Who was Mahatma Gandhi’s wife, who became a major figure in India’s independence movement?

Mahatma Gandhi’s wife was Kasturba Gandhi, who became a major figure in India’s independence movement.

Kasturba Kapadia married Mohandas Gandhi in 1883, when both were teenagers. She later accompanied him during important periods of his public life, including his years in South Africa and his campaigns in India. Although often described primarily through her relationship with Gandhi, she was an activist in her own right.

Kasturba participated in civil-disobedience campaigns and was imprisoned several times by the colonial authorities. She also worked on social reform issues, including sanitation, healthcare, and women’s participation in public life. Her activism sometimes involved disagreements with Gandhi, especially over personal discipline and domestic decisions.

Kasturba died on 22 February 1944 at the Aga Khan Palace in Pune, where she had been detained with Gandhi and other independence leaders. She is sometimes confused with Sarojini Naidu, another prominent woman in the independence movement, but Naidu was Gandhi’s colleague rather than his wife.