How did large scale partipation of women become an important feature in civil disobedience movement?
Answers
An important feature of the Civil Disobedience Movement was the large-scale participation of women.
1. During Gandhiji’s salt march, thousands of women came out of their homes to listen to him.
2. They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt, andpicketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.Many went to jail.
3. In urban areas these women were from high-caste families; in rural areas they came from rich peasant households.
4. Moved by Gandhiji’s call, they began to see service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.
5. Yet, this increased public role did not necessarily mean any radical change in the way the position of women was visualised.
Answer:
i) During Gandhi’s salt march, thousands of women came out from their homes to listen to him.
(ii) They participated in protest marches, manufactured salt and picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops.
(iii) Many went to jail in urban areas.
(iv) They considered service to the nation as a sacred duty of women.
Yet, increased public role did not necessarily mean any radical change in the way the position of women was visualised. And for a long time, the Congress was reluctant to allow women to hold any position of authority within the organisation. It was keen only on their symbolic presence.