Lakshmi Sahgal
Template:Short description Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox person
Lakshmi Sahgal ({{#if:Laxmi Sahgal.ogg|{{#ifexist:Media:Laxmi Sahgal.ogg|<phonos file="Laxmi Sahgal.ogg">pronunciation</phonos>|{{errorTemplate:Main other|Audio file "Laxmi Sahgal.ogg" not found}}Template:Category handler}}}}) (born Lakshmi Swaminathan; 24 October 1914 – 23 July 2012) was an Indian politician and activist. She was a revolutionary of the Indian independence movement, an officer of the Indian National Army, and the Minister of Women's Affairs in the Azad Hind government. Lakshmi is commonly referred to in India as Captain Lakshmi, a reference to her rank when taken prisoner in Burma during the Second World War.
Early lifeEdit
LakshmiSahgal1945."Capt. Lakshmi" from a 1945 newspaper p 1914 to S. Swaminathan, a lawyer who practiced criminal law at Madras High Court, and A.V. Ammukutty, better known as Ammu Swaminathan, a social worker and independence activist from an aristocratic Nair family known as "Vadakkath" family of Anakkara, Ponnani taluk, Malabar District, British India.<ref name=Hindu_fulfilling>Template:Cite news</ref> She is the elder sister of Mrinalini Sarabhai.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Lakshmi studied in Queen Mary's College<ref name=Hindu_fulfilling/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> and later chose to study medicine and received an MBBS degree from Madras Medical College in 1938. A year later, she received her diploma in gynaecology and obstetrics.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She worked as a doctor in the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital located at Triplicane Chennai.<ref name=Hindu_fulfilling/>
In 1940, she left for Singapore after the failure of her marriage to pilot P.K.N. Rao.<ref name=Hindu_fulfilling/> During her stay at Singapore, she met some members of Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army.<ref name=Hindu_fulfilling/>
The Azad Hind FaujEdit
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In 1942, during the surrender of Singapore by the British to the Japanese, Lakshmi aided wounded prisoners of war, many of whom were interested in forming an Indian independence army. Singapore at this time had several nationalist Indians working there including K. P. Kesava Menon, S. C. Guha and N. Raghavan, who formed a Council of Action. Their Indian National Army, or Azad Hind Fauj, however, received no firm commitments or approval from the occupying Japanese forces regarding their participation in the war.<ref name="thehindu">Template:Cite news</ref>
It was against this backdrop that Subhash Chandra Bose arrived in Singapore on 2 July 1943, and reorganized the movement. Lakshmi Sahgal wrote later: “At the second mass meeting, Netaji dropped a bombshell by saying that it was his intention to form a women's infantry regiment, named after the Rani of Jhansi who had fought so heroically against the British in 1857… I told him I was ready to join... The date was July 8, 1943”.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Women responded enthusiastically to join the all-women brigade and Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan became Captain Lakshmi, a name and identity that would stay with her for life.<ref name="thehindu" />
Captain Lakshmi was the Minister in Charge of Women's Organization in the Provisional Government of Free India led by Subash Chandra Bose in Singapore.
The INA marched to Burma with the Japanese army in December 1944, but by March 1945, with the tide of war turning against them, the INA leadership decided to beat a retreat before they could enter Imphal. Captain Lakshmi was arrested by the British in May 1945, remaining in Burma until March 1946, when she was sent to India – at a time when the INA trials in Delhi heightened popular discontent with and hastened the end of colonial rule.<ref name="thehindu" />
Later yearsEdit
In 1971, Lakshmi joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist). During the Bangladesh crisis, she organised relief camps and medical aid in Calcutta for refugees who streamed into India from Bangladesh. She was one of the founding members of All India Democratic Women's Association in 1981 and led many of its activities and campaigns.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She led a medical team to Bhopal after the gas tragedy in December 1984, worked towards restoring peace in Kanpur following the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 and was arrested for her participation in a campaign against the Miss World competition in Bangalore in 1996.<ref name="thehindu" /> She was still seeing patients regularly at her clinic in Kanpur in 2006, at the age of 92.<ref name="thehindu" />
In 2002 Indian presidential election, four leftist partiesTemplate:Spaced ndashthe Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and the All India Forward BlocTemplate:Spaced ndashnominated Sahgal as a candidate in the presidential elections. She was the sole opponent of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who emerged victorious.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Personal lifeEdit
Lakshmi married Prem Kumar Sahgal in March 1947 in Lahore. After their marriage, they settled in Kanpur, where she continued with her medical practice and aided the refugees who were arriving in large numbers following the Partition of India. They had two daughters: Subhashini Ali and Anisa Puri.
Subhashini is a prominent communist politician and labour activist. According to Ali, Lakshmi was an atheist.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The filmmaker Shaad Ali is her grandson.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
DeathEdit
On 19 July 2012, Sahgal had a cardiac arrest and died on 23 July 2012 at 11:20 A.M. at the age of 97 at Kanpur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Her body was donated to Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College for medical research.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
AwardsEdit
In 1998, Sahgal was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by Indian president K. R. Narayanan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, she was bestowed with honorary doctorate by University of Calicut.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In popular cultureEdit
Rajeshwari Sachdev played the role of Captain Sahgal in 2004 film Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Shruthi Seth played the role of Sahgal in 2020 Amazon Prime Video series The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- Subhashini Ali Lakshmi Sahgal: A life in service
- Indra Guptha India's 50 Most Illustrious Women Template:ISBN
- Peter Fay The Forgotten Army: India's Armed Struggle for Independence, 1942-1945
External linksEdit
- Lakshmi Sehgal: A life of struggle and sacrifice - by Sambhavika Sharma
- Rediff interview 2002
- The Pioneers: The Pioneers: Dr. Lakshmi Sehgal
- Indian Express Interview: Despite differences, India is one: Captain Laxmi Sehgal
- Freedom fighter Captain Lakshmi Sahgal dies Template:Webarchive, NDTV
- Captain Lakshmi, The Economist, 4 August 2012
Template:Azad Hind Fauj Template:Subhas Chandra Bose Template:Padma Vibhushan Awards