Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu, also known as Sarojini

Chattopadhyaya, was a famous Indian poet and a major freedom
fighter who went on becoming the first Indian woman to be
appointed the president of the Indian National Congress and the
Governor of any state in India. ost of all, she was a noted child
prodigy and a master of the children!s literature. Naidu was given
a sobri"uet #harat $okila %&he Nightingale of India' on account
of her beautiful poems and songs. Some of her best books that
established her as a potent writer include &he Golden &hreshold, &he
Gift of India, and &he #roken (ing. )n active participant of the
Indian Independence movement, Naidu joined the national
movement taking Gandhi!s call and joined him in the popular Salt
arch to *andi. (ith the Indian Independence in +,-., Sarojini
Naidu was made the Governor of the /ttar 0radesh in the wake of
her contribution to the movement.
Sarojini Naidu was born on +1 2ebruary +3., in 4yderabad,
India to the scientist, philosopher and a politieducator )ghornath
Chattopadhyaya and #arada Sundari *evi. She was the eldest
daughter of her parents. ) political activist, her father was a co
founder of the Ni5am College and the first member of the India
National Congress in 4yderabad. Chattopadhyaya was removed
from his position as a penalty for his active participation in Indian
Independence movement.
6irendranath Chattopadhyaya, Sarojini!s brother, was a
political activist who played a key role in establishing the #erlin
Committee and was influenced by Communism. 4e was allegedly
killed by the 7ussian troops in +,1.. Sarojini!s second brother
4arindranath Chattopadhyaya was a noted poet and playwright.

) brilliant student, Sarojini won appreciation and fame by
being selected in adras /niversity at just +8. In +3,9, she went
on to study at $ing!s College in :ondon and later at Girton College,
Cambridge /niversity. She developed a liking and passion for
reading and writing poems whilst still in college where she became
proficient in many languages including /rdu, ;nglish, 0ersian,
&elugu and #engali.

(hilst still in college, Sarojini met *r. uthyala
Govindarajulu Naidu and both grew closer by the end of her college.
/pon finishing her studied at age +,, she married him in +3,3
during a period 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 into their
personal life and taking it onto another stage.

&he couple had four children= >ayasurya, 0admaja, 7andheer and
:eelamani. 4er daughter 0admaja followed in to her footprints and
became the Governor of (est #engal. In +,?+, she published a
collection of poems entitled &he 2eather of &he *awn.
Sarojini Naidu had many credits to her, including a notable
contribution to the Indian Independence ovement. She joined the
movement at the rear of #engal partition in +,@9 and since then, she
stuck to her commitment to the cause. (hile working for the Indian
National Congress, she was introduced to many eminent
personalities such as uhammad )li >innah, >awaharlal Nehru
and ahatma Gandhi with whom she shared a special bond and a
very good rapport.
*uring +,+9<+,+3, she traveled across the India lecturing on
social welfare, women empowerment, emancipation and nationalism.
Inspired by >awaharlal Nehru, she embarked on providing help and
support for the indigo workers in Champaran who were being
subjected to violence and oppression. In +,89, Naidu was appointed
the 0resident of the National Congress thus making her the first
Indian women to hold the post.
(ith the introduction of the 7owlett )ct in +,+,, Sarojini
joined the Non<Cooperation ovement organi5ed and led by
ahatma Gandhi. In the same year, she was appointed the 4ome
7ule :eague!s ambassador to ;ngland. In +,8-, she became a
delegate to the ;ast )frican Indian Congress.
&he Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu was a prolific
writer and poet. &he first volume of her poetries &he Golden
&hreshold was published in +,@9, after which two more collections
&he #ird of &ime and &he #roken (ing arrived in +,+8 and +,+.
respectively. eanwhile in +,+?, she authored and published a
biography of uhammad )li >innah entitled as &he )mbassador
of 4indu<uslim /nity. Ather acclaimed poems that came
following are &he (i5ard ask and ) &reasury of 0oems. Ather
selected works written by her include &he agic &ree and &he Gift
of India. She was given the name #harat $okila on account of the
beautiful and rhythmic words of her poems that could be sung as
well.
In her last years, Sarojini actively participated in the freedom
movement and was a part of the 7ound &able summit held in +,1+.
In +,-8, she was arrested along with ahatma Gandhi for her
involvement in the Buit India movement and was jailed for almost 8
years. )fter her release from the jail, she presided over the Steering
Committee at the )sian 7elations Conference. (ith the independence
of India in +,-., Sarojini Naidu was made the Governor of the
/ttar 0radesh in the wake of her contribution to the movement. She
was the first woman to become the governor of a state. She died of
a heart attack while working in her office on 8 arch +,-,.