Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to assume leadership as president of the Congress party in 1925
Sarojini Naidu wore many hats. As a social activist, she worked tirelessly to herald in change and as a freedom fighter, she stood firm against the tyranny of colonial rule. A celebrated poet, playwright, she used poetry as a means to address social issues and empower women for a better India.
On March 2, 1949, just two years after India gained independence, Sarojini Naidu passed away in Lucknow.
Here are 10 interesting facts about her:
-- Sarojini Naidu was born Sarojini Chattopadhyay in Hyderabad on February 13, 1879. She was the eldest of eight siblings. Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, her father, was a Bengali Brahmin and principal of Hyderabad's Nizam's College.
-- At a very early age, she developed a deep interest in writing. By the time she turned 12, she had written a play, Mahr Muneer, in Persian. This literary work impressed the then Nawab of Hyderabad hugely and he offered her a scholarship to study abroad. At 16, she left for London to study at King's College.
-- On her return, India was hit by the plague endemic. She worked diligently with people affected by the disease. Recognising her impressive work, the British government honoured her with the “Kaisar-i-Hind” medal.
-- “In the Bazaars of Hyderabad”, published in 1912, is one of her most popular poems.
-- Because of the colour, imagery, and lyrical brilliance of her poems, Mahatma Gandhi gave her the title “Nightingale of India” or “Bharat Kokila”.
-- At the age of 19, Sarojini Naidu married Dr Govindarajulu Naidu, a doctor by profession.
-- Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to assume leadership as president of the Congress party in 1925.
-- Later, she took part in the Salt Satyagraha, or Dandi March, a mass civil disobedience movement launched by Mahatma Gandhi against the salt tax imposed by the British, in the year 1930.
-- An advocate of women empowerment, she believed the role of India's women would be instrumental in the freedom movement.
-- After India's Independence, Sarojini Naidu was named the first woman governor of the United Provinces, now known as Uttar Pradesh, in 1947. She remained in office for two years.