Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose first realized that men and women could become very important in the Army. But appropriate education and opportunities for that was the need of the hour. If they get these two, they can join the Army and lay down their arms for the country. But in that era, as we know, society was very hostile towards women.
Girls were kept away from the mainstream of society because of the patriarchal mindset of the dominating male society. They would have been deprived. But Subhash Chandra Bose announced the first spontaneous joining of girls in the Indian National Army formed in 1942. He welcomed them to fight for the independence of the country.
He said that besides the male soldiers, they also have to carry guns and rifles in their hands on the battlefield. Sitting in faraway Singapore, Netaji formed the Rani Jhansi Regiment with women in 1943 and gave it another dimension by joining the Azad Hind Fauj.
He strengthened the female brigade he had built with his dreams. We know of the heroism of Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi as a female leader during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. That is why Netaji named his women’s force Rani Bahini of Jhansi. It was led by Lakshmi Swaminathan, alias Captain Lakshmi Saigal (1914-2012). We all know her by this name. This South Indian woman was a doctor by profession and a leftist by ideology. Later, inspired by Subhash Chandra’s idea of freedom & struggle, she joined the Indian Army.
Gradually fascinated by Lakshmi Saigal’s work, Netaji handed over the leadership of Rani Bahini to him. Returning from Europe, on July 2, 1943, as soon as Netaji set foot on Singapore’s soil, all the women in the Army became excited. In the words of Captain Lakshmi, “As if charged with electricity.” No one could have imagined training them as combatants then.
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Netaji turned that unimaginable idea into reality. Captain Lakshmi once said, ‘I would never have understood the importance of my name (Lakshmi) if it had not come to Netaji. When Netaji started the Jhansi Regiment by associating my name with Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, I realized the importance of ‘Lakshmi’. The history of the battle is probably associated with this name like a mantra. Rani Lakshmibai smiled and sacrificed herself to save Jhansi from the clutches of the British.
Similarly, Netaji called on us to fight for India. It is impossible not to respond to that call. ‘Other notable names in the Jhansi Regiment are Commander Janaki Thebes, Lieutenant Asha Sahay and Anjali Bhowmik.
April 14 1944. The first flag of independent India was hoisted at Mairang and Imphal in Manipur under Colonel Shawkat Ali Malik of Azad Hind Fauj. Commander Janaki Thebes prepared a special suicide squad with 250 queens of Jhansi forces.
Netaji announced on the radio that day, ‘My armed heroic sisters of Jhansi Rani Bahini … Let another slogan be added to the Azad Hind Fauj’s Delhi Cholo slogan: Blood, more blood, which means more unconditional donations for the liberation of 400 million Indians. ‘This huge women’s brigade of about 500 women soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with men for India’s independence.
Today girls are joining the Indian Army; they are in all three fields of land-sky-water. Netaji’s Jhansi force is undoubtedly an exceptional example of their inspiration.
In independent India, girls ( in cities & suburbs ) today are in many ways’ independent’. There is majorly no obstacle for them to take the profession of their choice. Today girls are getting more and more involved in the military.
On February 16 2020, the country’s top court ruled in a landmark judgment that men and girls would enjoy equal status and privileges in the military. Major Gertrude Ali Ram, paratrooper Ruchi Sharma, Lieutenant Colonel Mitali Madhumita and Captain Swati Raval have already set up an Indian Army.
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