India, March 21 -- She has always been looked at through the prism of her husband. Commonly called 'Ba', Kasturba Gandhi was an ideal model, great support and the perfect co-voyager of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's journey from South Africa to India and his transformation into the Mahatma. She devoted herself to the dharma of being a true Hindu wife and followed it her entire life. However, as author RM Bhalla argues, "she was much more than that." She weathered one storm after another and successfully faced unexpected challenges. She emerged to become one of the brightest faces of womanhood during India's freedom struggle while remaining within the precincts of her home.

While the Father of the Nation has been the topic of many debates a...