Anchalik College, Baranghati, Kamrup, Assam, under Gauhati University till he joined in the Department of Political Science in Donyi Polo Vidya Bhawan, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India in 2002. Presently, he is holding the post of Head, Faculty of Social Sciences in the same institution.

He has worked with the tribal people Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. To his credit, he has 19 books on History, Political Science, Public Administration, Social Studies, Poetry, Children's Book, Tribal Women in North-East (Assamese language), Tribal Dances of Arunachal, etc. and about 200 articles /papers/ poems on state and national level publications. His research interest basically covers art and craft, dances, cultures and festivals of North-East, North-East tourism etc. He has worked with the various tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and closely observed their cultural activities.

Mr. Pathak is a Correspondent from Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh of "Darshan" News magazine, published from Guwahati, Assam, and a member of Textbook Development Committee of Political Science, New Delhi, INDIA. He is also closely associated with Indian History Congress (LH.C.).

Indian Independence Movement occupies a place of unique importance in the political history of Modern India. Different historians and political scientists have undertaken different scholarly works on Indian Independence Movement. Hence, these studies have been confined to the state and national level.

This research study is an attempt to study the role played by Kanaklata Barua alongwith other Assamese women in the freedom Movement of India in 1942. At the call of Mahatma Gandhi, women all over the country came out to the street and engaged themselves in various constructive activities for the Independence of the country.

School and college students were also highly inspired and they also jumped into the fray. Kanaklata Barua was also a school student at that time. She simply came to sacrifice her life for the Independence of the country.

In our study, we have made an attempt to look at the patriotism and sacrifice of Kanaklata Barua with other Assamese women in the perspective of Indian National movement for freedom The materials for this study have been collected from the following primary and secondary sources-

1. Individual interviews and interactions with prominent freedom fighters of the districts Apartly through questionnaires submitted to these freedom fighters and partly from signed statements obtained from them.

2. Government records available in district libraries, museums, archives, and private sectors.

3. Regional newspapers, books, magazines, articles, periodicals, journals and other publications, Interviews and discussions.

(i) Shri Thuleshwar Rajkhowa, a senior citizen of Barangabari, Sonitpur district, Assam (ii) Shri Manmohan Dey of Tetumpukhuri, Sonitpur district, Assam. (iii) Smt. Lokeshwari Handique of Barangabari, Sonitpur district, Assam. (iv) Shri Tolen Barua of Barangabari, Sonitpur district, Assam. (v) Smt Bimala Barua of Barangabari, Sonitpur district, Assam. (vi) Shri Deba Kumar Barua of Barangabari, Sonitpur district, Assam. (vii) Late Binduprova Barua of Barangabari, Sonitpur district, Assam.

Government records like the confidential re- ports of the department of police, social, political and others. Contemporary regional newspapers like 'The samata', The Hindu' and some of the pivotal publications by some of the freedom fighters.

**Contents and Sample Pages**