Durgabai Deshmukh
Encyclopedia
Durgābāi, Lady
Deshmukh (Telugu
: దుర్గాబాయి దేశ్ముఖ్) (July 15, 1909 - May 9, 1981) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, social worker and politician. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India
and the Planning Commission of India
.
Born in Kakinada
, Andhra Pradesh
, India
. Durgabai was married to C.D. Deshmukh, the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Finance Minister in India's Central Cabinet during 1950 - 1956.She was a public activist for women's emanicipation,also founder of Andhra Mahila Sabha, Congress.She was also the founder chairperson of central social welfare board.
had its conference in her hometown of Kakinada in 1923 she was a volunteer and placed in charge of the Khadi
Exhibition which was running side by side. Her responsibility was to make sure that visitors to the exhibition were not allowed without tickets, and even forbade Jawaharlal Nehru
from entering. http://thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/11/04/stories/2002110401330200.htm When the organisers of the exhibition saw what she did and angrily chided her, she replied that she was only following instructions. After the organisers bought a ticket for Nehru, he then praised the girl for the courage with which she did her duty.
She was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi
in India's struggle for freedom from the British Raj
, and a prominent social reformparticipation in Gandhi-led Satyagraha
activities, British Raj authorities had imprisoned her three different times.
Lady
The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman...
Deshmukh (Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
: దుర్గాబాయి దేశ్ముఖ్) (July 15, 1909 - May 9, 1981) was an Indian freedom fighter, lawyer, social worker and politician. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India
Constituent Assembly of India
The Constituent Assembly of India was elected to write the Constitution of India, and following independence served as the nation's first Parliament.-Nature of the Assembly:...
and the Planning Commission of India
Planning commission of India
The Planning Commission is an institution in the Government of India, which formulates India's Five-Year Plans, among other functions.-History:...
.
Born in Kakinada
Kakinada
Kakinada is a city and a municipal corporation in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is located east of the state capital, Hyderabad. It is also the headquarters of East Godavari district. It is nicknamed "Fertilizer City" , "Pensioner's Paradise" and "Second Madras"...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Durgabai was married to C.D. Deshmukh, the first Indian Governor of the Reserve Bank of India and Finance Minister in India's Central Cabinet during 1950 - 1956.She was a public activist for women's emanicipation,also founder of Andhra Mahila Sabha, Congress.She was also the founder chairperson of central social welfare board.
Participation in India's freedom movement
From an early life Durgabai was associated with Indian Politics. When the Indian National CongressIndian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
had its conference in her hometown of Kakinada in 1923 she was a volunteer and placed in charge of the Khadi
Khadi
The term khādī or khaddar means cotton. khādī is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. The raw materials may be cotton, silk, or wool, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric, cool in the summer and warm in the winter...
Exhibition which was running side by side. Her responsibility was to make sure that visitors to the exhibition were not allowed without tickets, and even forbade Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru
Jawaharlal Nehru , often referred to with the epithet of Panditji, was an Indian statesman who became the first Prime Minister of independent India and became noted for his “neutralist” policies in foreign affairs. He was also one of the principal leaders of India’s independence movement in the...
from entering. http://thehindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/11/04/stories/2002110401330200.htm When the organisers of the exhibition saw what she did and angrily chided her, she replied that she was only following instructions. After the organisers bought a ticket for Nehru, he then praised the girl for the courage with which she did her duty.
She was a follower of Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
in India's struggle for freedom from the British Raj
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, and a prominent social reformparticipation in Gandhi-led Satyagraha
Satyagraha
Satyagraha , loosely translated as "insistence on truth satya agraha soul force" or "truth force" is a particular philosophy and practice within the broader overall category generally known as nonviolent resistance or civil resistance. The term "satyagraha" was conceived and developed by Mahatma...
activities, British Raj authorities had imprisoned her three different times.
- She was the President of the Blind Relief Association in and in that capacity, she set up a school-hostel and a light engineering workshop for the blind.
- Durugabai was a member of India's Lok SabhaLok SabhaThe Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
. She was instrumental in the enactment of many social welfare laws. - She was a member of in the Planning Commission, and in that role, she mustered support for a national policy on social welfare. The policy resulted in the establishment of a Central Social Welfare Board in 1953 As the Board's first chairperson, she mobilized a large number of voluntary organizations to carry out the Board programs, which were aimed at education, training, and rehabilitation of needy women, children, and the handicapped.
Awards
- Paul G Hoffman Award
- Nehru Literacy Award
- UNESCO Award (for outstanding work in the field of Literacy)
- Padma VibhushanPadma VibhushanThe Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
award from the Government of India.
Organizations established by Durgabai
- Andhra Mahila Sabha in 1938.
- Council for Social Development
- Durgabai Deshmukh HospitalDurgabai Deshmukh HospitalDurgabai Deshmukh Hospital and Research Centre is a multispeciality Hospital in Vidyanagar, Hyderabad.Veteran Freedom fighter Durgabai Deshmukh started it as a Nursing home with 15 beds in 1962 with an objective to serve the poor people. It has grown into a full fledged hospital with more than 200...
in 1962. - Sri Venkateswara CollegeSri Venkateswara CollegeSri Venkateswara College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi in India providing liberal art, science and commerce education at the undergraduate level...
, New Delhi
External links
- Durgabai Deshmukh: A pioneer and a transformative leader, Prema Kasturi and Prema Srinivasan, The HinduThe HinduThe Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
.