Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu. Sarojini Naidu was a prominent Indian political leader, poet, and orator, renowned as a key figure in the Indian independence movement and celebrated as the "Nightingale of India." She was the first woman to become the president of the Indian National Congress and later served as the first woman governor of an Indian state, Uttar Pradesh. Her legacy intertwines significant contributions to India's struggle for freedom with a distinguished career in English literature.

Early life and education

Sarojini Chattopadhyay was born into a distinguished Bengali Brahmin family in Hyderabad, then part of the princely state of Hyderabad State. Her father, Aghorenath Chattopadhyay, was a scientist and philosopher who founded Nizam College, while her mother, Barada Sundari Devi, was a poet. A prodigy, she topped the matriculation examination of the University of Madras at age twelve. With the patronage of the Nizam of Hyderabad, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, she studied at King's College London and later at Girton College, Cambridge, where she was exposed to the suffragette movement and the literary circles of London.

Political career

Her political awakening began upon her return to India, leading to a close association with leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, and Jawaharlal Nehru. She joined the Indian National Congress and became a pivotal figure in the Non-cooperation movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement, facing imprisonment multiple times by the British Raj. In 1925, she made history by being elected president of the Indian National Congress session in Kanpur. She played a crucial role in the Round Table Conferences and was a leading organizer during events like the Salt March. Her oratory skills earned her great renown across India and on international platforms.

Literary work

Naidu's literary career began early, with her first major work, a play titled *Maher Muneer*, impressing the Nizam of Hyderabad. Her poetry, written in English, is collected in volumes such as *The Golden Threshold* (1905), *The Bird of Time* (1912), and *The Broken Wing* (1917), which gained acclaim in both India and England. Her work often explored themes of patriotism, romance, and Indian life, and she was admired by contemporary literary figures including Arthur Symons and Edmund Gosse. Her collection *The Feather of the Dawn* was published posthumously by her daughter, Padmaja Naidu.

Role in women's movement

A staunch advocate for women's rights, Naidu helped establish the Women's Indian Association in 1917. She led the first Indian women's delegation to meet the Secretary of State for India, Edwin Montagu, to demand suffrage. She served as the president of the All India Women's Conference in 1929 and consistently worked to mobilize women across India into the nationalist struggle, arguing for their social and political emancipation alongside national freedom. Her efforts were instrumental in making women's participation a cornerstone of the Indian independence movement.

Later life and legacy

Following India's independence in 1947, Naidu was appointed as the Governor of the United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh), a position she held until her death in Lucknow in 1949. She is remembered as a pioneering woman in Indian politics and a celebrated poet. Her birthday, 13 February, is commemorated as National Women's Day in India. Institutions like Sarojini Naidu Medical College and numerous schools and colleges across India are named in her honor, cementing her status as an iconic figure in Indian history.

Category:Indian women poets Category:Indian National Congress politicians Category:Governors of Uttar Pradesh