429. Basanti Devi (1880-1974)

Basanti Devi was the first Indian Woman to be arrested during selling of Clothes made of Khadi in the non-cooperation movement launched by Gandhiji in 1921.She earned love and affection form leaders of Gandhi, Motil;al Nehru and Sarojini Naidu. She was a mother figure of the youths devoted to the freedom of India. She was called by Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as "Ma" (mother).
In nagpur Congress Chitta Ranjan declared that he would join Non-Cooperation movement giving up his career as Barrister.Basanti appreciated that and pressed full support wthout any hesitation and said, " I don't think money as the supreme goal of a human.I'm with you in your decision."
In the first real mass movement in the freedom struggle � or what is known as the Non-Cooperation Movement � launched* by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920-21, groups of women participated in different parts of the country, picketing liquor shops and holding dharnas. In Bombay, for instance, Sarojini Naidu and Maniben Patel founded the Rashtriya Stree Sabha. In Bengal, C.R. Das started the Nari Karma Mandir in 1921 for training women in national service. Basanti Debi (Mrs C.R.Das), Urmila Debi, and Suniti Debi, were well known women organisers during the Non-Cooperation Movement. The Bengal Provincial Congress Committee (BPCC) session held in Chittagong in 1922 (which was to play such an important role in the future revolutionary activities of the Chittagong group led by Surjya Sen) was presided over by Basanti Debi and she delivered a lecture, applauded by all. Her eloquent speech enables one to get a glimpse of her integrated personality. She called upon the people of Bengal to make politics as an integral part of their life. she believed that human ecellence in its totality only could enable one to get near the truth." Basanti Devi took utmost care to fulfill the ideals of Chitta Ranjan when he was arrested for participating Non-Cooperation movement. She edited the journal "Banglar Katha" published by him. 
Basanti Devi was born in Calcutta on 23.3.1880. Her father was Baroda nath Halder , a well known person. Her ancestral house was at Telirbag village of Dhaka , Bikrampur.
Chittaranjan Das died on 16th june 1925 and his son and her son died one year after his father's death. The cause of his death was the physical assault done by the sergeant on him for calling strike on the occasion of the Prince of Wales at Bombay. But Basanti Devi remained as sincere as before.