Sarojini Naidu (1879–1949,) born Sarojini Chattopadhyay, was an Indian feminist, poet, and nationalist leader. Sometimes called “Nightingale of India,” she was the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress and to be appointed an Indian state governor.
Naidu was born in Hyderabad to a Bengali family of Kulin Brahmins. Her father was the founder and administrator of the Hyderabad College, which later became the Nizam’s College. At 16, Sarojini was sent to England, where she studied at King’s College, London, and at Girton College-Cambridge, without getting a degree. She published three volumes of lyric verse: The Golden Threshold (1905,) The Bird of Time (1912,) and The Broken Wing (1915)—these were highly commended for their evocative and romantic descriptions of India.
Sarojini returned to India in 1898 and wedded Govindarajulu Naidu, a medical doctor from a lower caste. The marriage caused some trepidation in orthodox Hindu society, but it was a happy marriage.
Sarojini Naidu organized flood-relief in Hyderabad (1908) and lectured and campaigned on feminism, especially the abolition of purdah, the practice of secluding women from public observation.
Naidu also distinguished herself as a leader of the Indian nationalist movement. She met Mahātma Gāndhī in London in 1914 and became one of his most trusted followers. She was the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress (1925) and was imprisoned several times for civil disobedience incidents, and took part in the negotiations leading to independence. She was a close friend of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, and was often deputed to ease tensions with the Muslim faction of India’s nationalist movement. In 1947, after the independence of India, she became the first governor of the United Provinces (“Uttar Pradesh” after 1950.)
Naidu’s collected poems have been published as The Sceptred Flute (1928) and The Feather of the Dawn (1961.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Sarojini Naidu
Shall hope prevail where clamorous hate is rife,
Shall sweet love prosper or high dreams have place
Amid the tumult of reverberant strife
‘Twixt ancient creeds, ‘twixt race and ancient race,
That mars the grave, glad purposes of life,
Leaving no refuge save thy succoring face?
—Sarojini Naidu
Topics: Hope
A country’s greatness lies in its undying ideals of love and sacrifice that inspire the mothers of the race.
—Sarojini Naidu
When there is oppression, the only self-respecting thing is to rise and say this shall cease today, because my right is justice. If you are stronger, you have to help the weaker boy or girl both in play and in the work.
—Sarojini Naidu
Topics: Oppression
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