DAYANAND SARASWATI

Born: 1824
Died: 1883
Achievements: Founded Arya Samaj and established gurukuls to impart vedic education.

Dayanand Saraswati was one of the most radical socio-religious reformers in the history of India. Swami Dayanand Saraswati was the founder of Arya Samaj and propagated egalitarian approach of the Vedas at a time when widespread casteism was prevalent in the society.

Swami Dayanand Saraswati's original name was Mool Shankar Tiwari. He was born in 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat in a rich family of Brahmins. As a child Dayanand was brought up under the strictest Brahmin rule, and at the age of eight was invested with the Sacred Thread (Upanayna). When he was fourteen his father took him to the temple on the occasion of Shivaratri. Dayanand had to fast and keep awake the whole night in obedience to Lord Shiva. In the night he saw a rat nibbling the offerings to the God and running over Shiva's body. He tried to find out from elders why this "God Almighty" could not defend himself against the menace of a petty mice, for which he was rebuked. This incident shattered Daya Nand Saraswati's faith in the idol worship and thereafter he refused to participate in the religious rites for the rest of his life.

At the age of nineteen Dayanand Saraswati ran away from home to escape from a forced marriage. He was caught and imprisoned. He fled again in1845. For fifteen years he wandered all over the country in the search of a guru. In 1860, he found his guru and mentor Swami Virjanand Saraswati at Mathura. He was blind. Dayanand Saraswati underwent rigorous training under Swami Virjanand Saraswati. Virjanand Saraswati gave him the name Dayanand and as gurudakshina extracted promise from Dayanand that he would devote his life for revival of Hinduism.

Dayanand Saraswati undertook a tour of the entire county, made fiery speeches condemning the caste system, idolatry, and child marriages. He advocated the ideal age for a girl to be between 16 and 24, and for men between 25 and 40. Dayanand Saraswati was the first leader in the field of theology who welcomed the advances of sciences and technology. To him, the Vedas as the source book contain the seed of science, and to him, the Vedas advocate the philosophy of dynamic realism.

Dayanand Saraswati founded Arya Samaj in Mumbai in 1875 to promote social service. Arya Samaj, postulates in principle equal justice for all men and all nations, together with equality of the sexes. It repudiates a hereditary caste system, and only recognizes professions or guilds, suitable to the complementary aptitudes of men in society. He gave new interpretations to reform the stagnant Hindu thought through his book "Satyaprakash" (The Light of Truth). He profusely quoted the vedas and other religious texts to insist that salvation was not the only motto of a Hindu or Arya, as was believed. To lead a fruitful worldly life, working for a noble cause was important, and he preached that salvation was possible through social service.

Due to his radical thought, Swami Dayanand had acquired enemies from all spheres of life. On the occasion of Deepavali in 1883, he was a guest of the maharaja of Jodhpur. The king was a womanizer and Dayanand advised the king to lead a righteous life as a ruler, upsetting a mistress by the name of Nanhi Jan. That night Swami Dayanand was poisoned during the festival meal. Swami Dayanand Saraswati breathed his last chanting "Om".

ABDUL GAFFAR KHAN

Born - 1890
Died - 1988
Achievements - Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun political and spiritual leader of India. He was widely respected for his non-violent resistance to the British's sway over the country and was known to be a devout follower of the great Mahatma Gandhi.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun political as well as a spiritual leader of India. He was well-known and respected for his non-violent resistance to the British's sway over the entire country. A lover of peace and harmony and a devout follower of the great Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan used to be called by people by many names like Badshah Khan or Bacha Khan meaning 'King of Chiefs' and Sarhaddi Gandhi. Read on to know more about the biography of Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Khan maintained a very close friendship with Gandhiji, who advocated adherence of non-violent methods for winning back freedom from the hands of the British. The two of them nurtured deep love and respect for one another and worked in alliance till the time India gained its independence in the year 1947. The leading Khudai Khidmatgar organization, of which Abdul Ghaffar Khan was reverent member, worked in close partnership with the Indian National Congress against the British Empire.

On many occasions, when other members of the Indian National Congress disagreed with Mahatma Gandhi on any particular issue, Abdul Ghaffar Khan all throughout the life history of their friendship, remained Gandhiji's strongest supporter. He refused when the Congress proffered him its presidency in 1931, but, nevertheless remained a member of the Congress Working Committee for a long time. Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a champion of women's rights and nonviolence and for this, the public simply adored him.

His entire life, Khan's trust in the non-violent methods or in the compatibility of Islam and nonviolence never waned. So strong was his kinship with Gandhiji that in India that he was often referred to as the `Frontier Gandhi'. While there were some Pashtuns who wanted to stay united with India, others favored the creation of Pakistan. Abdul Ghaffar Khan, however, vehemently opposed the partition of India. As such, he was often seen as anti-Muslim by some.

VIJAYA LAKSHMI PANDIT

The sister of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, she was the first woman to become the President of the United Nations General Assembly. Well, we are talking about the well known diplomat Vijaya Lakshmi Nehru Pandit. She was an Indian envoy, who was born in the year 1900. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Vijayalakshmi Pandit, who was instrumental in the politics of the country.

