Sarojini Naidu Birth Anniversary

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. Most of all, she was a noted child prodigy and a master of the children's literature. Naidu was given a sobriquet Bharat Kokila (The Nightingale of India) on account of her beautiful poems and songs. Some of her best books that established her as a potent writer include The Golden Threshold, The Gift of India, and The Broken Wing. An active participant of the Indian Independence movement, Naidu joined the national movement taking Gandhi's call and joined him in the popular Salt March to Dandi. With the Indian Independence in 1947, Sarojini Naidu was made the Governor of the Uttar Pradesh in the wake of her contribution to the movement.

Childhood & Family

Sarojini Naidu was born on 13 February 1879 in Hyderabad, India to the scientist, philosopher and a politieducator Aghornath Chattopadhyaya and Barada Sundari Devi. She was the eldest daughter of her parents. A political activist, her father was a co founder of the Nizam College and the first member of the India National Congress in Hyderabad. Chattopadhyaya was removed from his position as a penalty for his active participation in Indian Independence movement.

Virendranath Chattopadhyaya, Sarojini's brother, was a political activist who played a key role in establishing the Berlin Committee and was influenced by Communism. He was allegedly killed by the Russian troops in 1937. Sarojini's second brother Harindranath Chattopadhyaya was a noted poet and playwright.  

Education, Marriage & Children

A brilliant student, Sarojini won appreciation and fame by being selected in Madras University at just 12. In 1895, she went on to study at King's College in London and later at Girton College, Cambridge University. She developed a liking and passion for reading and writing poems whilst still in college where she became proficient in many languages including Urdu, English, Persian, Telugu and Bengali. 

Whilst still in college, Sarojini met Dr. Muthyala Govindarajulu Naidu and both grew closer by the end of her college. Upon finishing her studied at age 19, she married him in 1898 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.

The couple had four children; Jayasurya, Padmaja, Randheer and Leelamani. Her daughter Padmaja followed in to her footprints and became the Governor of West Bengal. In 1961, she published a collection of poems entitled The Feather of The Dawn. 

Indian Independence Movement

Sarojini Naidu had many credits to her, including a notable contribution to the Indian Independence Movement. She joined the movement at the rear of Bengal partition in 1905 and since then, she stuck to her commitment to the cause. While working for the Indian National Congress, she was introduced to many eminent personalities such as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi with whom she shared a special bond and a very good rapport.

During 1915-1918, she traveled across the India lecturing on social welfare, women empowerment, emancipation and nationalism. Inspired by Jawaharlal Nehru, she embarked on providing help and support for the indigo workers in Champaran who were being subjected to violence and oppression. In 1925, Naidu was appointed the President of the National Congress thus making her the first Indian women to hold the post. 

With the introduction of the Rowlett Act in 1919, Sarojini joined the Non-Cooperation Movement organized and led by Mahatma Gandhi. In the same year, she was appointed the Home Rule League's ambassador to England. In 1924, she became a delegate to the East African Indian Congress.

Sarojini Naidu as poet  

The Nightingale of India, Sarojini Naidu was a prolific writer and poet. The first volume of her poetries The Golden Threshold was published in 1905, after which two more collections The Bird of Time and The Broken Wing arrived in 1912 and 1917 respectively. Meanwhile in 1916, she authored and published a biography of Muhammad Ali Jinnah entitled as The Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity. Other acclaimed poems that came following are The Wizard Mask and A Treasury of Poems. Other selected works written by her include The Magic Tree and The Gift of India. She was given the name Bharat Kokila on account of the beautiful and rhythmic words of her poems that could be sung as well.

Later Life & Death

In her last years, Sarojini actively participated in the freedom movement and was a part of the Round Table summit held in 1931. In 1942, she was arrested along with Mahatma Gandhi for her involvement in the Quit India movement and was jailed for almost 2 years. After her release from the jail, she presided over the Steering Committee at the Asian Relations Conference. With the independence of India in 1947, Sarojini Naidu was made the Governor of the Uttar Pradesh 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 2 March 1949.

Scientist of the day - Chalres Dawin

Charles Darwin

Nationality British, Born on 12 February 1809 AD,  Died At Age73, Born in Shrewsbury Died on 19 April 1882 AD, father Robert Darwin mother Susannah Darwin Spouse: Emma Darwin.

he evolution of homo sapiens from apes, a form of animal, is a concept that is widely recognized today but back in the 19th century when Charles Darwin first introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution, he was rebuked while his work was admonished. His never-heard-of concept faced the glaring eyes of the world and the Church and remained unaccepted until long after, when it was deemed to be the new orthodoxy. The DNA studies proclaimed his evidence to be true and rebuffed the religious view that prevailed until then that all of nature was born of God. Born in an affluent family of Shrewsbury, Charles Robert Darwin planned to follow a medical career but soon gave up the same to pursue his burning passion for being a naturalist. With years of dedicated study, he established the concept that all species descended from common ancestors and that the branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process which he termed natural selection. It was his five years voyage on the HMS Beagle that transformed his life completely, establishing him as an eminent geologist. It was in 1858 that he came up with his most recognized work ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’. To know in details about the life and works of this influential figure of human history, browse through the following lines.

Childhood & Early Life

• Charles Robert Darwin was fifth of six children born to Robert Darwin and Susannah Darwin. His father was a doctor and financier by profession.
• Since he was born in an affluent family, it gave him an access to explore nature, which he grew a fantasy for. He attained his basic education from Anglican Shrewsbury School, before attending the University Of Edinburgh Medical School.
• Uninspired by the teaching methods and interested in the subjects taught, he took to learning taxidermy from John Edmonstone. he registered himself at the Plinian Society, a student natural history group. He first presented his discovery on March 27, 1827 at the Plinian where he argued that the black spores found in oyster shells were in actuality the eggs of a skate leech.
• He further studied classification of plants and assisted with work on the collections of the University Museum. Meanwhile, his lack of interest in medical studies led his father to enrol him at the Christ’s College to attain a BA degree.
• He despised mainstream education and showed profound interest in botany. He became close to John Stevens Henslow, who in turn became his mentor. It was during this time that he capitalized on the opportunity to meet other naturalists as well.
• He graduated with a distinction in 1831. Thereafter, he devoted his time in reading books of natural history including Paley's Natural Theology, Alexander von Humboldt's Personal Narrative and John Herschel's book. Inspired by the books, he resolved to study natural history in the tropics.

  Major Works

  Darwin’s Theory of Evolution changed the way the world look at the creation of life. Until then, the dominant thinking was that all species either came into being at the start of the world, or were created over the course of natural history. In both the cases, it was believed that the species remained much the same throughout the time. Darwin, however, noticed similarities among species all over the globe, as well as variations based on specific locations. This led him to conclude that they had gradually evolved from common ancestors. He came to believe that species survived through a process called “natural selection,” where species that successfully adapted to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat survived, while those that failed to evolve and reproduce died off.

  Personal Life & Legacy

  • He tied the nuptial knot with Emma Darwin in the year 1838. The couple was blessed with ten children out of whom two died in infancy. Annie died at the age of ten. However, his other children went on to have distinguished careers in their life.
  • He was faced with frail health all through his life, which caused him periods of incapacity. In 1882, he was diagnosed with angina pectoris, which caused coronary thrombosis and disease of the heart.
  • He died on April 19, 1882 due to angina attacks and heart failure. Though he was to be buried at St Mary's churchyard at Downe, public and parliamentary petitioning led to him being buried at Westminster Abbey, near John Herschel and Isaac Newton.

    
    

    Trivia

    He was the first to establish the concept that all species descended from common ancestors and that the branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process which he termed natural selection.