Archive: Biographical Essays Women Politicians of Constituent Assembly

ARCHIVE: BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAYS WOMEN POLITICIANS OF CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY SAROJINI NAIDU (1879-1949) ‘YOUNG through all thy Immemorial years! Rise, Mother, rise, regenerate From thy gloom, And like a bride high-mated with the spheres, Begets new glories from thine ageless womb! The nations that in fettered darkness weep Crave thee to lead them where great mornings break………..’ Such was her call to the nation that she gave her heart and soul to. ‘To India’, as she named it, beautifully captured the essence of her vision, the vision that her Mother nation would one day rise like the Phoenix and resurrect to its glory once again, leading the world, from the darkness that had surrounded it, to the iridescence of eternal joy and harmony. And, it is indeed true, that she, Sarojini Naidu, also popularly known by the sobriquet: ‘THE NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA’ or ‘BHARAT KOKILA’, devoted her entire life to the realisation of this dream. Though any number of words are not adequate enough to depict the life of India’s foremost female politicians, here is a brief description of the ideas and contributions of Sarojini Naidu to the Indian society and polity: EARLY LIFE AND CAREER: FROM HYDERABAD TO LONDON Sarojini Naidu, born on February 13th, 1879, in Hyderabad, as Sarojini Chatterjee, an upper-caste Bengali Brahmin, was the daughter of Dr. Aghorendranath Chattopadhyay, a PhD from the University of Edinburgh and also the principal of Hyderabad’s Nizam College and Mrs. Barada Sundari Devi, a renowned Bengali poetess.At the mere age of 12,she not only topped her Madras University’s matriculation exam but also won worldwide recognition for writing a play titled: ‘Maher Muneer’. Acknowledging the fact that Naidu was a child prodigy, the Nizam then granted her a scholarship to study overseas. She completed her education in King's College, London, and later in Girton College, Cambridge; and it was her education that transformed Naidu into one of the most erudite female thinkers and politicians the Indian subcontinent has ever produced. During her college days in London, love blossomed between Sarojini and Padipati Govindarajulu Naidu, a non-Brahmin physician. Soon she got married to him at the tender age of 19, in 1898, thereby breaking the shackles of the caste system, which even in this 21st century holds a strong ground in the country, at a time when inter- caste marriages were not only frowned upon but the ones who dared to defy the caste norms were also socially maligned and ostracised. A FINE POETESS: Sarojini Naidu began writing at an early age and wrote her first poem at the age of 12. She was then encouraged by her father to pursue writing poetry, and it was this talent of hers which impressed Gopal Krishna Gokhale tremendously and he was the one, who later on, encouraged Sarojini to use her literary prowess for promoting the cause of India’s independence. Some of her notable works include: The Golden Threshold, Bird of Time, The Broken Wing, and The Feather of the Dawn. Additionally, she authored Mahatma Gandhi: His Life, Writings and Speeches and Words of Freedom: Ideas of a Nation. Her poems, despite having no elements of verbosity and linguistic extravagance, touched many hearts and conveyed deep emotions with an exhilarating subtlety. In 1914, she was elected to be a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. INDUCTION INTO POLITICS: After her return to India, she was drawn to India’s freedom movement and formed various political associations with other leaders. She was a staunch supporter of women’s rights and worked relentlessly to bring about a change in their social status. In 1917, she established the Women’s Indian Association along with Annie Besant. In the same year, she headed the All-India Women's Deputation and advocated for women’s suffrage before E. S. Montagu (the then, Secretary of State for India). She was the first Indian woman to become the president of the Indian National Congress at its 40th session in Kanpur and later on went on to become the first woman to be appointed as an Indian state governor (United Provinces). “One who spent her life in politics, but was not a hardened politician. Approachable to all and humane to the core.” is how veteran journalist, Abid Suhail, who was one of her visitors when she became UP’s governor recalls her. NAIDU AND INDIA’S STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE: Sarojini Naidu was an active member and a crucial part of all major independence struggles organised in the country since the latter half of 20th century’s second decade; such as the Non Cooperation Movement, Home Rule Movement, Salt Satyagraha. She travelled to Africa as well as North America, lecturing on the freedom movement led by the Indian National Congress and also on topics such as women’s rights. Her opposing and challenging