ABSTRACT
This chapter examines three autobiographies and a monograph written by twentieth-century Bengali women who transgressed middle-class femininity’s normative behaviour to engage in the public world of politics and social activism. It also explores Gandhi’s role in their lives by studying how he helped these women transgress traditional barriers. Responding to his clarion call, these women joined the nationalist movement and became social activists. Later, they participated in the process of nation-building. These narratives are a rich source to understand Gandhi and his influence on women’s mass political movements. The essay bears witness to a momentous period of change in Indian history and the influence of Gandhi’s reshaping of the public–private dynamics.
