Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini
Naidu, The Nightingale of India, was a famous Indian poet and a famous
freedom fighter. She was the first Indian woman to be appointed the
President of the Indian National Congress and the Governor of Uttar
Pradesh in India. Most of all, she was a noted child prodigy and a
master of children's literature.
Sarojini
Naidu was born on February 13, 1879 at Hyderabad in a Bengali Hindu
family. She was the eldest daughter of scientist, philosopher, and
educator Aghornath Chattopadhyaya, and Barada Sundari Devi, a poetess.
Sarojini was a very bright girl. At a very young age of 12, she topped
the entire Presidency in Matriculation examination from Madras
University. Due to her passion for reading, she took a break from
studies and involved herself in extensive reading on various subjects. In
1895, at the age of sixteen, she traveled to England to study first at
King's College London and subsequently at Girton College, Cambridge.
Whilst
still in college, Sarojini met Dr. Muthyala Govindarajulu Naidu and
both grew closer. Upon finishing her studies in 1898, they got married.
This was a time when inter-caste were marriages were rare and considered
a crime in the Indian society. Nonetheless, the successful marriage of
the couple prevented people from intervening with their personal lives.
Sarojini Naidu will be always remembered for her notable contribution to the Indian Independence Movement.
She joined the movement in 1905 and was totally committed to the cause
ever since. While working for the Indian National Congress, she was
introduced to many eminent personalities such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi with whom she shared a special bond and a very good rapport.
During
1915-1918, she traveled across India, lecturing on social welfare,
women empowerment, emancipation and nationalism. Inspired by Jawaharlal Nehru,
she embarked on providing help and support for the indigo workers in
Champaran who were being subjected to violence and oppression.
She
was responsible for awakening the women of India. She re-established
their self-esteem and often said, "When there is oppression, the only
self-respecting thing is to rise and say this shall cease today, because
justice is my right”.
With the introduction of the Rowlatt Act in 1919, Sarojini joined the Non-Cooperation Movement organized and led by Mahatma Gandhi.
In the same year, she was appointed the Home Rule League's ambassador
to England. In 1924, she became a delegate to the East African Indian
Congress. In 1925, Naidu was appointed the President of the National
Congress thus making her the first Indian woman to hold the post. With
the Indian Independence in 1947, Sarojini Naidu was made the Governor of
the Uttar Pradesh in the wake of her contribution to the movement.
The
Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu was a prolific writer and poet.
She published many notable volumes of poetry such as The Golden
Threshold, The Bird of Time, The Broken Wing. Some of her acclaimed
poems are The Wizard Mask and A Treasury of Poems. Other selected works
written by her include The Magic Tree and The Gift of India. Gopal
Krishna Gokhale once advised her to use her poetry and her beautiful
words to rejuvenate the spirit of independence in the hearts of
villagers and also asked her to use her talent to free Mother India. She
was given the name Bharat Kokila on account of the beautiful and
rhythmic words of her poems that could be sung as well.
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