Class VIII Unit-1 On the Wings of Wishes-Coromandel Fishers

Sarojini Naidu

She, also known by the sobriquet The Nightingale of India, was a child prodigy, Indian independence activist and poet. Naidu was one of the framers of the Indian Constitution. Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National Congress and the first woman to become the Governor of Uttar Pradesh state. Her birthday is celebrated as Women's Day all over India.

Naidu was born in Hyderabad to a Bengali Hindu Kulin Brahmin family to Agorenath Chattopadhyay and Barada Sundari Devi on 13th February 1879. Her father was a doctor of science from Edinburgh University, settled in Hyderabad State, where he founded and administered the Ahemdabad College, which later became the Nizam's College in Ahemdabad. Her mother was a poetess baji and used to write poetry in Bengali. Sarojini Naidu was the eldest among the eight siblings. One of her brothers Birendranath was a revolutionary and her other brother, Harindranath was a poet, dramatist, and actor. 

Sarojini Naidu joined the Indian national movement in the wake of partition of Bengal in 1905. She came into contact with Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Rabindranath Tagore, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Annie Besant, C. P. Ramaswami Iyer, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
During 1915-1918, she traveled to different regions in India delivering lectures on social welfare, women empowerment and nationalism. She awakened the women of India and brought them out of the kitchen. She also helped to establish the Women's Indian Association (WIA) in 1917. She was sent to London along with Annie Besant, President of WIA, to present the case for the women's vote to the Joint Select Committee.
In 1925, Sarojini rNaidu presided over the annual session of Indian National Congress at Cawnpore. In 1929, she presided over East African Indian Congress in South Africa. She was awarded the hind a kesari medal by the British government for her work during the plague epidemic in India. In 1931, she participated in the Round table conference with Gandhiji and Madan Mohan Malaviya.Sarojini Naidu played a leading role during the Civil Disobedience Movement and was jailed along with Gandhiji and other leaders. In 1942, Sarojini Naidu was arrested during the "Quit India" movement. She was a great freedom fighter and an awesome poet.

Sarojini Naidu began writing at the age of 12. Her play, Maher Muneer, impressed the Nawab of Hyderabad. In 1905, her collection of poems, named "The Broken Exes" was published. Her poems were admired by many prominent Indian politicians like Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
During her stay in England, Sarojini met Dr. Govindarajulu Naidu, a non-Brahmin and a doctor by profession, and fell in love with him. After finishing her studies at the age of 19, she got married to him during the time when inter-caste marriages were not allowed. Her father approved the marriage and her marriage was a very happy one.
The couple had five children. Jayasurya, Padmaja, Randheer, Nilawar and Leelamani. Her daughter Padmaja followed in to her footprints and became the Governor of West Bengal. In 1961, she published a collection of poems entitled The Feather of The Dawn. 
In 1949 she fell ill. Her physician came and gave her a sleeping pill for good sleep. She smiled and said "Not eternal sleep I hope". But that night on March 2nd 1949 she died in her sleep.
Works

1.  The Golden Threshold, 
2.  The Bird of Time: Songs of Life, Death & the Spring, 
3.  The Broken Wing: Songs of Love, Death and the Spring, including "The Gift of India" 
4.  Muhammad Jinnah: An Ambassador of Unity
5.  The Sceptred Flute: Songs of India
6.  The Feather of the Dawn, 
7. The Indian Weavers 

Poems

• Damayante to Nala in the Hour of Exile
• Ecstasy
• Indian Dancers
• The Indian Gypsy
• Indian Love-Song
• Indian Weavers
• In Salutation to the Eternal Peace
• In the Forest
• In the Bazaars of Hyderabad
• Leili
• Nightfall in the City of Hyderabad
• Palanquin Bearers
• The Pardah Nashin
• Past and Future
• The Queen's Rival
• The Royal Tombs of Golconda
• The Snake-Charmer
• Song of a Dream
• The Soul's Prayer
• Suttee
• To a Buddha Seated on a Lotus
• To the God of Pain
• Wandering Singers
• Street Cries
• Alabaster
• Autumn Song
• Bangle Sellers
• coramandel fishers etc.

Sarojini Naidu passed away on 2nd March 1949 at the age of 70. Her name is commemorated in the names of the Sarojini Naidu College for Women and Sarojini Naidu Medical College.