Meri Mati-My Country: When the war of independence was fought, many brave heroes and heroines of India had sacrificed their lives, but we are remembering those too, whose bravery perhaps did not get the full recognition it deserved. In the series ‘Meri Mati, Mera Desh’, today we are going to meet such a daughter of Mother India, who used to encourage the soldiers of the freedom struggle by showering flowers and applying Tilak. When the satyagrahis went to jail, they took care of their families. The name of this heroine is- Bishni Devi Sah, who is considered to be the first woman freedom fighter of Uttarakhand to go to jail. Presenting the story of this brave daughter of Almora……
Bishni Devi Sah was a resident of Almora
Bishni Devi Sah will definitely be remembered whenever there is mention of anonymous heroes who sacrificed everything for the freedom movement. Bishni Devi, a resident of Almora, is considered the first woman freedom fighter of Uttarakhand to go to jail during the freedom struggle. His personal life was full of suffering. Nevertheless, dedicated his life to the country. She spent a lot of time at the Nanda Devi temple in Almora, where she regularly attended meetings related to the freedom movement. She used to give flowers to the agitators who went to jail. By performing her aarti, she used to salute her spirit. She used to encourage the women of the agitators. She also used to collect money for the families of the jailed fighters.
Caught the path of struggle on May 25, 1930
The matter is of May 25, 1930. It was decided to hoist the national flag on Almora Municipality. A procession of volunteers, including women. That procession was stopped by the British soldiers. After this there was a struggle, in which heroes like Mohanlal Joshi and Shantilal Trivedi got injured. Bishni Devi present there did not get distracted by this incident. He hoisted the flag along with other women including Durga Devi Pant and Tulsi Devi Rawat.
imprisoned by the British
The British government did not like this challenge of women. Then the British police arrested them and locked them in Almora jail. After her release from jail, she got involved in the promotion of Khadi. Then there was a shortage of volunteers to distribute indigenous items around Almora. The shopkeepers were charging a higher price for those items. Bishni Devi decided that she would go door-to-door selling charkha for just five rupees. Then the price of Charkha in the market was 10 rupees. He taught women to spin the charkha. By doing this, he not only spread Khadi, but also made people self-reliant.
Pant became the manager of the committee
Congress committee was formed in Almora under the leadership of Hargovind Pant. Bishni Devi was elected as the women manager of the committee. He was arrested again in 1931. After being released from jail, he again raised his voice against the British rule. Rich Bishni Devi Sah of indomitable courage and soft behavior passed away in 1972.
This is how the postal department honored
In 2021, the Department of Posts took the initiative to give recognition to this Veerangana. Under this, his picture and his life introduction were written on the envelope of the postal department, so that the new generation could know him. Last year, President Draupadi Murmu also remembered the contribution of Bishni Devi Sah in the freedom movement.