Sudhatai Joshi was the wife of a profound scholar of Vedas and the composer of Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh, Pt. Mahadevshastri Joshi. In his autobiographical book “Atmapuran”, Mahadevshastri narrated the story of the period when his wife Sudhatai had taken active participation in the Goa liberation movement.
It was the 1950s when Mahadevshastri and Sudhatai were living in Pune and Goa liberation movement was in full swing with Goa Congress being the leading campaigner. Mahadevshastri was passionate to do something for the independence of Goa as it was his motherland. He had been appointed as the chief of the Pune branch of the Goa Congress. Shastri, along with the then Goa Congress Chief Peter Alvares proclaimed Satyagraha against the Portuguese rule on January 26, 1955.
A few days later, when Mahadevshastri, along with other freedom fighters were to decide the next action plan, his wife Sudhatai, who was a simple housewife then, suddenly interrupted him and said, “Not you but I will lead the further campaign. You have just undergone hernia surgery and the doctor has suggested you not make an exertion. So I am ready to leap into the fire. I don’t even seek your permission. My decision is final.”
This was something shocking for Mahadevshastri but it was impossible for him to dissuade the determined woman. Peter Alvares was pretty happy with Sudhatai’s decision. He not only welcomed her but made her the Goa Congress chief.
When Sudhatai, along with a few other people departed for Goa on 1 March 1955 from Pune, a news reporter cautioned her that a campaigner named Tony D’souza has been imprisoned by the Portuguese for 26 years. But Sudhatai was so determined that she immediately replied, “I don’t bother. Portuguese will not be able to rule here even for 26 months.”
It was April 6, 1955, when Sudhatai, for the first time, organised a session of the Goa Congress in the city of Mapusa. Standing on a small stage right on the road, she addressed the activists. A policeman suddenly came forward and stood in front of her, pointing a gun. As Sudhatai refused to stop the speech, the policeman grabbed the script from her hand. Some 10-12 campaigners immediately hoisted the Indian tricolor. Police arrested Sudhatai and a few campaigners and took them to jail.
On 28 April 1955 thousands of people were in Shirgaon for a fair. Among the crowd, a lady suddenly stood up and hoisted the Indian flag with the slogan of Jai Hind. Police as usual arrested her brutally beat her and took them to the same jail where Sudhatai was kept. Sudhatai’s astonishment knew no bounds when she saw the new prisoner. She was Ashatai, her sister. Came all the way from Buldhana to take part in the campaign, Ashatai was brutally tortured by the police. Their elder brother Ghanashyam Phadke was also caught while found involved in some underground activities against the Portuguese.
Sudhatai had to live in jail for four years. The condition in jail was so dirty that nobody could have thought of spending even a few minutes there. The only positive thing was that Sudhatai was not alone. There were three women to accompany her. Six months after Sudhatai was jailed, the trial started in court. Right on the first day of the trial, the Judge asked Sudhatai: “Why do you want Goa to be a part of India?” Sudhatai replied, “There is nothing like making Goa a part of India...It is an integral part of India for centuries. It is you who has made its separation. Once you are removed from this land, it will automatically become part of India." The Judge then pressured her to apologize and sought a promise of not coming to Goa again. However, Sudhatai courageously replied, “My lord, why should I promise you not putting my leg in Goa hereafter? It’s my motherland! I can come here and go anytime. And, you don’t need to worry about my family. At this moment, my nation is more important than family. My husband is able to take care of my children. You can give me whatever punishment you want. I will never apologize and ask for mercy.” Finally, the Judge announced 12-year imprisonment for Sudhatai and other inmates.
Actually, the Portuguese were supposed to keep the campaigners in a well-conditioned jail. However, one year passed but no action was taken in this regard. Sudhatai was kept in the same unventilated, dirty, dingy jail.
Finally, Sudhatai proclaimed a hunger strike against the brutal treatment by the Portuguese. She did one intelligent thing during this time. She wrote a letter to Pt Mahadevshastri in which she wrote - “Currently I am on life”. (In literary Marathi, the word “life” means water). The jailers failed to understand the hidden meaning and the letter. Without getting censored, the letter reached Mahadevshastri. He implied that Sudhatai had proclaimed a hunger strike and did not have anything other than water. He immediately informed the press and right on the next day, the news spread like wind throughout India that Sudha Joshi is on a hunger strike in Goa jail. Trembled by this defamation, the jailer had to shift Sudhatai and other fighters to a new good jail at Kepe.
Sudhatai had to live in jail for many days. One day, she got a letter from Vinoba Bhave saying, “Consider your imprisonment as a fortune and utilize your time for some good learning. We appreciate your courage.” Sudhatai got emotional with this encouragement.
By that time, an MP raised the issue of her imprisonment in Parliament. Prime Minister Pandit Nehru assured of her rescue. At that time India didn’t have a direct relationship with Portugal. Pt Nehru sent an Egyptian official to Goa for the inquiry. He met Sudhatai and was impressed by her brevity. Finally, after four years of a tough life, Sudhatai was rescued from the Portuguese clutch.
Source: CCRT, Ministry of Culture