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She had the English scurrying for cover in the First War of Indian Independence. She was the extraordinarily fearless Rani of Jhansi.
Born Manikarnika (alias Manu), Lakshmibai had a very different childhood. When girls her age reveled in dolls and dreams, Manu sported with horses and swords, stuff that a boy’s world was made of.
She married the ruler of Jhansi and bore him a royal heir too. Even as Jhansi rejoiced, Lakshmibai’s world came crashing with the death of her son, barely 4 months old and soon, the brokenhearted king.
A widowed Rani and a princely state with only an adopted incumbent to the throne! The English seized the opportunity to annexe Jhansi under the Doctrine of Lapse. But Rani Lakshmibai would not part with what was rightfully hers.
The English laid siege to Jhansi. Rising to the occasion, Lakshmibai mobilized volunteers, even women to put up a stiff resistance. Her prowess astounded the English, who acknowledged her as the most dangerous combatant in the 1857 rebellion. Lakshmibai finally died of her wounds in Gwalior, a martyr at the age of twenty-three.
Rani Lakshmibai stands out as the epitome of heroic valour, immortalized by the Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s ballad – ‘Khoob Ladi Mardani Woh To Jhansi Wali Rani Thi’
Why we find her inspiring?
– Because she was a gutsy and confident woman
– Because notwithstanding her tender age, she took on a mighty enemy by herself
– Because she exhibited exemplary courage and determination in the face of personal grief
– Because she galvanized an entire nation by her heroic example
Suggested readings:
Rani of Jhansi
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
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