Bishwa Nath Singh:
Mrs. Annie Basent had tried to accommodate Krishnamurti's views into her life, but never really succeeded. The two remained friends, however, until the end of her life. After the arrival of Gandhi Ji on Indian national scene, differences arose between Mahatma Gandhi and Annie Besant. Gradually, she withdrew from active politics but ... however,after the war, she continued to campaign for Indian independence until her death in 1933. She died on September 20, 1933 at Adyar (Madras) and was survived by her daughter, Mabel As per her wish her ashes were immersed in the holy river Ganges in Benares in India, After her death, her colleagues, J. Krishnamurti, Aldous Huxley, Dr. Guido Ferrando, and Rosalind Rajagopal, built Happy Valley School, now renamed Besant Hill School in her honor .Her death was an irreparable loss to India as whole. Mahatma Gandhi and all other leaders of India Independent Movement were shocked to learn about her demise had condoled her death with choked voice and with their moist eyes with full of tears. She was a lady having towering personality. Let us pay our respectful homage and floral tribute to her whose great contribution & good deeds will always remain alive in our memories!
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(Photo of Mrs. Annie Basant,former President of Indian National Congress)
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Bishwa Nath Singh :
The above Photo is of Mrs. Annie Basent who had distinction to be the President of Theosophical Society of India; founded Home Rule League in 1916 and demand self rule in India; became first woman president of Indian National Congress in ...1917.She was a prominent Theosophist, social reformer, political leader, women's rights activist, writer and orator. She was of Irish origin and made India her second home. She fought for the rights of Indian as the first woman president of Indian National Congress. Let us pay our humble obeisances to the lotus feet of great scholarly leader Mrs. Annie Basent whose good deeds will be always cherished by us!
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Bishwa Nath Singh:
Can we recollect as who was that foreigner who had become the President of Indian National Congress in 1917 and participated in India Independent Movement as an active participant till her passing away in 1933 ?She was non else than Mrs. Annie Besant.Let us have glimpse of her life-history in brief and pay our respectful homage to her!
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(Photo of Annie Besant along with Mahatma Gandhi while walking)
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Bishwa Nath Singh :
Annie Besant is seen in the above Photograph walking with Mahatma Gandhi.Let us pay our humble obeisances to their lotus feet!It is right time now to have glimpse of the life-history of Annie Besant.
Annie Besant, the daughter of William Woo...d and Emily Morris, was born at 2 Fish Street, London on October1, 1847. Annie's father, a doctor, died when she was only five years old. Without any savings, Annie's mother found work looking after boarders at Harrow School. Mrs. Wood was unable to care for Annie and she persuaded a friend, Ellen Marryat, who lived in Charmouth in Dorset, to take responsibility for her upbringing. In 1866, she had met the Rev. Frank Besant. Although only nineteen, she agreed to marry the young clergyman in Hastings on 21st December 1867. By the time she was twenty-three Annie had two children, Digby (January 16, 1869) and Mabel (August 28,1870). However, Annie was deeply unhappy because her independent sprit clashed with the traditional views of her husband. Annie also began to question her religious beliefs. When Annie refused to attend communion, Frank Besant ordered her to leave the family home. A legal separation was arranged and Digby, the son, stayed with his father, and Mabel went to live with Annie in London. . After her separation Annie began to question not only her long-held religious beliefs but the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the Churches and the way they controlled people’s lives. In particular she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith. After leaving her husband ,she had completely rejected Christianity and in 1874 joined the Secular Society.She soon developed a close relationship with Charles Bradlaugh, editor of the radical National Reformer and leader of the secular movement in Britain. Bradlaugh gave Annie a job working for the National Reformer and during the next few years wrote many articles on issues such as marriage and women's rights. She also developed a reputation as an outstanding public speaker. The Irish journalist, T. P. O'Connor and London based Journalist Beatrice Webb had claimed her to be a real orator, who had the gift of public persuasion besides being a charming lady with full of passion & wisdom. Tom had agreed: that for the first time he had heard Mrs. Besant was in Birmingham in the year round 1875. The only women speakers he had heard before this were of mediocre quality. Mrs. Besant had impressed him by her superb control of voice, her whole-sole devotion to the cause she was advocating, her love of the down-trodden, and her appeal on behalf of a sound education for all children, created such an impression upon