A truly remarkable woman
Attorney JERALD VEDAN takes readers back in the time on the life of poet and political activist Sarojini Naidu, who he says, the governments of South Africa and India must give due recognition to
NATIONAL Women’s Day in India is celebrated on February 13 – the date of birth of the country’s first woman governor, Sarojini Naidu, a fighter for human rights, poetess extraordinaire and brilliant orator.
Naidu was perhaps the only woman to head a political organisation in one country (the South African Indian Congress) and a political party in another country (Congress Party of India) at the same time.
Born in Hyderabad, she was a child prodigy, who completed her final year of school at 12.
Having mastered all her school subjects, she could have chosen any field of study, such as science or medicine. However, she chose poetry and became known as the Nightingale of India.
The Nizam of Hyderabad, recognising her precious talent, gave her a bursary to study at an English university.
When I was a young boy, my mother often spoke with pride about Naidu, who was continuously imprisoned during India’s struggle for independence; and visited South Africa twice.
When South Africa was a bastion of white prejudice and oppression against other races, this sari-clad woman visited the country as an envoy of Mahatma Gandhi in 1924.
She held talks with General Smuts and other political leaders of that era, who tried to pass a bill in Parliament stifling Indians from trade and living spaces.
She waged a campaign against the racists and was elected president of the South African Indian Congress. In 1925, she was elected president of the Indian National Congress.
As a dynamic and brave woman, she confronted the die-hard, mainly male racists when many others behaved like shrinking violets in the face of oppression.
When she left our shores, on the ship the Karagola, she received a tremendous sendoff from people of all colours. Boat loads of South Africa’s diverse people followed the Karagola as she sailed off. They cheered as she strewed petals upon them from the bouquets of flowers she received.
In 1932, there was a roundtable conference to discuss the future of Indians in South Africa. A delegation was sent from India, which was also under British rule, and the delegation indicated they were in favour of the repatriation of Indians to India.
One person who stood out was Naidu, who espoused that Indians must remain in South Africa and that they must not compartmentalise themselves but work together to build the country. In those days, when feminism and women’s rights were not heard of, Naidu made bold statements of women’s rights.
When Sir Srinivasa Sastri indicated she was not a member of good faith of the delegation, she replied: “Mr Sastri, you will be sorry that you demanded a public explanation. I only came here because my leader (that is Gandhi) was not quite sure of the wisdom of the men of the East, and insisted that the delegation be reinforced by the immemorial wisdom of the women of the East.”
She is an internationally acclaimed poetess and was called the Nightingale of India.
During a visit to South Africa, the stern chairperson of a meeting accidentally mispronounced her title and referred to her as “the naughty girl of India” in his introduction. She found this funny.
After Independence, she was appointed Governor of the United Provinces, now Uttar Pradesh. A number of institutions in India are named after her, such as the Sarojini Naidu Eye Hospital and the Sarojini Naidu Medicine College. She died at the age of 70 on March 2, 1949, in Lucknow.
Memorials were held in South Africa, including one at the Gandhi Hall in Johannesburg. The late IC Meer wrote: “Indian South Africans will never forget the invaluable services rendered by Mrs Sarojini Naidu to them at all times. In her death, we have lost one of the greatest champions of our cause.”
This remarkable, politically astute, compassionate and intellectual woman displayed the strength of women and ensured that they were not just on-lookers in a male-dominated political arena.
She advocated unity of purpose and brotherhood and sisterhood of all oppressed peoples of South Africa.
I propose the governments of South Africa and India give due recognition to the role of Naidu by naming an empowerment centre after her.