Sarojini Naidu

The Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu, is one of those women freedom fighters who really made a mark in India’s history. She was a child prodigy, freedom fighter and poet.  She was one of those Indian women who were a very active participant in the Indian Independence Movement. She played an important role and supported Gandhiji in his Salt Satyagraha Movement. She also led the Dharasana Satyagraha after the arrests of Gandhiji and other prominent leaders.

She was born in Hyderabad to a Hindu Brahmin family, her father being the scientist, philosopher and educator Aghornath Chattopadhyaya. Like herself, her mother was also a famous poetess. Sarojini Naidu was very intelligent and hardworking as a child and passed her Matriculation exam from the famous Madras University at the age of twelve, being first in the entire Presidency. At the age of sixteen she travelled to England to persue higher studies from the well-known King’s College, London.

In the wake of aftermath of Partition of Bengal in 1905, she actively joined the Indian independence movement. From 1903 to 1917, she came in close contact with Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Jawaharlal Nehru, to name a few. She travelled across India and lectured on matters ranging from welfare of youth, dignity of labour, women’s emancipation, etc.

In 1925, taking view of her participation, she was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress. What is so notable about this achievement is that she was the first woman to have been elected for this role. On October 2, 1942 she was arrested in connection with the Quit India Movement along with Mohandas Gandhi and stayed in jail for 21 months. On August 15, 1947 she was unanimously elected as the Governor of United Provinces (present Uttar Pradesh) along with India’s independence. With this, she became the first woman governor in India, one of the many feathers in her cap!