From Raipur’s Dr Radhabai to Madhya Pradesh’s Sahodrabai Rai, several women played active roles in satyagraha, protests and social reform but remain less remembered than the movement’s better-known names.

Women Left Out of History

The freedom struggle in present-day Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh was not fought only by the leaders whose names dominate textbooks and public monuments.

Women organised local campaigns, joined satyagrahas, picketed liquor and foreign-goods shops, mobilised other women and went to prison. Yet many of their stories remain largely confined to local records and district histories.

Government archives and historical repositories document several such figures, including Dr Radhabai, Rohini Bai Parganiha, Kekti Bai Baghel and Sahodrabai Rai. Their experiences offer a different picture of how the national movement reached homes, villages and smaller towns.

Dr Radhabai Mobilised Women

In Raipur, Dr Radhabai emerged as an important organiser after Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Chhattisgarh in 1920.

A midwife by profession, she organised women to spin the charkha, spread the message of the national movement and promote weaving. She also led women in protests outside liquor shops and worked against untouchability.

Her activism brought confrontation with the colonial administration. In 1930, women welcoming detained satyagrahis with the tricolour in Raipur faced a lathi charge after the British collector objected to the demonstration.

On June 13, 1932, Radhabai was arrested with 20 other women while leading a procession during the Second Civil Disobedience Movement.

Rohini Bai Went to Jail Young

Rohini Bai Parganiha represents another lesser-known chapter of Chhattisgarh’s women's participation.

Historical accounts record that she first went to jail at just 12 years of age. She later faced prosecution for picketing a shop selling foreign goods and received a four-month sentence along with a fine.

During the 1942 movement, Rohini Bai again went to prison for six months while working under Radhabai's leadership. She also participated in Congress activities and helped mobilise funds during Gandhi's 1933 visit to Raipur.

Her story illustrates how the freedom movement drew participation from women far outside the major political centres.

Kekti Bai Joined Resistance

Kekti Bai Baghel is another name that deserves greater attention in Chhattisgarh’s freedom movement history.

Records identify her among the women who participated in nationalist activities and faced arrest during the Civil Disobedience period. She was associated with the wider network of women activists around Radhabai.

Her name also appears in official Chhattisgarh Assembly examination material in connection with the state's freedom movement history, reflecting her recognition in regional historical records.

The stories of Kekti Bai and other women show that participation was not limited to prominent political families. Women also entered the movement through local campaigns, social work and community mobilisation.

Sahodrabai Rai Defied British Rule

In Madhya Pradesh, Sahodrabai Rai stands out as a freedom fighter whose later political career often overshadows her earlier activism.

Born in Bothrai village in present-day Damoh district, Rai joined the national movement and was arrested during the 1942 movement. She later remained involved in public causes and worked for Hindu-Muslim unity, women's organisations, adult education and Khadi.

Her resistance did not end with India's Independence. In 1955, during the Goa Liberation Movement, Portuguese forces opened fire on a group of satyagrahis led by Rai. The Indian Express reported that she was shot in the arm but continued the protest.

From Prison to Parliament

Rai's public life also broke another barrier. She became the first woman MP from Sagar district, according to a local institutional account, and later served multiple terms in Parliament.

Her name appears in official parliamentary records, including proceedings concerning freedom-fighter pensions.

Her journey shows how women's participation in the freedom struggle could continue into public service after 1947.

Preserving Their Stories

The difficulty is not necessarily a lack of stories. In several cases, the material exists in government repositories, old books, institutional archives and district records but has not entered mainstream public memory.

Chhattisgarh's government has also acknowledged the need for greater research into women freedom fighters. A 2021 discussion specifically highlighted names including Rohini Bai Parganiha, Phoolkunwar Bai, Bela Bai, Kekti Bai Baghel, Rukhmani Bai and Daya Bai, while noting that many women's contributions remain poorly documented.

For Madhya Pradesh, university history curricula continue to list women such as Sahodrabai Rai alongside better-known freedom fighters, reflecting their place in the state's documented freedom movement.

The Archive Still Matters

Remembering these women does not require replacing the famous figures of the freedom struggle. It requires widening the frame.

The contribution of women such as Radhabai, Rohini Bai, Kekti Bai and Sahodrabai Rai shows how the freedom movement operated at the local level — through picketing, mobilisation, prison sentences, social reform and community work.

For an Independence Day feature, archival photographs should ideally come from government repositories, museums, Parliament records or clearly licensed collections. The Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Digital District Repository, for example, carries documented material on Radhabai and other regional freedom fighters.

The stories of these women remain relevant because the history of India's freedom struggle is incomplete when the women who helped carry it into villages, homes and local streets are remembered only in passing.