As India marks 79 years of Independence, stories of sacrifice and struggle continue to inspire. Beyond the well-known names of leaders and revolutionaries, there lies a forgotten chapter — the contributions of women sex workers who, despite social stigma, played a remarkable role in the freedom movement.

This overlooked history has been brought to light by researcher Atanu Mitra, whose article in Antyajaa: Indian Journal of Women and Social Change, available in Sage Journals, traces their involvement. Mitra expands this narrative in his book From Harlots to Heroine: Incredible Fight of Women in Indian Freedom Struggle.

Giving money, shelter and defiance

Many women sex workers supported the cause financially, donating their earnings to revolutionaries for weapons, pamphlets, and underground work. Some offered shelter to freedom fighters on the run, converting their homes into safe havens often overlooked by colonial police.

Their defiance also took symbolic forms. In cities such as Kanpur, groups of women refused to serve British soldiers, a silent but powerful act of resistance. Others joined strikes, protests and demonstrations, aligning themselves with the wider nationalist movement.

Courtesans and performers used their art — songs, dance and poetry — to spread nationalist ideas. Traditional performances carried political messages and inspired audiences far beyond the reach of pamphlets or speeches.

The Medinipur crucible

In Medinipur (West Bengal) district, known for its fierce resistance, women from all walks of life rose to the call of freedom. Commercial sex workers, often relegated to the margins of society, played a crucial and strategic role.

Among them was Sabitri Devi, a sex worker from Tamluk’s fish market. Inspired by Congress leaders, she joined the nationalist movement on April 6, 1930, and brought two women from her profession, Subhadra and Binoda, into the Civil Disobedience movement. During the Salt Satyagraha at Narghat on April 18, 1930, when a leader asked who was ready to shed blood, Sabitri declared, “I am ready to give my blood,” inspiring around 800 women. She also nursed a 10-year-old boy badly injured by police.

On September 29, 1942, during the occupation of Tamluk Police Station led by Matangini Hazra, Sabitri ran from her brothel amid police firing to provide water and aid to the injured near Shankar Arah Bridge. Her bravery inspired other sex workers to arm themselves with sticks and drive back the police. She also extracted “knowledge of advanced plan from the British Police officer by acting out the thrill of love with them with utmost secrecy.” Despite her sacrifices, Sabitri Devi received no pension and died in a slum on March 20, 1994. In 2004, the Shankar Arah Bridge was renamed ‘Sabitri Bridge’ in her memory.

Another figure was Satyavati of Terpekhia, who considered it a “great honor to sacrifice her life for the country instead of living like a coward.” She obtained police plans during vulnerable moments and passed information to Congress leaders. She cared for injured protesters with “motherly love” and was arrested on February 11, 1932, during the Salt Satyagraha and No-Tax campaign. She endured brutal torture, including injury to her genital organ, and was sentenced to three months of rigorous imprisonment. After her release, she was attacked by Officer-in-Charge of Nandigram police station, who kicked her in the abdomen and genitals. She died a month later, remembered as the “first martyr as a commercial sex worker in the Medinipur.”

The involvement of commercial sex workers in Medinipur was often organised. Bankim Pal of Barh Manikpur mobilised women such as Kamini, Keyarani, Khandi, Arati, Chamatkarini, Rajbala, Rekha, and Saralabala to exchange information and support revolutionaries. Known as their “Mastermasha” (Teacher), he used them for fundraising and even for selling local salt under police watch.

Their brothels became operational hubs. The plan to assassinate Andrew Henderson Leith Frazer, the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, was made in the house of Kamini and Rajbala. A brothel in Sangatbazar was used to plan the assassinations of three British District Magistrates of Medinipur — James Peddie (killed April 7, 1931), Robert Douglas (killed April 30, 1932), and B. E. J. Burge (killed September 2, 1932). Kamini Devi and Rajbala Devi were named as accused in police records.

During Peddie’s assassination, sex workers dressed attractively and gathered at a playground to distract police, helping revolutionaries escape.

These stories, long “unwept, unhonoured and unsung,” reveal how marginalised women displayed extraordinary courage. They not only stood against colonial rule but also defied the stigma surrounding their profession.

As India celebrates its 79th Independence Day, their sacrifices remind us that freedom was not only won in political halls but also shaped by the silent bravery of women in the shadows.