RED SALUTE TO COM. CAPTAIN LAKSHMI
THE Left parties' search for a presidential candidate could not have
ended with a more distinguished and nationally acceptable choice. Dr.
Lakshmi Sahgal, or Captain Lakshmi as she is better known to generations
of Indians, is one of India's most
illustrious citizens, and her qualifications for the highest
constitutional position in the country are impeccable. Her life has been
an inextricable part of India's destiny as a nation - its struggle
against colonial rule, its attainment of freedom,
and its maturing as a nation through 55 tumultuous years. In this great
historical transition, of which she has been an active and inspiring
participant, Captain Lakshmi always positioned herself firmly on the
side of the poor and unempowered. A freedom
fighter, a dedicated medical doctor and an outstanding leader of the
women's movement in India, Captain Lakshmi embodies the finest
aspirations of Indian leadership.
Lakshmi Sahgal was born Lakshmi Swaminadhan on September 24, 1914, in
Chennai, to S. Swaminadhan, a brilliant lawyer, and A.V. Ammukutty, a
social worker, freedom fighter and campaigner for women's rights. Young
Lakshmi participated enthusiastically in
nationalist programmes of burning foreign goods - including her own
clothes and toys - and picketing liquor vends. Her decision to study
medicine arose from a desire to be of service to the poor, especially to
women. She received her MBBS degree from
the Madras Medical College in 1938. A year later she received her
Diploma in Gynaecology and Obstetrics.
In l940, Lakshmi left Chennai for Singapore where she established
herself as a successful, competent and compassionate doctor. She was
soon drawn into the vortex of the anti-British struggle in Singapore,
playing an active role in the India Independence
League. In l942 came the historic surrender of Singapore by the British
colonial power to the Japanese. Lakshmi was enthused by the idea of
forming an Indian army of liberation in Singapore. She was very much a
part of the deliberations that finally
resulted in the formation of the Indian National Army (INA) under
General Mohan Singh.
Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in Singapore on July 2, l943. From public
platforms, Netaji, as he was popularly called, spoke of his
determination to raise a women's regiment, the Rani of Jhansi Regiment,
which would fight for Indian independence.
Lakshmi's name was immediately proposed as the woman most suited to lead
the regiment. Lakshmi met Netaji on July 5. She accepted his proposal
to lead the regiment without a moment's hesitation. The next day, she
closed her clinic and began preparations
for the formation of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the INA.
It is her role as the head of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment that ensured a
place for her history books. In a short time, a well-trained fighting
force of women recruits took shape. The regiment saw active duty on the
front. Lakshmi, who was given the rank
of Colonel (although in the popular mind she remained a "Captain") was
active on both military and medical fronts. She played a heroic role not
only in the fighting but also during the terrible days when INA
personnel were hunted by the victorious
British troops. She saved many lives because of her courage and
devotion. She was finally captured and brought to India on March 4,
l946, where she received a heroine's welcome. Realising that keeping her
a prisoner would rouse public anger, the British
authorities released her. She campaigned tirelessly for the release and
rehabilitation of imprisoned and de-mobbed INA personnel, traveling the
length and breadth of the country, collecting funds for INA members and
mobilising people against colonial
rule.
In March 1947, Captain Lakshmi married Col. Prem Kumar Sahgal in Lahore.
They settled in Kanpur, where Lakshmi plunged into her medical work
almost immediately because the influx of refugees from Pakistan had
started. She worked tirelessly among them
for several years. She earned the trust of the Muslim population because
she was the only doctor in Kanpur who would treat Muslims at that time.
Later on she established a small maternity home in a hired premises
where it continues till today. Her
compassion for the poor has become legendary in Kanpur, where the news
of her candidature was met with pride and jubilation.
Captain Lakshmi became active in Left politics in the early 1970s, first
in the trade union movement and then in the women's movement. When the
All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) was formed in l981, she
became its vice-president. Since
then she has been actively involved in the activities, campaigns and
struggles of the largest women's organisation in the country.
Through all this, Captain Lakshmi has continued her work as a doctor
from her clinic in the heart of Kanpur city, her life a source of
inspiration and protection for the poor and the victimised. During the
anti-Sikh riots in October l984, this
mild-mannered doctor was out on the streets standing fearlessly before
screaming mobs. In the crowded area where her clinic stands, not a
single Sikh was attacked.
Dr. Lakshmi Sahgal was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1998.
At 87, this diminutive and gracious woman steps out of her house at 9
a.m. and proceeds to her clinic where she works until late afternoon - a
routine she observes throughout the week. "I am very happy that the
Left parties were united in choosing me as
their presidential candidate," Captain Lakshmi told Frontline over the phone from New Delhi. "What concerns me though is what my patients will do without me."
With A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the presidential candidate of the National
Democratic Alliance, Captain Lakshmi perhaps shares drive and firepower.
Captain Lakshmi's missiles in a 60-year-old public life have, however,
been pointed in a different direction -
against colonialism, poverty and injustice, and the irrationalities of
narrow and divisive thought.
Above Photo : Lakshmi Sahgal arrives at the New Delhi railway station from Kanpur
on June 14, 2002 after the Left parties nominated her as their presidential
candidate. In the background, daughter Subhashini Ali, president of the
All India Democratic Women's
Association.
- PARVATHI MENON
courtesy :
கருத்துகள் இல்லை:
கருத்துரையிடுக