The correct option is (b) 1 and 3 only
Explanation
The nuances of women's participation in the Indian freedom struggle, specifically focusing on the Civil Disobedience Movement and the leadership roles held by women in the Indian National Congress.Statement-wise Analysis:
- Statement 1 is Correct: Mahatma Gandhi was initially opposed to women's direct participation in the Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha). He believed that the arduous journey might be unsuitable for women and that their presence might be interpreted by the British as the nationalists "hiding behind women." However, prominent women leaders like Sarojini Naidu and Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay persuaded him to allow women to join. Consequently, women participated in large numbers, particularly in picketing liquor and foreign cloth shops.
- Statement 2 is Incorrect: Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress (at the Kanpur Session in 1925). The first woman to hold this position was Annie Besant, who presided over the Calcutta Session in 1917.
- Statement 3 is Correct: Ambabai of Karnataka was a freedom fighter who had been widowed at the age of twelve. She joined the freedom struggle, picketed foreign cloth and liquor shops, and was arrested. She famously regarded her days in prison as the "happiest days of her life" because the movement gave her a new purpose and liberated her from the social stigma and boredom associated with widowhood at that time.
Key Takeaway:
It is crucial to distinguish between the "First Woman President" of the INC (Annie Besant, 1917) and the "First Indian Woman President" (Sarojini Naidu, 1925). Additionally, while Gandhi encouraged women's role in constructive work, he was initially hesitant about their active role in the Salt March.