Political life of Kamaladevi Chattopadhay started with the active participation in the Indian freedom struggle. While she was still in London pursuing her studies, Kamaladevi came to know the frenzy of Non-Cooperation Movement in 1923 that was led by Mahatma Gandhi. And she quickly made arrangements to return to India to join the Seva Dal - Gandhian organization established to encourage social upliftment. Very soon she was also placed in charge of the women`s section of the Dal where she got actively involved in training, recruiting and organizing girls and women of all ages from across India to become voluntary workers known as "Sevikas".
In the year 1926, she came across the person who was the founder of all India Women`s Conference (AIWC) and it also inspired her to run for the Madras Provincial Legislative Assembly. Thus she also became the first woman to also run for the Legislative seat in India. Inspite of the fact that she could campaign for only 2 days but the margin by which she lost was rather low - only a mere 200 votes.
The All-India Women`s Conference
The very next year she set up the All-India Women`s Conference (AIWC) and became its first Organizing Secretary, and AIWC grew up to become a national organization of repute, with branches and voluntary programs run throughout the nation, and work steadfastly for legislative reforms.
During her tenure she also travelled greatly to many European countries and also inspired to initiate several social reforms and community welfare program, and set up educational institutions, run for women, by women. Later during 1930s she was a part of Dandi March. On 26 January 1930 she captured the imagination of the entire nation when in a scuffle; she clung to the Indian tricolour to protect it. She was the first woman to be arrested during a freedom struggle. In the 1930 she was taken to prison by the British government for entering the Bombay Stock Exchange to sell packets of contraband salt, and spent almost a year in prison. In 1936, she became president of the Congress Socialist Party, working alongside Jayaprakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Minocher Rustom Masani
For Kamaladevi Chattopadhay socialism was one of the main ideas and if needed she even opposed her own colleagues when they ignored or infringed women`s rights. For instance, when Mahatma Gandhi opposed the inclusion of women in the Dandi March (claiming that Englishmen would not hurt women, just as Hindus would not harm cows), Kamaladevi spoke out against this stand.
During the World War II she was in England and immediately began a world tour to explain the position of India to the world.
Post-Independence work by Kamaladevi Chattopadhay
With the independence of India came the issue of Partition and she immediately plunged into rehabilitation of the refugees, where she worked tirelessly to establish new homes, and new professions, for this they were trained in new skills, she also helped setting up health facilities in the new town.
