Bhikaiji Cama

A pioneering Indian nationalist and suffragist who spread anti-colonial ideas globally while exiled in Europe.

Bhikaiji Cama (1861–1936) was a trailblazing Indian activist whose work bridged the Indian independence movement and global feminist struggles. Born into a Parsi family in Bombay, she became one of the first Indian women to study nursing and later joined Dadabhai Naoroji’s political circle. In 1896, she nursed plague victims in Bombay, defying social stigma, and later moved to London to campaign for Indian rights. In 1907, she unfurled India’s first independence flag at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, declaring, 'This flag is of Indian Independence... May it inspire you all.' Exiled by the British, she collaborated with Lenin and Irish revolutionaries while publishing Madan's Journal to spread anti-colonial ideas. Her 1911 book My Country and My People remains a landmark in nationalist literature. Despite her contributions, she was denied a visa to return to India until 1935. Explore her legacy via Bhikaji Cama Memorial or Wikipedia.