9th August 2020

 Musings.......

Freedom Fighters - Part 9 

Sarojini Naidu 

Born in Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu was educated in Chennai, London and Cambridge and was working in London when she was attracted to the Indian National Congress movement for Indian Independence from Colonial rule. 

As a young child Sarojini Naidu used to write poems. She was prolific in 5 languages - Hindi, English, Persian, Urdu, Telugu and Bengali.  Her poem collections ‘The Golden Threshold’, ‘ The Bird of Time’ and The Broken Wings’ were published at her young age.  

Later after her death, her daughter Padmaja published yet another poem collection ‘ The Feather of the Dawn’.  

For her work as a poet she earned the title “ Nightingale of India” from Mahatma Gandhi. 

Role in Women’s Rights Movement in India 

Sarojini Naidu played an important role in women’s rights struggle in India. She helped forming the Women’s Indian Association in 1917 with Annie Besant and others. The association sought equal rights including the right to vote and represent.  

During 1918 Sarojini Naidu setup a magazine “ Stri Dharma” to present international news from a feminist perspective. 

Sarojini Naidu accompanied  Annie Besant  , who was the president of Home Rule League and Women’s India Association, to present universal suffrage in front of Joint Select Committee in London UK. 

In 1931, as a recognition of her efforts the Indian National Congress promised to establish women’s right to vote when it came to power which was established along with Indian Independence in 1947. 

Sarojini Naidu joined the Indian National movement in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. Soon she was acquainted with leaders like Gokhale, Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and was inspired from them to work towards India’s freedom.  

She gave lectures all over India on social welfare, emancipation of women and nationalism. 

Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian women to become Congress President in 1925 and second overall ( after Annie Besant ) to do so.  

She participated in the Dandi March and was arrested along with other leaders in 1930 and spent 21 months in jail. 

She was one of the main figures to have led the Civil Disobedience Movement and Quit India Movement inspired  by Gandhi. 

Sarojini Naidu was awarded the Kaiser-I-Hind medal by the British government for her work during the plague epidemic in India. She later returned the honour protesting over the Jallianwala Massacafe in 1919. 

Post- Independence she served as the Governor of United Provinces ( present UP) from 1947 until her death in 1949. 

The Asteroid 5607 Sarojini Naidu was named in her honour in 1990. 

A contemporary poet Bapaditya Bandopadhyay quoted “ Sarojini Naidu inspired the Indian Renaissance Movement and had a mission to improve the life of Indian women.”  

She once wrote - “ As long as I have life, as long as blood flows through this arm of mine, I shall not leave the cause of freedom... I am only a women, only a poet. But as a women, I give to you the weapons of faith and courage and the shield of fortitude. As a poet, I fling out the banner of song and sound, the bugle call to battle. How shall I kindle the flame which shall waken you men from slavery...” 

Food for Thought.......

RC