activities towards the British led to a number of prison sentences being imposed on her. She stayed for 21 months at the Aga Khan Palace detention camp along with Mahatma Gandhi and many other leaders in 1942. With time, she went on to share a great camaraderie with many of India’s freedom fighters, of which her friendship with Gandhi is the most interesting one. In a letter dated Aug 8 1932 to Naidu, Gandhi addressed Naidu as ‘Bulbul’ and signed off as ‘Little man’. It is also said, she referred to the ‘Mahatma’ as ‘Micky Mouse’ and a ‘Little Man’; and Gandhi ji did not mind it. Well-known for her charisma and convincing arguments, she also accompanied Gandhi ji to London for the second Round Table Conference in 1931, where she was amongst the only 3 women members of the conference. The British government also awarded her the Kaisar-i-Hind Medal for her work during the plague epidemic in India. Sarojini had a gift of electrifying audiences with her commendable oratory prowess, her ability to relate to the masses and also weave strength into everything she said. She didn’t prepare her speeches. To speak “was as easy for her as it is for fish to swim,” as she herself said. STAND ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS One of the political critics of that time wrote in 1940 that Sarojini Naidu had “contributed more towards the cause of women empowerment and social development than all the sermons of the social workers” Being a vociferous advocate of women’s rights, she played an important role in their emancipation- both political and social. She helped in shaping Women’s Indian Association in 1917 with Annie Besant. The Association fought for equal rights for women and specifically focused on the right to vote and represent. During 1918, British and Indian feminists including Naidu set up a magazine called “Stri Dharma” to present international news from a feminist perspective. She along with Annie Besant went to London to present the case for women’s right to vote to the Joint Select Committee. In 1931, the Congress promised to establish women’s right to vote which was legislated along with India’s freedom and thereby was reflected in the Indian constitution with universal suffrage. She was dedicated to the cause of gender equality and stressed on the importance and necessity of female participation in nation building activities, suggesting that ‘without women, there is no nation’. This was further implied by the successful participation of women in Gandhi’s Salt March, as women were seen as collaborators for activities such as Satyagrahas, picketing liquor shops and also for boycotting high taxed British goods. She also encouraged men to take up the cause of emancipation of women and categorically enunciated, “until [men raised] the fallen condition of women in [India] and [made] their voices heard, India’s salvation was only a distant dream” (Naidu 1909) Naidu was also a foundational member in creating the women's wing of Congress, which created opportunities for political participation of women. In order to create awareness and disseminate the ideas of women’s rights, she toured India and gave speeches about the position of women in the then contemporary times and compared it to the higher status given to them in ancient times. She urged women to be more aware of what their rights were as well as the inevitability of equality. Another important contribution was making education more accessible to the disadvantaged and deprived women of the society. In 1908, she supported the legislation granting widows a better status and access to education. At a time when women were confined to the four walls of their houses, Sarojini Naidu created an example by making the public sphere and activities like teaching and politics to people across all genders. She herself was a great inspiration for many women of her age and continues to be so even today. Sarojini Naidu was also appointed as the governor of the United Provinces, today known as Uttar Pradesh, making her India's first woman governor. ROLE IN THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY Naidu was appointed to the Constituent Assembly from Bihar. Addressing the assembly while congratulating Dr Rajendra Prasad as he became the permanent chairman, she argued for an inclusive constituent assembly talking about the absence of Muslim brothers, providing assurance to tribals, minorities, princes of India, that the “Constitution for India is a constitution for the freedom and emancipation of every human being in India.” A strong believer in the principles of ‘equality’, ‘liberty’ and ‘unity in diversity’, she said, “ I therefore speak on behalf of that ancient reborn Mother with her undivided heart and indivisible spirit, whose love is equal for all her children, no matter what corner they come from in what temples or mosques they worship, what language they speak or what culture they profess……… it belongs to India.

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