Bibi Raghbir Kaur: A trailblazer in Kirti movement

Of the many forgotten episodes, icons and leaders buried deep in history — but uncovered by diligent historians only recently — one shone brightly like a beacon during the recently concluded Mela Ghadri Babeyan Da. Bibi Raghbir Kaur, one of the first women members of the Punjab Legislative Assembly during British rule, a fierce advocate for workers’ and women’s rights, and a beloved daughter of the Ghadarites, was celebrated in a recently launched book at the mela.

The book, ‘Kirti Lehar Di Veerangana – Bibi Raghbir Kaur’ (The valiant heroine of the Kirti movement – Bibi Raghbir Kaur), penned by historian Chiranji Lal Kangniwal, bears testimony to the courage and grit of the women who stood up to the British Empire for the rights of workers and peasants.

Elected as an MLA from Amritsar, representing the Kirti Kisan Party, in the first Punjab Legislative Assembly in January 1937, Bibi Raghbir Kaur was among the four women elected that year.

“Her politics was shaped by a Punjab still angered and breaking out in protests over the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and his associates and by the Ghadarites’ need to reorganise themselves to build a movement based on structure and strategy,” says historian Kangniwal.

He adds, “Raghbir Kaur fiercely fought for workers’ and women’s rights throughout her life. Her presence among the electorate cemented her comfortable triumph in the elections. The other three women in Punjab’s Legislative Assembly in 1937 were Bibi Parvati (Congress) and Begum Jahanara Shahnawaz and Rashida Lateef (both Unionist Party members).”

Addressing the meagre wages for women labourers, in the May 1936 issue of Kirti magazine published from Amritsar, Raghbir Kaur wrote, “Let the reader tell how can women earning 6-6 paise in labour, ensure their and their children’s survival? They can only keep themselves alive with this money if they buy roasted chickpeas, rice and jaggery with one-one paisa and then drink cold water. Alas! One wishes those wanting progress in villages had spared a thought for these poor women.”

Kangniwal says that Raghbir Kaur was the first woman member of the Kirti Kisan Sabha’s State Committee and a member of the Desh Bhagat Parivar Sahaik Committee — the organisation that supported jailed Ghadarite leaders and their families. “A fearless woman walking shoulder to shoulder with Jats, peasants and eminent leaders served as huge inspiration to other women. She went to jail four to five times,” he says. The Desh Bhagat Parivar Sahaik Committee — which was established in 1920 — is the precursor of the Desh Bhagat Yadgaar Committee.

Kangniwal adds, “Bibi Raghbir Kaur’s husband, a truck and lorry driver, began participating in protests against following Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom. Seeking inspiration, she too plunged into the movement. Kirti Kisan Movement leaders Baba Bhakna, Baba Jwala Singh Thatthiyan and others adopted her like a daughter, nurtured her and taught her the nuances of politics.”

Kangniwal adds, “When the Desh Bhagat Parivar Sahaik Committee ran out of funds, Baba Basakha Singh, then heading the committee, entrusted her with the task. Bibi Raghbir Kaur travelled to villages on a fundraising drive and single-handedly raised substantial funds. Alongside her was Begum Fatima from Peshawar. When 200 mill workers were ousted from Dhaliwal Woolen Mill in Gurdaspur, Bibi Raghbir Kaur, already an MLA, inspired them to march from Dhaliwal to Lahore, arranging langars along the way. She also took their grievances to Sir Chotu Ram, the then Labour Minister.”