The journey of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s to become the Father of the Nation from a lawyer has been written and valued at great extent. In this evolution of his, a constant backbone was his wife Kasturba Gandhi. On the occasion of her 148th Birth Anniversary, let us not forget about what her contribution to these events meant. 

Kasturba Gandhi’s name is often forgotten in the face of Gandhi’s leadership but she was his pillar of support, the first individual who was a part of him like no other. If he could convince her to give up her notions of caste and untouchability, he could persuade others of the same. She was perhaps the only person who could disagree with him and point out to him his flaws. She was his companion, his wife, his caretaker and later in life his representative too.

In the early years of his marriage, Gandhi’s attempts to control Kasturba gave no fruit. Historian Vinay Lal writes, “Kasturba never acceded to her husband’s wishes easily, and Gandhi’s autobiography itself furnishes a remarkable testimony to her tenacity and independence of judgement, and the sharp disagreements she came to have with him when, in the first two decades of their marriage, he unreasonably sought to bring her under his control.”

She was simple and gentle. And in her gentleness one can see the strength that came through. Over the years she kept pace with her husband and the different roles he was performing. She supported him in his quest for social, economic and political equality for Indians in India and before that in South Africa.

Gandhi in his own biography spoke about it,”According to my earlier experience, she was very obstinate. In spite of all my pressure she would do as she wished. This led to short or long periods of estrangement between us. But as my public life expanded, my wife bloomed forth and deliberately lost herself in my work.”

Her dedication to the freedom struggle was not just a part of the support she extended to Gandhi but something she felt for deeply.

The Nation today remembers her and bows down to salute her!