Women’s Participation in Indian Nationalist Movement: An Assessment through Bhabani Bhattacharya’s A Goddess Named Gold

Abstract

This research paper analyses the Indian nationalistic freedom movement in Bhabani Bhattacharya’s A Goddess Named Gold  and   the role of women in Indian freedom struggle. In the novel A Goddess Named Gold, Bhattacharya brings women activists into focus of his novel. In the previous novels, the role of freedom activists goes to men like Rahoul and Prokash in So Many Hungers!, Jayadev and Harindra in Music for Mohini and Biten in He Who Rides a Tiger. Yes all the girls  characters Kajoli, Mohini and Chandra Lekha show the embers of this spirit of struggle for the freedom. Meera, the protagonist  of the novel A Goddess Named Gold  has  spirit for patriotism and leadership  In this novel, when a man is bitten by a Cobra, Meera sucks the poisoned-blood with her mouth and saves the life of that man. Even before the demonstration against the Seth takes place Nago, the only son of the Seth and Lakshmi falls into a well, while flying a kite. No man is visible for help. Other women are confused but Meera acts spontaneously. With the help of other women, she rescues the boy in time.