MATANGINI HAZRA

A FEARLESS REVOLUTIONARY WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE INDIAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT UNTIL SHE WAS SHOT DEAD BY THE BRITISH INDIAN POLICE IN FRONT OF THE TAMLUK POLICE STATION, MATANGINI HAZRA (1869-1942) WAS AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS ʻGANDHI BURIʼ OR THE ʻOLD LADY GANDHI.ʼ

Not much is known of Matangini Hazraʼs early life. She was born into a family of farmers in a village near Tamluk in the Midnapore district of West Bengal and had no formal education. She was married early and became widowed at the age of eighteen without bearing any children.

In 1905, she became actively interested in the Indian Independence Movement as a Gandhian. A notable feature of the freedom struggle in Midnapore was the participation of women. In 1932, she took part in the Non-Cooperation Movement and was arrested for breaking the Salt Act. She was promptly released, but her protests continued. Soon she became an active member of the Indian National Congress and took to spinning her own khadi.

As part of the Quit India Movement, members of the Congress party planned to take over the various police stations of Midnapore district and other government offices as a step to overthrow the British government and establish an independent Indian state. On September 29, 1942, Matangini, who was 73 years old at the time, led a procession of six thousand supporters, mostly women volunteers, with the purpose of taking over the Tamluk police station.

When the procession reached the outskirts of the town, they were ordered to disband. But Matangini defied orders and continued to advance with the tri-colour flag, leaving all the volunteers behind. The police shot her thrice but she walked on, chanting Vande Mataram, till she dropped dead. Today, she is remembered as one of the first women martyrs who had fought to bring freedom to our country.

In honour of her bravery, a statue of Matangini stands at the Maidan in the heart of Kolkata, while Hazra Road has been named after her. In Tamluk, a statue also marks the spot where she died. In 2002, postage stamps were issued as part of the commemoration of 60 years of the Quit India Movement. Among them was a Rs. 5.00 stamp with Matangini Hazra’s face on it.