Gita Kar had factual performed her breakfast with a cream bun and orange jelly after I called her. The cream within the bun didn’t appear to consider her, as she needed to raise an antacid mid-conversation and let out a small burp.
“I’m 71 now. At my age, even the ideally suited meal mainly is a insist,” she acknowledged with a wry smile. “But there used to be a time when we survived on nothing however rationed rice in refugee camps,” she started her story.
Her of us, the gradual Jitendranath Kar
and Sandhyarani Kar, had 11 daughters. During the 1971 Warfare of Independence, Gita used to be 18 years broken-down, while their youngest little one used to be simplest 3 months broken-down.
“Folk tend to be an excellent deal surprised when we point out this. They pity us a bit too as a consequence of we had no brothers,” acknowledged Ira Kar, the 2nd sister, as she shared memories of their upbringing.
Having so many daughters in a society the place having sons used to be notion of as a necessity placed the family in a inspiring affirm. Jitendranath moved his family to Rajbari Sadar right by the Pakistan interval, leaving their ancestral village dwelling in Baniabaha. This decision, nevertheless, marked the origin of their struggles and heartaches.
“Months forward of the war broke down, a number of the local village dacoits killed my uncle Satyendranath Kar. When the Pakistani protection pressure attacked Dhaka, Shantibahini used to be formed. They would come to our dwelling and pressure my of us to search out out the appropriate technique to wish namaz,” Gita acknowledged.
Leaving the body within the yard, Jitendra got right here out in one cloth to place the lives of our 5 sisters. We arrived at our maternal uncle’s dwelling in Erenda village. My mother stayed help with my grandmother, aunt, and six of my youthful sisters,” Gita kept together with.
This seemingly took place in February, and in Would possibly maybe additionally merely—all over the 7th or Eighth—the Shanti Bahini in Erenda killed their father. “It used to be a brutal scene, he used to be slaughtered. We would now not even attain his cremation and left proper now for India,” Gita Kar acknowledged.
After strolling on foot for nine straight days by the Shikarpur border, the family in the end crossed into India and learned shelter in a small verandah at a dwelling in Chakda. “My grandmother and mother still rice from the refugee camp to cook for all 11 of us on a small range. But soon, we realized the meals wasn’t ample to feed all people,” acknowledged Gita.
On June 2, Gita, Ira, and Bhokti started their coaching at the Gobra Working in opposition to Camp in Naxalbari, West Bengal. “When we first arrived, there had been simplest seven of us ladies. But within a month, the number had grown to over 350,” recalled Gita.
Gita and Ira had been fragment of the inaugural neighborhood of females at the Gobra Camp, which used to be led by Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury and officially started on July 2, 1971. Established in Kolkata, the Gobra Camp used to be devoted to coaching females freedom fighters in various areas, together with civil defence, nursing, and guerrilla battle.
“Ladies from many respected families joined the coaching camp with us. Hafiza Apa used to be a high court recommend, Layla Bano used to be a 3rd-year clinical student from Rajshahi Medical College, Biva Sarkar from Rajshahi, and comrade Juthika Chattargee’s three daughters had been additionally there. Then there used to be Shirin Banu Mitil—she slice her hair to impress up for the war. We had been all fragment of this go,” Gita shared.
“We ate together and cried together. All people had misplaced somebody in their family. That shared distress created a different bond amongst us,” acknowledged Ira Kar.
The coaching lasted three months, specializing in guerrilla battle, first attend, and theoretical lessons on firearm utilization. “I take into accout there used to be a pond near the camp. We swam there and climbed palm timber as fragment of our coaching workouts,” Ira recalled.
Bhokti Kar added, “We had been told now not to flip on lights after dusk as a consequence of the camp used to be in an deserted three-story building.”
“We had no notion how prolonged it could well raise to free Bangladesh. Vietnam’s battle lasted over a decade. So we educated in each method doubtless to prepare for combat,” Gita mirrored.
After the coaching, Gita and Ira had been purpose to fragment methods with their sister Bhokti. Of the 15 young females, together with Gita and Ira, who selected to impress up for the war straight away on the frontlines, Bhokti had a clear course. At the origin planning to impress up for her sisters later, Bhokti indirectly selected to employ her nursing coaching to wait on wounded freedom fighters within the local health center as an different.
