Wishesh magazine january 2018 Wishesh magazine january 2018 | Page 96

FREEDOM FIGHTER
Sarojini Naidu
The Nightingale of
from
India
Hyderabad
Sarojini Naidu was an Indian independence activist,
poet and a politician renouned as Nightingale of
India. A well known orator and an accomplished
poet, she is often known by the moniker ‘The
Nightingale of India’.
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As a prodigious child, Naidu
wrote the play “Maher
Muneer”, which earned her a
scholarship to study abroad.
She became the second
woman president of the Indian
National Congress. She was
the first woman Governor
of an Indian state called
United Province now called
UP, after independence. Her
collection of poems earned
her literary acclaim. In 1905,
she published her first book,
a collection of poems, under
the title of “Golden Threshold”.
A contemporary poet,
Bappaditya Bandopadhyay
quoted “Sarojini Naidu
inspired the Indian
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renaissance movement and
had a mission to improve the
life of Indian woman.”
Naidu was given a sobriquet
Bharat Kokila 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
Childhood and Early Life
Sarojini Naidu was born
on February 13, 1879 in a
Bengali Family residing at
Hyderabad. She was educated
in Chennai, London and
Cambridge. Her father, Dr.
Aghore Nath Chattopadhyay
was a scientist, philosopher,
and educator. He founded the
Nizam College of Hyderabad.
Her mother, Varada Sundari
Devi was a poetess in
the Bengali language. Dr.
Aghore Nath Chattopadhyay
was the first member of the
Indian National Congress in
Hyderabad. For his socio-
political activities, Aghore
Nath was dismissed from his
position of Principal. One of
his brothers, Virendranath
Chattopadhyay, played
key role in establishing
the Berlin Committee. As
a political activist involved