Remembering the 'Nightingale of India' Sarojini Naidu on her 139th birth anniversary

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

New Delhi: February 13 marks the birth anniversary of renowned poet, political leader and freedom fighter, Sarojini Naidu.

The biggest names in Indian politics including the President of India Mr Ram Nath Kovind paid their tributes to the 'Bharat Kokila' on her 139th birth anniversary.

Tributes to Sarojini Naidu — poet, political leader and pioneer of our women’s movement, on her birth anniversary #PresidentKovind — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 13, 2018

Remembering the 'Nightingale of India': Today in 1879, noted poetess and freedom fighter #SarojiniNaidu was born

In video: She introduces Carnatic singer late M.S. Subbulakshmi to the north Indian audience
Video courtesy: @NFAIOfficial pic.twitter.com/3AH1uZenek — Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) February 13, 2018

Remembering freedom fighter Sarojini Naidu on her birth anniversary — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 13, 2018

My homage to Sarojini Naidu ji, ‘The Nightingale of India’ on her Birth Anniversary today. pic.twitter.com/HUfSa84zDC — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 13, 2018

Pay my tribute to the remarkable freedom fighter and poet Smt. Sarojini Naidu also known as the 'Nightingale of India' on her birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/dcKAcHr0Cv — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) February 13, 2018

My humble tributes to the ‘Nightingale of India’ Sarojini Naidu Ji on her birth anniversary. Fondly remembered poetess and freedom fighter had made distinguished contributions in social welfare, women’s empowerment and nationalism. — N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) February 13, 2018

 Sarojini Naidu, also known as the Nightingale of India, was born in 1879 in Hyderabad.

A child prodigy, activist and a poet, she was the first female President of the Indian National Congress (INC) and the first female Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

Sarojini Naidu had great interest in poetry from the childhood days onwards. Her poems were known to be imagery and gestures of ideal love.

In 1905 she published a collection of poems entitled ‘Golden threshold’ which received massive appreciation.

Jawaharlal Nehru and Rabindranath Tagore admired for her many of her works and Gopal Krishna Gokhale advised her to use her power of language to inspire people to build a free India.

She presided over the annual session of Indian National Congress in Kanpur in 1925 and attended the East African Indian Congress in South Africa in 1929. Naidu participated in the Round Table Conference with Mahatma Gandhi and Madan Mohan Malaviya in 1930.

Sarojini Naidu traveled across India to encourage women to fight for India's independence, after her meeting with Mahatma Gandhi.

Naidu played a pivotal role during the Civil Disobedience movement. She also faced arrest in 1942 during the "Quit India" movement and was jailed for 21 months with Gandhi.

She had a very pleasant relationship with Gandhi and often called him "Mickey Mouse."

Post-Independence, she served as the first Governor of the United Provinces from 1947 to 1949 and also contributed to the drafting of the Indian Constitution.

Her writing career began at the age of 13 and her major contribution was in the field of poetry. Her collection of poems 'The Broken Wings' was published in 1905. The Feather of The Dawn was edited and published posthumously in 1961 by her daughter Padmaja.

She passed away on March 2, 1949, at the Government House in Lucknow after suffering a heart attack.