First Indian Origin Woman And Britain’s World War 2 Spy, Noor Inayat Khan Gets Commemorated With A Memorial Plaque In London
A study conducted in 2019 studied about 3.5 million books and texts, and released a list of a few adjectives that on an average were used to describe men and women. While the kind of words used for men were – brave, prodigious, sinless and paramount, the words that were used for women were more on the lines of – sexy, beautiful, chaste, vivacious, and fertile. Basically, even if women go around conquering the world, their coquetry is what they’re judged on. And this wasn’t just limited to the books and novels either, because in society, adjectives used for women often comes from the male gaze, so they are described as sensual or promiscuous while men are defined as virile and courageous.
However, the truth is a little bit different and lot more flattering for the womankind, especially after news about late spy Noor Inayat Khan has surfaced. Britain’s World War 2 spy, Noor Inayat Khan will become the first Indian-origin woman to be honoured with a memorial Blue Plaque at her former family home in central London. And the news honestly has us jumping up from our seats, not just in excitement but also in respect and pride.
Noor, the daughter of Indian Sufi saint Hazrat Inayat Khan and a descendant of the 18th century Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan, had served as a faultless and most reliable spy asset for the Britain forces back in the 1940s, where she worked as an undercover radio operator for Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE).
"Second World War spy Noor Inayat Khan honoured in London" https://t.co/LwmWHxmuij
— Farrah Raja (@farrahraja) August 28, 2020
Also Read : A Study Has Revealed That One Third Women Won’t Upload Pictures Without Using Filters First. It’s Sad That It’s True!
Being remembered in the highest regards and as a symbol for bravery, word has it that Noor Inayat went on to be later killed at Dachau concentration camp in 1944, having revealed nothing to her captors, not even her real name. Her valiance is still remembered and now as she is being commemorated with a Blue Plaque that is perhaps going to pave the way for a lot many brave women willing to sacrifice their life for their country, and proudly so.
Shrabani Basu, historian and author of ‘Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan”, spoke on the matter and said, “When Noor Inayat Khan left this house on her last mission, she would never have dreamed that one day she would become a symbol of bravery,” and neither did the world, but here we are.
Noor Inayat Khan: Muslim war hero who became 'unlikely spy' for Britain in WWII honoured with blue plaque https://t.co/0FoUD0DZGH
— Lynne O'Donnell😎 (@lynnekodonnell) August 28, 2020
She also said, “She was an unlikely spy. As a Sufi she believed in non-violence and religious harmony. Yet when her adopted country needed her, she unhesitatingly gave her life in the fight against Fascism. It is fitting that Noor Inayat Khan is the first woman of Indian-origin to be remembered with a Blue Plaque. As people walk by, Noor’s story will continue to inspire future generations. In today’s world, her vision of unity and freedom is more important than ever.”
Her unfaltering courage is being celebrated and the fact that she is Indian, feels like a feather in our own cap, breaking past all stereotypes that have always reduced women to their looks, Noor has proved that women can’t just prove their lionheartedness when the time comes but can also be instrumental in turning around wars and how. English Heritage further admitted that while the figure of women receiving such honors is still unacceptably low, its ongoing “Plaques for Women” campaign has seen a dramatic rise in the number of public nominations for women since it launched in 2016.
