Following Jesus’ example, many lived simply, humbly, and selflessly to uplift the poor and marginalized, and their faith in God nurtured their hopes for liberation.
India News: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress leader Kharge paid tribute to Rani Lakshmibai on her birth anniversary. PM Modi described her as a sy
In this YA novel, the Rani of Jhansi’s adopted son Damodar has to stand by his mother as she fights
An excerpt from ‘Queen of Fire’, by Devika Rangachari. Apr 30, 2021 · 05:30 pm The spot in Jhansi Fort from which the Rani of Jhansi is supposed to have leapt off with her son. | Avinashmaurya / CC BY-SA 3.0
Just before his fourth birthday, which Damodar had been told was less than a year earlier but which seemed a long time ago to him, a strange but beautifully dressed lady with sad eyes had come to visit him. She had brought him many toys.
When asked which woman she most admires, Bilkis, the notorious “Dadi” of Shaheen Bagh, replies without hesitation: “Jhansi Ki Rani” (Queen of Jhansi).
India’s warrior queen, who died in 1858 fighting British imperialism, is a symbol of India’s independence and an emblem of resistance to the British empire.
“She chased the British out of India,” Bilkis explains. “If we all come together, we can raise our voice and do anything.”
They may have been fighting different perpetrators, but to Bilkis their struggle against oppression and injustice is the same. “I am brave. Just like how Rani stood up for her rights and fought against injustice.”