Kasturba: Life & Achievements
By Harbir Singh Kushvaha
Born on 11 April 1869, Kastur, daughter of Gokuldas, became Kasturba when she was married to Mohandas Gandhi at the age of 13. Mohandas was also 13 (a few months younger to Kastur) and was attending high school. No one thought of school for her, as there was no school for girls and no girl education was thought of in those days. After the death of the father of Mohandas, the family thought that Mohandas should go to England and study Law. Studying in England was an expensive affair and the family was not in a good financial position, so the money was arranged by mortgaging the jewellery of Kasturba.
Mohandas went to London for higher education. He came back at the age of 22 with a college and law degree. He could speak Latin and French, play bridge, dance the waltz, play violin and speak in public. He wore a western suit, but was jobless. Mohandas got a job in South Africa.
by Jaspal Duggal.
After 3 years, in 1989, Mohandas took Kasturba and their sons to South Africa. On 19 December 1989 their ship docked in Durban in difficult circumstances, Kasturba could not even imagine. Even after settling down in a house, some incident or other occurred. In 1898 a Christian Indian guest of ‘untouchable’ parentage did not empty his chamber pot in the morning, unaware of the house rule. Gandhi wanted Kasturba to join him in the cleaning of the chamber pots that had not been emptied. It was a difficult thing but finally Kasturba cleaned the chamber pot of the ‘untouchable’ guest.
Kasturba first became involved in politics and social activism in South Africa in 1904 when she helped Mohandas and others to establish the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. The Phoenix Settlement was a cooperative village where residents shared chores and grew their own food. In 1913, Kasturba was arrested and sentenced to 3 months in prison for participating in a protest.
After having completed his mission in South Africa, Mohandas decided to return to India. The family of Mohandas left South Africa finally in July 1914 and arrived in India in January 1915, travelling via England. In late 1915, an Ashram was founded with strict rules to follow. Families, including untouchables, were welcomed in the Ashram.
In 1917, Gandhiji was in Champaran to solve the problems of farmers of Neel (indigo). After seeing the condition of women in that area he thought of a welfare movement there and Kasturba and other volunteer women were called and they worked for several months. In 1922, Kasturba participated in a Satyagrah andolan in Borsad (Gujarat). In early 1939, she participated in a nonviolent protest against the British in Rajkot. She was arrested and kept in solitary confinement for a month near the city. In 1942, she was arrested again, prior to the Quit India movement and was imprisoned along with Gandhiji and others in Aga Khan Palace in Pune. Kasturba was seriously ill. Her chronic bronchitis had worsened and, later on, pneumonia also developed to make things worse. She suffered a series of heart attacks and died on 22 February, 1944, in prison. Gandhi was sitting beside her.