In the year 1921, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit married Ranjit Sitaram Pandit. She was the first woman to hold a prestigious position in the cabinet. In the year 1937, she was elected to the provincial legislature of the United Provinces and she became the minister of the local self governing body. She held this position for two consecutive years. Later, in the year 1946, she was reelected for this position. Read on to know the complete life history of Vijayalaxmi Nehru Pandit.

In the post independence period, she made an entry into the diplomatic services and served as the ambassador of India to various countries like Soviet Union, Ireland, United States and Mexico. From 1962 to 1964, she served as the governor of Maharashtra. Thereafter, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Phulpur, which was the former constituency of her brother. She held the post for four years till 1968. Vijayalakshmi Pandit was critical about her niece, Indira Gandhi. Infact, their relations were not very good.

When Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister in the year 1966, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit took retirement from active politics. After taking voluntary retirement, she went to the peaceful Dehradun city. In the year 1979, she was chosen as the representative of India to the UN Human Rights Commission. Thereafter, she went far away from public life. She had an interest in writing. Her writings consist of The Evolution of India (1958) and The Scope of Happiness: A Personal Memoir (1979). Infact, her daughter named Nayantara Sahgal, is a wonderful novelist. Vijaylakshmi Pandit died in the year 1990.

SUCHETA KRIPLANI

ucheta Kriplani was a great freedom fighter of India. She was born as Sucheta Mazumdar in the year 1908. She was the first woman to be elected as the Chief Minister of a state in India. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Sucheta Kriplani, an important personality who has made an immense contribution in fighting for the freedom of India.

Early life
Sucheta Kriplani was born to a Bengali family in the Ambala city. Her father S.N. Majumdar was a nationalist of India. Sucheta took education from Indraprastha College and St.Stephen's College in Delhi. After completing her studies, she took the job of a lecturer in the Banaras Hindu University. In the year 1936, she tied her wedding knots with a socialist Acharya Kriplani and joined the Indian National Congress. Read on to know the complete life history of Sucheta Kriplani.

Freedom Movement and Independence
She came into the Indian historical scene during the Quit India Movement. Sucheta worked in close association with Mahatma Gandhi during the time of partition riots. She went along with him to Noakhali in 1946. She was one amongst the handful women who got elected to the Constituent Assembly. She became a part of the subcommittee that was handed over the task of laying down the charter for the constitution of India. On the 15th August, 1947, i.e. the Independence Day, she sang the national song Vande Mataram in the Independence Session of the Constituent Assembly.

Post Independence
During the post Independence period, she was instrumental in politics in U.P. She was elected to the Lok Sabha in the year 1952 and 1957. She also served as the Minister of State for Small Scale Industries. In the year 1962, she was elected to the U.P Assembly. In the year 1963, she became the first woman to hold a prestigious position of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. During her long tenure of work, one of her biggest achievements has been the effective handling of the 62 day long strike by the state employees. In the year 1971, she took retirement from the politics and went into seclusion. This prominent personality died in the year 1974.

RAJ KUMARI AMRIT KAUR

She was born on the February 2, 1889 in Lucknow to a princely family of Kapurthala, a part of undivided India. She was the first Indian woman to hold the position of cabinet minister. Well, we are talking about the well known freedom fighter Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, who was an eminent Gandhian and a great social reformer.

Amrit Kaur gave away all the worldly pleasures and focused her attention on serving the society. Throughout the freedom struggle of India, she worked in close association with other freedom fighters. After independence, she became the health minister of India. She was actively involved in activities undertaken for the welfare of society. To know the complete life history of Rajkumari Amritkaur, read on.

Early life
She came from a royal family background. She was the only daughter of her parents, Raja Harnam Singh and Rani Harnam Singh. She had seven brothers. She did her schooling from England at the school at Sherborne, Dorsetshire. She graduated from Oxford University. She was a fabulous tennis player. She even won a number of prizes for her excellent performance.

Coming from such a noble family, she could have led a very luxurious life. But, when she came to India, she left all her comforts and got involved in the social welfare activities. She was instrumental in the India's Independence Movement and played a vital role as a social reformer.

Raja Harnam Singh was a very pious and pure hearted person, who was frequently visited by prominent leaders of the Indian National Congress party like Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Amritkaur started developing interest in the freedom struggle and also became more aware about the activities that are undertaken by the freedom fighters. She was highly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi.

The ruthless killings that took place in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919 motivated her to join the freedom struggle. Eventually, she worked together with Mahatma Gandhi. She went far away from materialist life and began leading the life of an ascetic. She came to live in Mahatma Gandhi's Ashram in the year 1934. She also raised her voice against inhuman acts like ill treatment of Harijans.

