Sarojini Naidu

India's 'Nightingale' who combined poetry with revolutionary politics in colonial India

Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949) made history as India's first female president of the Indian National Congress and a key figure in the independence movement. Her unique fusion of lyrical poetry and political activism created new paradigms for Indian women's public participation.

Major contributions include:

• Organizing salt satyagraha protests alongside Gandhi
• Publishing internationally acclaimed poetry collections like The Golden Threshold
• Serving as first female governor of United Provinces post-independence

Naidu's 1905 speech at London's International Suffrage Alliance challenged both British colonialism and patriarchal norms through metaphors drawn from Hindu mythology. Her 1917 advocacy for women's suffrage in the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms laid groundwork for India's constitutional gender equality.

Modern feminists recognize her dual legacy - using traditional 'bardic' imagery to subvert colonial stereotypes while negotiating complex relationships with both British feminists and male nationalist leaders. Her birthday (February 13) is celebrated as National Women's Day in India.