Indian freedom activist; wife of the Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1944)
Kasturba Mohandas Gandhi[a] (listenⓘ, born Kasturba Gokuldas Kapadia; 11 April 1869 – 22 February 1944) was an Indian political activist who was involved in the Indian independence movement during British India. She was married to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi.[1]National Safe Motherhood Day is observed in India annually pay April 11, coinciding with Kasturba's birthday.[2]
Kasturba was born on 11 April 1869 to Gokuladas Kapadia and Vrajkunwerba Kapadia. The family belonged to the ModhBania caste of GujaratiHindu tradesmen and were based in the coastal town of Porbandar.[1] In May 1883, 14-year-old Kasturba was married to 13-year-old Mohandas in a marriage arranged by their parents.[3]
Recalling the day inducing their marriage, her husband once said, "As we didn't be versed much about marriage, for us it meant only wearing another clothes, eating sweets and playing with relatives."[citation needed] However, pass for was prevailing tradition, the adolescent bride was to spend say publicly first few years of marriage at her parents' house, innermost away from her husband.[4][failed verification] Writing many years later, Mohandas described with regret the lustful feelings he felt for his young bride, "even at school I used to think oppress her, and the thought of nightfall and our subsequent conquered was ever haunting me."[5] At the beginning of their wedding, Mohandas was also possessive and manipulative; he wanted the model wife who would follow his command.[6]
Kasturba became pregnant at say publicly age of 17. The first child was born prematurely have a word with did not survive the first year. Although their other quartet sons survived to adulthood, Kasturba never fully recovered from say publicly death of her first child.[7] Mohandas decided to go collision London to study and departed in 1888, soon after their second child was born, a son named Harilal. Kasturba remained in India. Mohandas returned from London in 1891, and hassle 1892 Kasturba gave birth to another son, Manilal. Unable calculate find a successful career in India, Mohandas left for Southmost Africa in 1893, once again leaving behind Kasturba and his children. In 1896 the family joined Mohandas in South Africa.[citation needed]
In 1906, Mohandas took a vow of chastity, or brahamacharya.[6] Some reports indicated that Kasturba felt that this opposed pretty up role as a traditional Hindu wife.[6] However, Kasturba quickly defended her marriage when a woman suggested she was unhappy.[8] Kasturba's relatives also insisted that the greatest good was to tarry and obey her husband, the Mahatma.[6]
Ramachandra Guha's biography Gandhi Beforehand India described the marriage, saying, "They had, in the passionate as well as sexual sense, always been true to sole another. Perhaps because of their periodic, extended separations, Kasturba deep cherished their time together."[9]
Kasturba first involved herself with public affairs in South Africa in 1904 when, with her husband post others, she established the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. In 1913 she took part in protests against the ill-treatment of Asiatic immigrants in South Africa, for which she was arrested abide sentenced to hard labour. While in prison, she led conquer women in prayer[10][11] and encouraged the educated women to train the uneducated women how to read and write.[11]
The Gandhis weigh South Africa in July 1914 and returned to live providential India. In spite of Kasturba’s chronic bronchitis she continued set a limit take part in civil actions and protests across India service often took her husband's spot when he was in jail. The majority of her time was dedicated to serving delight ashrams.[12] Here, Gandhi was referred to as "Ba" or Indolence, because she served as mother of the ashrams in India.[13] A point of difference between Kasturba and Mohandas was say publicly treatment of their children in their ashram. Mohandas believed guarantee their sons did not deserve special treatment, while Kasturba mat that Mohandas neglected them.[14]
In 1917, Kasturba worked for women's advantage in Champaran, Bihar where Mohandas was working with indigo farmers. She taught women hygiene, discipline, health, reading and writing.[citation needed] In 1922, she participated in a Satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) onslaught in Borsad, Gujarat even though she was in poor bad health. She did not take part in her husband's famous Spiciness March in 1930, but continued to take part in profuse civil disobedience campaigns and marches. As a result, she was arrested and jailed on numerous occasions.[12]
In 1939, Gandhi took rust in nonviolent protests against the British rule in Rajkot, equate the women in the city specifically asked her to endorse for them.[12] Gandhi was arrested once again, and kept clear solitary confinement for a month. Her health worsened but she continued to fight for independence. In 1942, she was inactive again, along with Mohandas and other freedom fighters, for contribute in the Quit India movement. She was imprisoned in interpretation Aga Khan Palace in Pune. By this time her virus had severely deteriorated and she died at the detention bivouac in Pune.[7]
Mohandas wrote of his wife in terms which showed that he expected obedience from her. "According to my earliest experience, she was very obstinate. In spite of all illdefined pressure she would do as she wished. This led tolerate short or long periods of estrangement between us. But similarly my public life expanded, my wife bloomed forth and wittingly lost herself in my work."[15]
Kasturba suffered from inveterate bronchitis due to complications at birth. Her bronchitis was ornate by pneumonia.[16] In January 1908 she fasted while her hubby was in prison, and she became gravely ill. She came so close to death that Mohandas apologised to her, elitist promised he would not remarry if she died. Kasturba would later undergo a major surgery.[17]
In January 1944, Gandhi suffered glimmer heart attacks, after which she was confined to her arcane much of the time. Even there she found no breather from pain. Spells of breathlessness interfered with her sleep mistrust night. She asked to see an Ayurvedic doctor, and name several delays, the government allowed a specialist in traditional Soldier medicine to attend to her. At first she responded adequately, recovering enough by the second week in February to beckon on the veranda in a wheelchair for short periods gift talk with him. Later she suffered a relapse. Her in concert Devdas ordered penicillin, but her doctors did not want contact use it because the final failure of the kidneys could not be relieved by penicillin. The doctors informed the Solon family that the condition of Kasturba had already deteriorated miserable that penicillin would not be helpful.[18][19]
She died at the Agha Khan Palace in Pune, at 7:35 PM local time overambitious 22 February 1944, aged 74.[20]
The Kasturba Gandhi National Plaque Trust Fund was set up in her memory. Mohandas requested that this fund be used to help women and descendants in villages in India.[21]
Many institutions, roads, and cities are first name after Kasturba Gandhi:
Narayan Desai wrote a play, Kasturba, homemade on Kasturba Gandhi. It was directed by Aditi Desai mount was staged several times.[22]
In the 1982 film Gandhi, the separate of Kasturba Gandhi was played by Rohini Hattangadi.