| For
the present generation, freedom struggle is but a glorious chapter in the annals of the
Nation's history. A struggle which was non violent, pitted the moral strength of a
subjugated nation against the might of a colonial power to emerge victorious as a free
land. In this 50th year of our independence we are fortunate to have, amidst us, a few
individuals who made the dream of a free India come true. This is an opportune moment to
recreate the past and learn from the experience of these living legends. Puspa Lata Das, a veteran freedom fighter and former parliamentarian is an
eminent social worker. She has strong faith in power of women. Independent in nature from
her childhood, at the age of six, she joined 'Banar Sena' and never looked back since
then. Born on March 27, 1915 at North Lakhimpur, Smt.Puspalata Das is one of the surviving
freedom fighters from Assam. Daughter of late Rameswar Saikia and Smt.Swaranalata Saikia
of Jorhat, Puspalata was thrown out of her school at a tender age of fourteen from
Panbazar Girls High School, Guwahati. Her fault was that she was the Secretary of the
Mukti Sangha and she alongwith her inmates tried to record a protest in the school against
Bhagat Singh's hanging order.
Early Years
Smt.Puspalata Das was an extrovert and independent in nature
from her childhood. At the age of only six, she joined "Banar Sena" to
popularise Khadi among the people and organised Charkha Sangha. Even her father, a
Government employee at that time in Barpeta, was also compelled by his wife and his little
daughter to wear only Khadi. Being inspired by her mother, she took the pledge for freedom
and never looked back since then. Remembering her early days she said "I, as a
teenager was influenced by the revolutionary literatures of Bengal and one day we (Jyotsna
Majumdar, Punya Prabha Barua - later Rajkhowa, Sarala Saxena) assembled in the office of
Kamrup Mahila Samiti and formed an organisation called Mukti Sangha and took pledge with a
few drops of blood to die for the country. I was the secretary of the organisation".
"In February 1930, when I was expelled from my school, my school ecuation ended and
my education of life and struggle started" - says Smt.Puspalata Das. That was the
beginning the eventful life of Smt.Puspalata Das, a social worker, former Parliamentarian
and a veteran freedom fighter. In 1934, Puspalata Das passed Matriculation examination as
a private candidate and joined the Banaras Hindu University from where she passed
Intermediate. After Intermediate, she enrolled her name with Andhra University for
Graduation. She got her M.A. Degree in Political Science in 1938 from the same University.
Afterwards, she joined Earle Law College, Guwahati and was elected as Secretary of the
College Union in 1940. But her study in law came to an end when she was jailed for joining
'Individual Satyagraha'.
Member of Planning Committee
From 1940 to 1942, Smt.Puspalata Das was in Bombay as a
member of the Women Sub-Committee of the National Planning Committee. During this period,
she worked with Smt.Mridula Sarabhai and Smt.Vijay Laxmi Pandit, "when I saw the
wonderful work done by Smt.Sarabhai's 'Jyoti Singha' and other institutions of Gujarat and
Maharashtra for the first time, I could realise the strength of constructive works" -
Smt.Das recalls.
Intrepid Organiser
In 1942, she married a true Gandhian and social worker Shri
Omeo Kumar Das despite strong opposition from some of her relatives and changed her place
of activities from Guwahati to Tezpur. Here Smt.Das along with Shri Joyti Prasad Agarwalla
and others prepared a team of workers for organising people. Her husband was seriously ill
at that time. But Smt.Das could not sit idle. She organised Shanti Bahini (Peace Force)
and Mrityu Bahini (Death Squad) with her co-workers at
Tezpur and was supposed to lead the procession to put the
National Tri Colour on the compound of Gohpur Police Station. But fate intervened and
Kanaklata took over the charge of the procession from Puspalata Das and got bullets from
British rulers.
Saviour of Assam
Smt.Puspalata Das vehemently opposed Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
on the question of dragging Assam into grouping. As a member of the AICC and the convenor
of the women's wing of Assam Congress Committee, Smt.Das delivered a remarkable speech on
that special session and succeeded in getting an amendment moved by Shri Purushottam Das
Tandon, Gandhiji's statement also helped Assam remaining out of grouping with erstwhile
East Pakistan.
After Independence
Smt.Puspalata Das was elected a member of Rajya Sabha in 1951
and retained it for the next term till 1961. In 1958, she was a member of the All India
Congress Working Committee. In 1959, she visited a numer of East European countries as a
member of Parliamentary delegation. She was also a member of Assam Legislative Assembly.
Besides these, the versatile lady was associated with a number of organisations and
institutions in various capacities. Among these, All India Khadi Board (Chairperson, Assam
Branch), Planning Committee of Congress (Women Section), Central Social Welfare Board,
East India Motion Pictures Censor Board are worth mentioning. She was also the Chairperson
of the State Bhudan and Gramdan Board. At present, she is the Chairperson of the Kasturba
Memorial Trust, Assam Branch. Moreover, her interest in reading, gardening and in fine
arts is well known. During her college days, she acquired proficiency in singing and
dancing. One of her demonstrations of dance in Madras and Visakhapatnam was highly praised
by the audience and then earned laurels from stalwarts like Rajgopalachari, the then
Governor of Madras, through the two famous dance dramas - 'Amrit Prava' and 'Chitralekha'.
For sometime, she was also the editor of the historically well-known Assamese magazine
"Jayanti" (Women Section).
Refusal to Accept Tamrapatra
Smt.Puspalata Das was offered Tamrapatra by the Government
for her services rendered during freedom movement. But she refused to accept it and wrote
to the then Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Sarat Chandra Sinha, "with all my profound
sense of gratitude to the well-wishes of the Government, I would like to say humbly that I
did not take part in India's freedom movement with an intention to get something in
return. That was complete by itself with joy. So, I feel hesitant to accept your generous
offer and with utmost humility, I say let the beauty of service remains untarnished with
its own serenity. Hope I would not be misunderstood". These words rightly reflect her
feelings and thoughts. Now at the age of 83, she is still active and attends to various
meetings and functions with a smile of joy and satisfaction. The dedicated lady still says
"For the world apparently, India has got its freedom in exchange of the supreme
sacrifice of innumerable brave Indians but now the time has come to assess whether we are
true inheritor of those great souls who sacrificed everything at the altar of their
motherland and added a golden chapter in the history of the world. Today, self-analysis
could be the only answer".
Adopted from Govt. of India, Ministry of External Affairs
Website, 1997 |