him, that he quietly became her great follower.In 1877 Annie Besant and Charles Bradlaugh decided to publish The Fruits of Philosophy, written by Charles Knowlton, a book that advocated birth control. Besant and Bradlaugh were charged with publishing material that was "likely to deprave or corrupt those whose minds are open to immoral influences". In court they argued that "we think it more moral to prevent conception of children than, after they are born, to murder them by want of food, air and clothing." Besant and Bradlaugh were both found guilty of publishing an "obscene libel" and sentenced to six months in prison. At the Court of Appeal the sentence was quashed. After the court-case Besant wrote and published her own book advocating birth control entitled The Laws of Population. The idea of a woman advocating birth-control received wide-publicity. Newspapers like The Times accused Besant of writing "an indecent, lewd, filthy, bawdy and obscene book". Rev. Besant used the publicity of the case to persuade the courts that he, rather than Annie Besant, should have custody of their daughter Mabel.In 1880 Charles Bradlaugh was elected MP for Northampton, but as he was not a Christian he refused to take the oath, and was expelled from the House of Commons. As well as working with Bradlaugh, Besant also became friends with socialists such as Walter Crane, Edward Aveling and George Bernard Shaw. This upset Bradlaugh, who regarded socialism as a disruptive foreign doctrine. After joining the Social Democratic Federation, she started her own campaigning newspaper called The Link. Like Catherine Booth of the Salvation Army, Annie was concerned about the health of young women workers at the Bryant & May match factory. On the June23,1888, she had published an article White Slavery in London where she drew attention to the dangers of phosphorus fumes and complained about the low wages paid to the women who worked at Bryant & May. Three women who provided information for Annie's article were sacked. Annie responded by helping the women at Bryant & May to form a Matchgirls Union. After a three week strike, the company was forced to make significant concessions including the re-employment the three victimized women. She also joined the socialist group, the Fabian Society, and in 1889 contributed to the influential book, Fabian Essays. As well as Besant, the book included articles by George Bernard Shaw, Sydney Webb, Sydney Olivier, Graham Wallas, William Clarke and Hubert Bland. Edited by Shaw, the book sold twenty seven thousand copies in two years. She was later elected to the London School Board. After heading the poll with a fifteen thousand majority over the next candidate, Besant argued that she had been given a mandate for large-scale reform of local schools. Some of her many achievements included a program of free meals for undernourished children and free medical examinations for all those in elementary schools. In 1890 she had met Helena Blavatsky and over the next few years her interest in Theosophy grew and her interest in left wing politics waned. Theosophy was based on Hindu ideas of karma and reincarnation with nirvana as the eventual aim She traveled to India and in 1898 helped establish the Central Hindu College in India to fulfill her long cherished desire.In 1902 she established the International Order of Co-Freemasonry in England and over the next few years established lodges in many parts of the British Empire.In 1908 ,she became the President of the Theosophical Society and began to steer the society away from Buddhism and towards Hinduism. When war broke out in Europe in 1914 she helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the British Empire. She also became involved in Indian freedom movement. In 1916, she founded Home Rule League which advocated self rule by Indians. She became the President of Indian National Congress in 1917. She was the first woman to hold that post. She started a newspaper, "New India", criticized British rule and was jailed for sedition... She also became involved in Indian freedom movement. In 1916, she founded Home Rule League which advocated self rule by Indians. She became the President of Indian National Congress in 1917. She was the first woman to hold that post. She started a newspaper, "New India", criticized British rule and was jailed for sedition. After the arrival of Gandhiji on Indian national scene, differences arose between Mahatma Gandhi and Annie Besant. Gradually, she withdrew from active politics. She tried to accommodate Krishnamurti's views into her life, but never really succeeded. The two remained friends, however, until the end of her life. After the arrival of Gandhi Ji on Indian national scene, differences arose between Mahatma Gandhi and Annie Besant. Gradually, she withdrew from active politics but however,after the war, she continued to campaign for Indian independence until her death in 1933. She died on September 20, 1933 at Adyar (Madras) and was survived by her daughter, Mabel As per her wish her ashes were immersed in the holy river Ganges in Benares in India.Her death was an irreparable loss to India as whole. Let us pay our respectful homage to her!
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f.b.
December 14,2010.
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