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| Rani Rashmoni, in.pinterest.com |
Rani Rashmoni, a renowned philanthropist and reformer of 19th-century Bengal, was a fiery rebel with a cause who frequently defied the British authorities and wealthy elites to fight for social justice. That though celebrated for founding the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, her brave actions for the common people often go unmentioned in official records, is unfortunate. Her achievements in the real of public and social cause tend to be sketchy or based on folklore.
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| Silver souvenir Govt of India mint 227yar commemoration numismaticscollections.blogspot.com |
One of her most audacious acts was her battle with the British East India Company over the rights of poor fishermen. When the government imposed a tax and deprived the fishermen of their traditional right to fish in the Ganga, Rani Rashmoni took a bold step. She leased a stretch of the river in front of Calcutta, paying a fair amount to the government. Then, she had strong iron chains and logs placed across the river, effectively stopping all river traffic, including the Company's ships. When the agitated British protested, she coolly explained that the boats and ships were disturbing the waters, causing her to incur heavy losses on the property she had leased. The government, recognizing her clever argument based on private property rights, a sacrosanct concept at the time, was forced to allow the fishermen to resume their work. The lease was then canceled, and the Rani's fine was returned.
Another instance of her defiance was her stand against the oppressive indigo planters. The East India Company was active in Indigo production to improve the company's revenue She understood the plight of the peasantry and their poor background who were forced into indigo cultivation. She nearly stopped all indigo cultivation in her zamindari to get the attention of the British and their agents. She even mobilized her lathials (stick-fighters) to confront and beat up a British planter, partly destroying his nil-kuthi (indigo factory). This act, which happened years before the famous Indigo Rebellion of 1859, served as an inspiration for the peasantry.
Rani Rashmoni also challenged the social Rani Rashmoni was instrumental in converting part of the marshy lands (Sunderbans) in 24 Parganas district, into fisheries so that fishermen could make a comfortable living. Surrounding water bodies were later turned into large rich bheris. Earlier the entire area was under the occupation of thugs and later these people were reformed and converted into fishermen. Thus, these directionless people gave up their traditional plundering and looting profession and began to make money honestly. Indeed, it was a monumental social work done by a daring, humane woman during the colonial period and religious orthodoxy of the time.
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| Dakshineswar Kali Temple itihaserhaatchani.com |
Driven by a divine revelation, Rani Rashmoni in 1855 founded the famous temple Dakshineswar Kali Temple complex on the banks of the Ganges at Dakshineswar in the North 24 Parganas. When building the Dakshineswar temple, she faced opposition from Brahmin landlords who refused to sell land to a woman of lower caste. She was eventually forced to purchase land on the eastern bank of the Ganges, which was considered less sacred. It was here Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa (then known as Gadadhar) was appointed as its head priest under her patronage. She remained closely associated with Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa and the Ramakrishna Mission. She was pious through out her life and her house at Janbazar was well-known for the yearly Durga puja during the Navaratri festival.
These unknown facets of Rani Rashmoni’s life reveal a woman who broke the age-old gender stereotypes of her time with her independence, courage, and astuteness. She fought for justice not with brute force, but with a sharp intellect and a profound understanding of the law and human rights, leaving an indelible mark on Bengal's social history.
https://www.thestatesman.com/opinion/rebel-with-a-cause-1502707771.html
