Sarojini Naidu, a member of the Constituent Assembly, was dubbed the Nightingale of India. Naidu was appointed Governor of Uttar Pradesh following independence. She became the nation's first female governor of a state as a result. The first female president of Congress was Sarojini Naidu. At 12, she enrolled in the University of Madras, located in present-day Chennai. From 1895 to 1898, she attended King's College in London and then Girton College in Cambridge. She participated in the English suffrage movement during this time. In 1898, she returned to India and wed Govindaraju Naidu, a southern Indian physician she had met in England. Padmaja Naidu, their daughter, accompanied her mother in the fight for Indian independence.
Her works, which frequently use sense-evoking imagery to paint an aesthetic portrait of India, align with her Indian nationalist politics even though they are written in the tradition of British romanticism in lyric poetry. She has also been referred to as the "Indian Yeats" for the same reason. The Golden Threshold, Sarojini Naidu's debut collection of poetry, was released in London in 1905. Its publication was suggested by Edmund Gosse, and Arthur Symons wrote an introduction for this edition. Her poetry covers a wide range of subjects, including women's emancipation, civil rights, tragedy, romance, patriotism, and more. In this article, I dive deeper into her contributions as an early women's rights icon that reflected through her political and literary works and frequent activism.
Sarojini Naidu’s work through Indian activism for women’s rights - A True Feminist Icon
Sarojini Naidu frequently discussed the value of women's empowerment and the necessity of increasing the number of women who take part in the fight for their rights and freedom. Here are five ways that Sarojini Naidu influenced the nation's women's rights.
Widows' entitlements
Sarojini Naidu pushed for a resolution at the 22nd session of the Indian National Social Conference in 1908, calling for women's homes, educational facilities for widows, and the removal of barriers to widows' remarriage. She took this action when these topics were regarded as contentious.
Voting rights
Along with Annie Besant, Sarojini Naidu founded the Women's Indian Association (WIA) in 1917. The WIA's primary goal was to grant women the right to vote. In addition to joining the global campaign for women's suffrage, she led a delegation advocating for women's voting rights in London.
The right to equality
Sarojini became the first Indian woman to serve as president of the Indian National Congress when she presided over its 1925 session. Annie Besant, a British national, was the first woman to chair the session in 2017. The New York Times published a lengthy feature with the headline, "A Joan of Arc Rises to Inspire India," covering the event. She viewed being elected president of Congress as a "generous tribute to Indian womanhood." She discussed the "restoration" of women's roles in society to those of the classical Indian era during her presidential address. She also claimed that "equality for women" was a prerequisite for freedom. She promoted the need to specifically discuss women's empowerment in India while she was president and proposed the establishment of a women's section of the Congress. She was one of the leaders of the women's movement, which saw its first victory in 1926 when women were being nominated to serve as members of legislatures.
The right to be represented
She was the founder of the All India Women's Conference (AIWC) and the WIA. Both groups were instrumental in the nation's struggle for women's rights. Under her direction, the AIWC advocated for non-communal elections rather than the British Parliament's suggested communal elections. Many talented women were given the chance to make their voices heard by the women's organizations, which remained apolitical. Some of these women joined political parties and took part in the nationalist movement. Speaking at the Women's Conference's Patna Session, she urged women to give up the veil and criticized the purdah system. She persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to oppose it despite the opposition of many traditional segments of Indian society. She advocated for divorce rights as well.
Equal political standing
Prominent women activists at the time, Sarojini Naidu and Jahan Ara Shahnawaz wrote to the British Prime Minister in 1931 while the British were considering a new constitution for India. They demanded "complete and immediate recognition of their [women] equal political status, in theory, and practice, by the grant of a full adult franchise or an effective and acceptable alternative, based on the conception of adult suffrage." To seek any form of preferential treatment would be to violate the integrity of the universal demand of Indian women for absolute equality of political status," they added.
Exploring her feminist beliefs through her literary works
Sarojini Naidu shed light on the problems facing Indian society today. She publicly questioned gender inequality and caste barriers. Her second collection of poetry was titled The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death, and the Spring. Although it belongs to the British tradition of romantic poetry, it presents more nationalist problems. It appeared in New York and London in 1912. In this very poem, she uses a bird as a time metaphor and makes bird movements and all the world out there the spectacles of explaining how time passed.
She conveys deeper concepts—or perhaps even personal truth—through abstract symbolism. Her most famous poem, "In the Bazaars of Hyderabad," is also included in this volume. The poem, which was written during the Swadeshi Movement, encourages the boycott of European goods in favour of domestically manufactured, handcrafted Indian goods. "O ye merchants, what do you sell? / Your goods are beautifully displayed." By detailing Indian bazaars, it gives an account of Indian craftsmanship. In her writings, she frequently touched on the issue of gender inequality in society. Her poems were filled with stories of hardship, perseverance, and hope for a better life. Often, she used irony, metaphor, and rhyme to convey her feminism. Naidu often used her lyrical compositions concerning the lives of Indian women to render her opinions concerning patriarchy.
Through her perceptive exploration of themes such as motherhood, strength, and independence, she challenged the conventional gender roles. She underlined in her writings the importance of fighting for one's rights and living a genuine life. She often highlighted the extent of change that could be achieved when women came together despite cultural differences. It was the writings of Naidu that made many men first take charge in their lives despite the predominantly male culture setting without waiting for social pressure. More importantly, through her writing, she challenged oppressive structures as well as promoted female identities. Also, Sarojini Naidu had outstanding rhetorical abilities in addition to her great poetic skills. Sarojini Naidu delivered speeches on social welfare, women's empowerment, and nationalism across India. She became the first Indian woman president of the National Congress in 1925 and actively worked against colonial rule in India.
Conclusion
Her birthday, February 13, is celebrated as National Women's Day throughout the country in appreciation of her contribution to Indian history. She is considered one of India's feminist luminaries. Sarojini Naidu inspires women of all generations. As we celebrate the 76th Republic Day, it is a moment of pride and endearment to recollect the quest of the legendary literary and political icon, Sarojini Naidu, who not only was an inspiring leader and poet but also an influential feminist icon building the foundational stance of the Indian constitution and women rights in our nation. She struggled until the very end of her life, being imprisoned many times in the course of her struggle. Her beautiful literary legacy will always remind us of her and inspire us to be fearless, passionate, and vigorous. The issues she raised and the causes that she championed are still relevant today.