Round October, the 15 ladies had been despatched to Assam with a non-Bengali as a recordsdata. “We still didn’t know the place to head, however there used to be an pleasure at the notion of going to war. We went to Assam by prepare from Howrah affirm. Then that person additionally left with our instructions. Walking from there we reach a refugee camp in Karimganj on the border.
“Makhon Som, who used to be in that camp, heard the particulars from us; then he organized to expend and sleep. In the morning Makhan Som despatched a telegram to Sajeda Chowdhury in Calcutta. All of us stayed in that camp unless the telegram used to be answered. Within days a telegram arrived.
As per the instructions of that telegram, we had been taken to Agartala. There used to be a 480-mattress health center for the Mukti Bahini at a affirm called Vathanganj on the Cumilla border. Dr Zafrullah Choudhury, the founder of the final public health centre, Captain Setara Begum build us to work within the health center.”
“Hearing about the duty of service-nursing of the freedom fighters makes me feel very unhappy. On fable of now we bear educated for war. We can avenge the genocide – that used to be the standpoint then. I will battle on the battlefield. I told them, I must lope to the battlefield. But still, we’re given the duty of nursing the injured freedom fighters in our health center. I could well now not collect it. I take into accout crying plenty. It factual appears that I was now not allowed to head to war.
“Later, after pondering plenty, I saw that serving the wounded freedom fighters is now not a small thing. All people understood me. Few folks get this likelihood right by the war. I reinforced my thoughts and joined the service of the wounded freedom fighters. Every single day the different of injured freedom fighters elevated within the health center. One of the most injured bear had their palms blown off, and a few bear misplaced their legs.
After a bit recovery, the wounded freedom fighters are jumping into the battle all every other time. I judge maybe I could well now not raise revenge for the execute of my father and uncle. But these whom I am serving will avenge the killing by releasing the nation. I was within the health center unless the nation became just
On December 17, the day after the nation became just, many of us left the camp for the nation, however a few, together with Gita Kar, stayed there. There are still some wounded freedom fighters within the health center. Later on 16 January 1972, Gita and Ira entered the just nation by Sonaimura border in Comilla.
“From Agartala, we got right here to Cumilla Victoria College and stayed there for 7 days. After that, we obtained to 132 no Novel Eskaton for six months. After which went to Rajbari, our dwelling”, Gita acknowledged.
Bhokti had reached Bangladesh with her mother and sisters method forward of. “From the hospitals, one amongst my cousins brought me to Chakda, the place my mother used to be residing with my sisters and my grandmother. We returned to Bangladesh in January or February, I bring it to mind used to be Bangla month Magh, so frigid and we returned to our looted and broken dwelling,” Bhokti added.
By then, the condominium had been ransacked, its doorways broken. Twelve participants of the family had been buried there. There is now not any such thing as a source of profits attributable to the loss of life of of us and uncles, it is inspiring to gain two handfuls of rice for all people. Gita is the eldest of the young folks within the family, she took extra responsibilities
In the meantime, one day he got right here to grasp that for serving the freedom fighters, MAG Osmani, the commander-in-chief of the liberation war, would give them a certificates. Hearing this made me feel better. About a days later Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury’s letter.
Zafrullah Chowdhury has called for that work to get the nation. Pondering of their relations, he joined the final public health centre to contribute to the rebuilding efforts. He retired from there in 1996. Pondering of the total family, Gita Kar did now not get a family for herself.
Recognition, after years of silence
For decades, Gita’s contributions went unacknowledged. It wasn’t unless 2020 that she in the end got respectable recognition as a freedom fighter.
Having a see help, Gita reflects on the sacrifices she and her sisters made. “We misplaced our of us, our dwelling, and our childhood. But we obtained something bigger — the freedom of our nation. Even though I could well well now not avenge my father’s loss of life, I know I performed a component within the victory.”
The story of Gita, Ira, and Bhokti Kar is one amongst unparalleled resilience, sacrifice, and braveness. These three sisters defied societal norms, persevered unbelievable loss, and fought in their very consider methods to free their nation. Their go is a reminder that freedom comes at a value — one which is typically borne by these who dare to dream of a nearer future. This day, their legacy stands as an inspiration for generations to come help, urging us to place in thoughts and honor the serene heroes who made independence doubtless.
