We call her Ba-A - A Biography of Kasturba Gandhi

Jul 17, 2026

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A biography-style narrative centered on Kasturba Gandhi, portraying her as Mohandas Gandhi’s steadfast partner and a revered mother figure to the freedom struggle. Vivid scenes recall her quiet presence, her kindness and simplicity, and her firm personality as she supported Gandhiji through protests, satyagrahas, and fasting. The story also highlights her courage and practical leadership, including her prison experience and running Sabarmati Ashram, where she guided children and welcomed leaders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages46

Reading Time1 h 11 min

We call her Ba-A

Kasturba’s role during the freedom struggle

At Sabarmati Ashram

A child bride

Family background and marriage

We call her Ba-A Biography of Kasturba Gandhi Author: Subhadra Sen Gupta Illustrator: Neeta Gangopadhya English Community Living We call her Ba-A Biography of Kasturba Gandhi We call her Ba-A Biography of Kasturba Gandhi (English), written by Subhadra Sen Gupta, illustrated by Neeta Gangopadhya, supported by Parag: A Sir Ratan Tata Trust Initiative, published by Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2014) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free [on www.storyweaver.org.in](on www.storyweaver.org.in) [Reformatted by : Amitha Amar](Reformatted by : Amitha Amar) , 3Strands English India Copyright © 2025, Pratham Books (© Pratham Books, 2014) under a CC BY 4.0 license on StoryWeaver. Read, create and translate stories for free on [www.storyweaver.org.in](www.storyweaver.org.in) [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) You are free to make commercial use of this work. You may adapt and add to this work. You must keep the copyright and credits for authors, illustrators, etc. In many photographs of Mahatma Gandhi you will see her sitting right behind him. A small woman with delicate features, wearing a khadi sari, covering her head. People who knew her remember she would sit silently, hardly ever saying a word but you could not forget that face. She was Kasturba, wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. She was not educated or sophisticated but she had a strong personality and people loved her for her kindness and simplicity. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, friend and freedom fighter. The British officials would address her as ‘Madame Gandhi’ but to Indians she was ‘Ba’, their beloved mother. Even Gandhiji called her by that name! And in the middle of all the hurly burly of the freedom struggle, in protest marches, Satyagrahas and fasts, she was his anchor. She was the calm centre of his universe and Gandhiji could not have achieved so much without her support. She was also a woman who had her own identity. She was tough, courageous and practical and like Gandhiji, she suffered and sacrificed a lot for her country. She became a freedom fighter who led protest marches, faced police lathis and went to jail. She also ran Gandhiji’s Sabarmati Ashram and welcomed all the leaders of the freedom struggle there. For every freedom fighter, young and old, she was an understanding friend. Kasturba Gandhi was simply ‘Ba’ or mother to all of them just as Mahatma Gandhi was‘Bapu’ or father. And they made quite a pair! At Sabarmati Ashram At Sabarmati Ashram, Kasturba and Gandhiji were always surrounded by children who were called their ‘Vanar Sena’ or monkey army. Gandhiji taught them to grow vegetables, take care of the cows and goats and spin thread on the charkha. One day they had a charkha contest to see who could spin the most thread and both Kasturba and Gandhiji lost to one of their granddaughters! Gandhiji told the kids that they should always obey Kasturba like he did, because he was very scared of her! One day, after everyone had eaten lunch, Kasturba went off to have a nap. Just then some guests arrived and Gandhiji wanted to give them lunch but he did not want to disturb her. So he told the children to cook some food, but to do it very, very quietly, making sure Kasturba did not wake up and then he quickly left. Soon disaster struck when one boy dropped a brass plate with a huge clannnggg! It woke up Kasturba and she wanted to know why she had not been called. If Bapu thought he could escape her anger, he was mistaken because she walked into his prayer meeting and gave him a scolding in front of many people! A child bride Kasturbai Makhanji was born on 11th April 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat. Her father was Gokuldas Makhanji and her mother was Veraj Kunver Ba. We know very little about her childhood but her father was a prosperous businessman, so she grew up in a comfortable home . Gokuldas’good fri

FAQs

Why was Kasturba Gandhi called “Ba” by Indians?

People called her “Ba” as their beloved mother. Even Gandhiji used the name, reflecting the respect and affection she inspired.

What role did Kasturba Gandhi play in the freedom struggle?

She served as Gandhiji’s anchor during protests, satyagrahas, and fasts, and later became a freedom fighter herself—leading marches, facing police lathis, and going to jail.

How is Kasturba’s life at Sabarmati Ashram described?

The story highlights her partnership with Gandhiji around children of their “Vanar Sena,” where they learned practical skills like growing vegetables, caring for animals, and spinning on the charkha.

Jul 17, 2026

Upload by Eden