Kasturbai Gandhi

Hello, my name is Kasturbai, but throughout my life, most people came to know me by the loving name 'Ba,' which means mother. My story begins in a town called Porbandar in India, where I was born on April 11th, 1869. Life in India during that time was very different than it is today. Our traditions were deeply important, and one of those was the custom of arranged marriages. In May 1883, when I was 14 years old, I was married to a young man named Mohandas Gandhi, who was 13. While this may seem unusual now, it was a common practice in our culture, meant to join two families together. We were just children when our journey together began, little knowing that our path would lead us to the very heart of a nation’s struggle for freedom.

My life took a dramatic turn in 1897 when I traveled to South Africa to join my husband. The world I discovered there was a shock to me. I witnessed firsthand the terrible injustice of laws that discriminated against Indians. People were treated unfairly simply because of where they came from. It was in this difficult environment that I found my own voice and realized I could not stand by silently. I became an activist. My first significant act of protest occurred in 1913. The government in South Africa passed a new law declaring that all non-Christian marriages were invalid, which was a great insult to our heritage and our families. I decided to challenge this law, and for my actions, I was arrested on September 23rd, 1913. My sentence was three months of hard labor in prison. The work was exhausting and the conditions were harsh, but the experience did not break me. Instead, it hardened my spirit and strengthened my resolve to fight against injustice wherever I saw it.

In January 1915, Mohandas and I returned to our homeland, India. We immediately dedicated ourselves to the growing movement for India's independence from British rule, a cause known as 'Swaraj,' or self-rule. Many people saw me only as Mohandas's supporter, but my role was much more than that. I was a leader in my own right. When my husband was imprisoned for his activism, I did not stay in the shadows. I stepped forward to lead protests and continue the fight. I spoke to crowds, encouraging them to remain strong and peaceful. My work was also focused on building a stronger India from the ground up. In the community settlements, or ashrams, I took on the role of a mother to many. I taught women and children the importance of hygiene, discipline, and literacy, believing that a free nation needed educated and empowered citizens. I was an active participant in major events of our freedom struggle, including the famous Salt March in 1930, where we protested an unfair British tax on salt.

The final years of our struggle were intense. In 1942, the Quit India Movement began, which was a massive, nationwide call for the British to leave our country for good. My husband was arrested almost immediately for his leadership in the movement. In his absence, I felt it was my duty to keep the spirit of freedom alive. I went to a large gathering in Mumbai and gave a speech to the people, urging them to carry on the non-violent struggle. My words led to my own arrest on August 9th, 1942. I was taken to the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, where I was imprisoned alongside Mohandas. By this time, my health had been fragile for many years. The stress of the freedom struggle and multiple imprisonments had taken a toll on my body, and my condition grew worse during this final period of confinement.

My long journey in service of my people came to an end while I was still a prisoner for India's freedom. On February 22nd, 1944, my life concluded at the Aga Khan Palace. I lived to be 74 years old. I hope to be remembered not just as the wife of a great leader, but as a freedom fighter and an activist who stood for justice. My story is a testament to the idea that great change does not always come from the loudest voice, but can be born from quiet strength and unwavering determination. It shows that a single person, with courage in her heart, can help mother a nation toward its freedom.