ANNIE BESANT: THE BRITISH FREEDOM FIGHTER

I understand. This is completely illogical. Why would you read about a British subject when we're meant to be discussing Indian history? What if I told you that this British lady was a part of India's war for independence? It did take place. Annie Besant is the name to remember. Learn how she ended up in India and became a participant in the fight for independence.

The Fighting spirit of Annie Besant; Source: Wikimedia

Assume you're a British citizen. You've seen your country colonize a lot of areas. However, you end up fighting the British in order to free one of these colonies. Of course, none of us wants to be in this situation. But Annie Besant was as well. Though we can't claim she suddenly turned on her country and started calling her a backstabber, we can say she was a strong woman with a lot of willpower and fortitude.

The quantity of work she has accomplished in her lifetime will make your jaw drop. She was a socialist, theosophist, feminist, novelist, orator, educator, and philanthropist, among other things. She was a strong supporter of both Irish and Indian self-government and was widely considered a champion of human rights. She was a prolific author, with over 300 books and pamphlets to her credit. She was one of the founding members of the Banaras Hindu University, which she helped found. She was also a vocal critic of the church and a proponent of women's rights. Besant became a member of the National Secular Society and the Fabian Society in the 1870s, both of which advocated for freedom of thought and independence from the Catholic Church in England.

Besant was an eloquent orator and a prolific writer. In 1889, she was requested to write a review of H. P. Blavatsky's The Secret Doctrine for the Pall Mall Gazette. After reading it, she sought an interview with the author and met Blavatsky in Paris. In this way, she was converted to Theosophy. Besant's intellectual path had always included a spiritual component, a yearning for total transformation. She let her membership in the Fabian Society lapse (1890) as her interest in theosophy grew stronger, and she severed her ties with the Marxists. She became interested in Hinduism and its spiritual principles throughout her time as a member of the group. in order to promote Theosophical Society's values she came to India. But Besant's most important contribution was to the Indian freedom cause. Together with Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, they continued the historic movement that marked a turning point in India's decades-long struggle for independence. The Irish Home Rule movement influenced the crusade, which aimed to give India Dominion status comparable to that of Australia and Canada.

The movement lasted two years, with the actions of the Indian Home Rule League assisting in the empowerment of the liberation movement. For her role in the Home Rule campaign, Besant was placed under house arrest in 1917. Her arrest sparked significant demonstrations, and she was eventually released. She remained steadfast while imprisoned, raising the green and red flag, which was the symbol of the Home Rule movement. Apart from that, in January 1914, Besant started the weekly publication Commonweal. She bought the Madras Standard in June and renamed it 'New India.' Besant founded the Women's Indian Association in 1917. She was appointed Honorary Commissioner for India in 1932. Besant was also involved in Indian politics, joining the Indian National Congress. She passed away in India on September 20, 1933.

It is reasonable to assume that Annie Besant was a powerful woman who never held back when it came to expressing her feelings. It's heartbreaking to see her buried in history, but it's long past time for her to be resurrected from the abyss and shown on our screens. After reading this, I'm sure most of you will be a little less hesitant to fight against your country, but make sure you fight for what is right rather than what is expedient.