Annie Besant
The Indian freedom movement was a struggle against colonial oppression and the reign of the British in India. However, not all the British believed that India was to be ruled. Instead, some supported the idea of India as a free, democratic country. Many Britishers sympathised with the Indian freedom struggle, saw the cruelty and injustices of colonial rule and actively rebelled against it. They played a part in India's freedom struggle and the independence it achieved in 1947, one such bold British woman who fought is Annie Besant.
Annie Besant was an early advocate of many causes including women's rights, worker's rights, secularism and birth control. She first came to India on November 16, 1863, to attend the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society in Madras (now Chennai). She actively participated in local politics, joining the Indian National Congress (INC), originally a debating body that discussed solutions to prevalent political issues.
In 1914, when World War I broke, Besant said, "England's need is India's opportunity." In June 1914, she purchased the Madras Standard newspaper and renamed it 'New India'. She used this medium to express her outrage against the colonial government and insisted on clear moves towards a democratic nation. In 1916, she along with Madan Mohan Malaviya and Sunder Lal founded the Banaras Hindu University and in 1922, she helped establish the Hyderabad National Collegiate Board. In September 1916, she created the Home Rule League that demanded self-government for all of India through demonstrations. She set up the women's Indian Association in 1917 and in June 1917, she was arrested for participating in political matters. But she defiantly flew a red and green flag against the British Empire while in prison. She was released in September 1917 due to a threat of protest from the INC and Muslim League. In December 1917, she became the president of the INC; she was the first woman president.
Besant clashed with Mahatma Gandhi as he felt that she emphasised intellectual develpment instead of brotherhood and unity. Besant objected to Gandhi's method of mass movements as she believed that the public would not be able to meet violence with demonstrations. She eventually left the INC to join the Liberal Party and continued to campaign for India's independence in India and during her tours of Britain. She was made Honorary Commissioner of India in 1932 and died in 1933.
