Activist, freedom fighter, artist, feminist, actor....

Sarla Sharma in her home

Here's a quick tale about one of the most interesting women I have ever met. We went to visit her and her brother's home because it is a section of a classic Old Delhi haveli, and she just began casually mentioning little snippets of her wild adventure of a life during a long talk over chai. I'm sure there's quite a bit more we didn't hear about, but from what I could pick up her life went something like this:

I was born in this house. We've lived in this house for 300 years.  When I was fourteen I participated in my first protest against the British: we refused to sing the British national anthem in school.  The government said I had to leave the school, because I had organized the protest, but the college was in secret agreement with me and protected me.  My grandfather also started the school so that helped.  It's the Induprastha Hindu Girls School and it's the first girl's school in the country.

At eighteen I joined the Communist Party of India and started up a branch in Delhi and became a freedom fighter.  I got two Master's degrees somewhere around then. I was offered a government job as a college teacher but I refused because the freedom movement was much more important.  To make money I started selling my paintings, and then I picked up a side job as a desk clerk. I also joined and performed with the Indian People' Theatre Association, which was highly political and hugely involved in the freedom movement. 

When Independence happened, I was sent to prison because I was in the CPI.  30,000 people across India were jailed because they were Communists.  They were horribly inhumane and brutal in prison.  I don't like to think about it.  I got out on medical leave after two months because I went on a hunger strike.  

After Independence, I shifted my focus toward helping India advance. In 1954, I ran with the CPI for the Chandni Chowk district of Delhi city council and won by quite a bit. We had the highest voter turnout ever that year, but that was only because I went door to door to each house and escorted the women who weren't allowed to leave their houses to the voting booths.  I was in office for two terms until 1962, which is a little rare for this area.  

I'm really interested in education.  We have the best education here in India, but we're humble about it.  We need to do better at getting that education to everyone in India.  We also are getting really ahead in science, but we're forgetting to think scientifically, especially about science, do you know what I mean? Women's issues are also still holding us back.  I published a book of poems on women's issues a little while back.  I could talk about that for a long time.  Have one more cup of chai, no?

You'll now see a lot of blue and gold

Just came back from staying at the astonishing Golden Temple in Amritsar—the most sacred place for the Sikh religion. It was a peaceful place, and the people there were welcoming and kind. The temple also just happens to house and feed all pilgrims from all backgrounds for free, filling up the stomachs of 60,000-80,000 people a day. 

]