By Jacqueline Kelly –
Indian Christian women dedicated their lives to fighting for independence, advocating social justice and helping to build the institutions of a newly independent India. The significance of these Christian women is that they came to the forefront to fight for India’s Independence at a time when Indian women were largely confined to their homes.
In the 1930’s there was an entry of three Canara Catholic couples in the freedom movement. Thomas and Helen Alvares, Cyprian and Alice Alvares, Joachim and Violet Alva from Mangalore. Senior Congress leader and former Union minister from Karnataka, Margaret Alva, is married to their son Niranjan. Margaret was named the Opposition’s joint candidate for the August 6 Vice Presidential election, which was eventually won by NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Thomas and Helen Alvares were drawn to the cause of freedom by the Mahatma himself. Helen was a staunch supporter of Satyagraha and expressed it through public speeches.
Cyprian and Alice Alvares were arrested in November 1942 and put in separate lock-ups in Bombay. Alice joined the Quit India Movement with her husband.
With regard to the involvement of Joachim and Violet Alva in the freedom movement it has been said: “They served the country to the full extent of their ability which they had in plenty.”
Read: Contributions of Indian Christians in the Freedom Struggle
In the Congress Session of 1889, among the ten women delegates, three were Christians: Pandita Ramabai, Mrs. Triumbuck and Mrs. Nikambe.
Pandita Ramabai Sarasvati [1858-1922]
Ramabai was born as Rama Dongre, into a Marathi speaking Hindu Brahmin family. She received the titles of ‘Pandita’ and ‘Sarasvati’ in 1878 from Calcutta University in recognitionof her Sanskrit works.
Following the death of her husband in 1882, when she was 23 years, Ramabai began to dedicate her life to women’s rights. She founded the Arya Mahila Samaj which promoted the cause of women’s education and to abolish child marriage. In 1883, she travelled to the United Kingdom where she converted to Christianity.
Ramabai was involved in the Indian Freedom Movement and was one of the 10 women delegates to the Indian National Congress in 1889. She was an author of several books and her contributions as a nation builder, devout Christian and women’s rights activist have earned her many laurels.
Constance Prem Nath Dass [1886-1971]
Dass was born in a Punjabi Protestant family. She went on to become the first Indian woman to serve as the Principal of a Christian college in India, at Isabella Thoburn College.
Dass was a strong supporter of the Indian Independence Movement. She believed that students from different religious and cultural backgrounds should work together, to build up their country and promote an atmosphere of tolerance and co-operation across communities. This would be vital and a stepping stone for India’s progress as a nation.
Rajkumari Amrit Kaur [1887-1964]
Amrit Kaur was born in a Punjabi royal lineage with her father being the youngest son of the Raja of Kapurthala, who converted to Christianity and married the daughter of a Bengali missionary. Kaur was the youngest of ten children.
As a Protestant Christian, she joined the Indian Independence Movement and began actively working in the freedom struggle as a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. In 1927, she founded the All-India Women’s Conference. She was imprisoned in 1942 for her involvement in the Quit India Movement. The Time Magazine declared her the ‘Woman of the Year” in 1947.
After Independence, Kaur served as Minister of Health for ten years. She held leadership roles in several public health organizations.
Violet Hari Alva [1908-1969]
Violet was a Gujarati Christian freedom fighter and lawyer. In 1944, she became the first woman advocate in India to have argued a case before a full High Court Bench.
She started a magazine titled “Indian Women”. She served as Deputy Chairperson of the Bombay Municipal Corporation and President of the Juvenile Court. She was involved in the Young Women’s Christian Association and the Business and Professional Women’s Association.
Violet was a supporter of the Indian Independence Movement and married fellow Indian Christian freedom fighter, Joachim Alva. She also started the “Forum” Magazine to give fellow freedom fighters a platform to voice their ideas.
Post-Independence, Violet served as a Member of Parliament. She went on to become the Deputy Minister of State for Home Affairs and then the Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. She and her husband, Joachim were honoured in 2007 with a portrait in the Parliament for being the first Parliamentarian couple in Indian History.
Annie Mascarenhas [1902-1963]
Annie was a Latin-rite Catholic. She earned a double post-graduation in history and economics and got into the movement for India’s Independence and integration of the princely states into the Indian Union.
In 1946, Annie became one of the 15 women elected to the 299 members Constituent Assembly that prepared the Constitution of Free India. She became the first female Minister of Kerala for health and power in Independent India [1949] and was elected as a Parliamentarian from Trivandrum in 1951.
Accamma Cherian [1909-1982]
Accamma was a Syrian Catholic from Travancore, Kerala. She gave up her position as Principal of a Catholic school to participate in the freedom struggle of India. Accaamma led a crowd of 20,000 at Thiruvananthapuram, formerly known as Trivandrum, capital of Kerala in 1938 to revoke a ban on the regional unit of the Indian National Congress. Mahatma Gandhi honoured her with the title “Jhansi ki Rani of Travancore”. She started the Desasevika Sangh, women’s wing in the Congress that carried forward the torch of freedom. Inspired by Accamma Cherian, her sister Rosamma Punnoose and brother Varkey Karippaparambil also plunged into the freedom struggle. After Independence, Accamma served in the Travancore Legislative Assembly.
Some of the other leading Christian women from South India who took part in the freedom struggle are:
Mrs. George Joseph
Mrs. Margaret Pavamani
Ms. Mary Thomas
Ms. Matilda Kalten
Mrs. Annamma, wife of Thevarthundiyil Titus
Titus joined Mahatma Gandhi in Sabarmati Ashram and after his marriage, his wife too joined Sabarmati Ashram and donated her gold wedding ornaments to the ashram.
Mrs. Gracy Aaron, wife of Samuel Aaron
She led the women when the Salt Satyagrahis reached the village of Pariyaram near Payyannur, Kerala and showered rice and flowers on them.
The participation of the Aarons in the freedom movement was of unique importance for the Christian community in South India.
Both prior and after independence, Indian Christians have contributed in a significant and unique way to India’s Independence and development. Though the Christian Community is small in number their contribution to nation -building through numerous social, theological and educational institutions is immense. They have also served the country in various services. The institutions of the Church ushered in modernity in India. We should be proud of the Church and the role of the Christian community in the field of health too.
The Christian Community with its educational institutions has helped to change the destiny of Independent India through its quality education imparted, and helped India in its progress from a developing country to an emerging political, economic and military superpower in the world today.