Union Minister of State for Culture Meenakashi Lekhi on Thursday released a pictorial book on "India's Women Unsung Heroes" of the freedom struggle as part of Azadi ka Mahotsav.
According to press release from the Ministry of Culture, the book has been released in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha which is a household name in India.
Addressing the occasion, Lekhi said that the book celebrates the lives of some of the women who led the charge and lit the flame of protest and rebellion throughout the country. It contains the stories of queens who battled colonial powers in the struggle against imperial rule and women who dedicated and even laid down their lives for the cause of the motherland.
She further added that if we go through the glorious past of Indian history, we find that the Indian culture was the one which celebrated women and there was no place for gender discrimination. This is amply evident from the fact that women had the courage and physical strength to fight like soldiers in the battlefield, the release said.
Narrating the tales of valor of some of the unsung women heroes included in the book, Lekhi said that women were equally vocal in expressing dissent against imperial powers. For example, Rani Abbakka repulsed the Portuguese attacks for several decades.
However, history has hardly been written with this perspective and now as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, as is the Prime Minister's vision, the sacrifices of these unsung heroes will be brought to light, she said.
Lekhi said that the celebration of freedom has a meaning only when we familiarise our youth with the past and make them feel proud of their history. It is important for the youth to understand the history of the freedom struggle through an Indian perspective rather than the colonial one, which the book being released seeks to do.
Ministry of Culture has decided to release pictorial books on 75 Unsung Heroes of the Freedom Struggle in partnership with Amar Chitra Katha. The second edition will be on 25 unsung Tribal Freedom Fighters which is under process and will take some time. The third and final edition will be of 30 unsung heroes drawn from other areas, the release said.
"The movement to gain India's Independence brought together millions of people from every walk of life in protest of colonial rule. However, we all know only a few legendary, iconic leaders of the freedom struggle. In view of this, as a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM) commemorating 75 years of India's Independence, the Government of India has decided to recall and remember forgotten heroes of our freedom struggle, many of whom might be renowned yet unknown to the new generation," read the release.
( With inputs from ANI )
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