Mumbai, Jun 23: Born in 1905 in Bombay, in a middle-class family to an Arya Samaj member, Maniben Kara did her schooling at St. Columba High School, Gamdevi, Mumbai and secured a diploma in Social science from the University of Birmingham. Maniben Kara though a lost name in the nationalist movement, was a proactive voice in following the pragmatic socialist ideology and pushing India's quest for independence a step further.
What's more interesting are her focused efforts which she devoted to improving the lives of Bombay Municipal Workers. She was the General Secretary of the Municipal Workers Union. She was also a member of Congress's Golden Jubilee Committee in 1935.
On 9th December, she actively participated in the public meeting held under the auspices of the All India Press Workers Federation and the Bekar Kamgar Sangh at Lalbag Maidan to agitate against various issues such as the sentences passed on the Ahmedabad Labour workers Mahmud Yousuf and Mangalsingh, immediate release of labour workers namely Mukundlal Sircar and Amir Hyder Khan due to illness who were imprisoned and interned respectively in Madras Presidency and passing the resolution by sympathising with strikers of Pratap Mills at Dhulia. She along with Mr Karnik urged them to participate in Golden Jubilee as well as take their due share in the National struggle.
She further said workers could not afford, to be indifferent towards an organisation which had carried on a struggle for the country's freedom for the last half a century. On 30th December 1935, to celebrate the Congress Jubilee year a public meeting was called at Dadar. Taking the opportunity of the gathering, Maniben vocalised the concording approach of the labour class towards the national movement and endorsed that they have had been the ardent supporters of Swadeshi as Congressmen.
This was despite the fact that Swadeshism would be detrimental to their economic interest as they were working in a capitalists milieu, As a true follower of the cause, Maniben postulated to Congress to identify itself with the working masses and to work on the lines of the fundamental rights resolution adopted at Karachi Congress session.
It was at her perusal, that the workers of Bombay especially the Municipal Workers of Bombay joined the Union in various celebrations.
One of the ensuing one was the Independence day which was to be held on January 1,1936. Maniben Kara's name, thus, stands quite tall in following the dual cause of labour welfare and subcontinent's nationalist movement.
ManiBen Kara died in 1979.