When a British revenue officer assembled at their village to forcefully collect tax, the women of Shinganamakki village near Ankola ensured that he found nothing to eat or drink an entire day, to teach him a lesson. When he wanted to make his own tea, they hid the tea leaves, utensils, and sugar. This was their way of mutiny against the British administration.
Like them, thousands of lesser known women from the State were a part of the freedom struggle. To create awareness about such women, the Karnataka Rajya Mahila Dourjanya Okkoota is touring the city, educating people about them since August 1.
The campaign, which is being taken up on the occasion of 75 years of independence, is being supported by other local communities. Two programmes earlier this week were supported by street vendors’ associations in Vijayanagar and Shivajinagar, while Wednesday’s programme in RT Nagar was supported by the transgender community. The women go to market places or educational institutions and other open spaces with banners and the national flag and sing songs, narrate stories of the women freedom fighters, and read the preamble of the constitution aloud. The stories of all categories of women freedom fighters irrespective of caste, class, and religion have been included in the campaign.
