The Life and Legacy of Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu is one of the greatest women in Indian history. She was a poet, a freedom fighter, and an activist.
Sarojini Naidu was born on February 13, 1879 in Hyderabad, India. Her father, Aghorenath Chattopadhyay is the principal of the Nizam’s College in Hyderabad. She was educated in Madras, London & Cambridge. Following her time in England, she worked as a feminist, focusing on suffrage. On coming to India and joining the Indian National Congress’ movement for independence from British rule.
Her Fight for Freedom Was Not in Vain - Her Legacy Lives on
She was also a freedom fighter who fought for India’s independence from British rule during the Indian Freedom Movement. She is best known for her contribution in women’s education and upliftment. She was a true nationalist who fought against the British Raj, but she also served as the first female President of India and the first woman to be appointed as Governor of Uttar Pradesh.
Sarojini Naidu was involved in Indian nationalist movements and became a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of swaraj. She also took part in the talks with other Congress leaders including Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru & Madan Mohan Malaviya and jointly signed the Freedom Pledge at a rally. Sarojini was one of the major figures that led the Civil Disobedience Movement in India. She faced repeated arrests by the British authorities during that time, and even spent over 21 months in jail. She became the President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 and later became the Governor of the United Provinces in 1947. In India, she was one of the first women to become a Governor.
Sarojini Naidu was an influential Indian national figure as well as a prolific writer and poet. In particular, she led a famous salon in Bombay (now Mumbai) that was frequented by noteworthy intellectuals from all across India. Sarojini Naidu is considered one of the most influential poets of modern India and is known for her landmark poetry volumes, The Golden Threshold and The Bird of Time. In 1914, she was elected a member of the Royal Society as well. Her collected poems are Her Sceptred Flute and The Feather of the Dawn.
Because of her poetic skill, the Indian poet Sarojini Naidu has earned the nickname “Nightingale of India” or “Bharat Kokila” by Mahatma Gandhi because her poetry is rich in colors, imagery and lyrical quality. Naidu wrote both children’s poems and others concerning patriotism, romance, & tragedy. In 1912, she published a poem called “In the Bazaar of Hyderabad” which remains one of her most popular poems.