As a Gandhian
She became an active member of Indian National Congress. She was involved in almost all the activities and movements that were launched by Gandhiji for the wellbeing of people. She became one of the most dedicated disciples of Mahatma Gandhi. She sincerely followed the teachings and principles of Bapu. This explains the reason why she was also addressed as a Gandhian. During the Dandi March, she was along with Gandhiji. It is during this movement that, she was imprisoned by the British Raj authorities.

Post-independence
After the Independence of India, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur joined the Jawaharlal Nehru's first Cabinet. She was the first woman to hold a cabinet position. She was made the incharge of Ministry of Health. She was the only Christian in the cabinet of India. In the year 1950, she was elected for the post of President of the World Health Assembly.

She played a pivotal role in the task of conceptualizing and laying the foundation for the establishment of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. For this, she secured aid from different countries like New Zealand, West Germany etc. She also provided assistance to a rehabilitation centre. She and her brother even donated their ancestral property that was made the holiday home for the staff of the institute.

She served as the Chairperson of the Indian Red Cross society for a long period of fourteen years. She made an immense contribution towards the development of the tribal groups of India. She held the position of health minister till 1957. Thereafter, she took retirement from the ministerial activities, but still remained a part of the Rajya Sabha. Till she was alive, she held the presidency position of AIMS and the Tuberculosis Association. She also served as the chairperson of St. John's Ambulance Corps. This great soul departed for heaven on the 2nd October in the year 1964.

MADAM CAMA

A prominent personality of the Indian Nationalist Movement, she was born as Bhikaiji Rustom Cama on 24th September, 1861 to a Parsi family in Bombay (now Mumbai). Well, we are talking about none other than Madam Cama, who is a well known freedom fighter. She came from a pretty well off family and her father Sorabji Framji Patel was a powerful member of the Parsi community. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Madame Cama.

Bhikaji took education from Alexandra Native Girl's English Institution. From the very beginning, she was a very sincere child. She always admired the personalities of the Nationalist Movement. On the 3rd of August in the year 1885, she tied her wedding knots with Rustom Cama, an affluent pro-British lawyer. She did not enjoy her married life and spent most of her time performing altruistic activities. Read on to know the complete life history of Madam Bhikaji Rustom Cama.

In the year 1896, the Bombay presidency was hit by a natural calamity, which had adverse effects on the city. Bhikaji was instrumental in the activities undertaken to provide assistance to the afflicted people. While rescuing other people and inoculating them, she herself became a victim of the infection. She became very weak, but somehow managed to survive. In the year 1902, she went to Europe for subsequent medical care and convalescence.

During her stay in London, she got a message that her return to India can take place subject to the promise that she would not participate in the Nationalist Movement. She refused to make such a promise and remained in exile in Europe. She died in the Parsi General hospital in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the year 1936. While Madam Cama was in London, she served as the private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji, who was the first Asian to be elected to the British House of Commons.

When Bhikaji Cama was in Paris, she happened to come across a number of notable leaders of the Indian Nationalist Movement. In Holland, they secretly published and circulated the revolutionary literature for the Nationalist Movement. During her stay in France, the British Raj authorities requested her extradition, but the French Government did not show their willingness and refused to cooperate. In return, the Britishers confiscated Madame Cama's legacy.

Bhikaji Cama has always been actively involved in fighting for gender equality. On August 22, 1907, she raised the flag for India's Independence at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. There are many cities in India that have streets and places being named after Bhikaiji Cama. On 26th January 1962, the Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department issued a stamp to acknowledge her work and give her honor. The Indian Coast Guard consists of a ship that has been named after her.

KASTURBA GANDHI

Kasturba Gandhi was born to a prosperous businessman Gokuladas Makharji of Porbandar on April 11, 1869. She got married to Mohandas Gandhi, when she was just thirteen years old. At the time of her marriage, Kasturba was an absolute illiterate. Gandhi taught her how to read and write. When her husband left for London for pursuing further studies, she remained in India for upbringing their newly born son Harilal. The couple had three more sons. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Kasturba Gandhi.

In the year 1906, Mohandas Gandhi made up his mind to practice Brahmacharya. Like a good wife, Kasturba always stood by the side of her husband, even if she didn't approve of some of his ideas. Kasturba was very religious minded. She broke the barriers that created caste distinction and lived in ashrams. She always supported her husband in the political protests. She went along with her husband to South Africa in the year 1897. To know the complete life history of Kasturba Gandhi, read on.

From the period between 1904 and 1914, she was actively involved in the Phoenix Settlement near Durban. In the year 1913, she raised her voice against the inhuman working conditions of Indians in South Africa. Infact, she was imprisoned for three months and that too in the jail, where the prisoners were made to do hard labor. In 1915, she accompanied her husband and supported the Indigo planters. There, she taught women and children about basic concepts like personal hygiene, discipline etc.

Kasturba Gandhi suffered from the problem of chronic Bronchitis. To top it, the stress level caused during the Quit India Movement's arrests aggravated her illness. Her health began to decline. The situation got worse, when she got victimized by pneumonia. Her husband disagreed with her idea to go in for penicillin. On February 22, 1944, she had a major heart attack and she died.