Google doodle salutes Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay – activist, social reformer and freedom fighter

Because of her, National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Cottage Industries Emporium and the Crafts Council of India came into existence.

New Delhi: Google Doodle is a wonderful way of learning about someone. On Tuesday, the search engine giant dedicated its doodle to Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay – an activist, social reformer and freedom fighter. Marking her 115th birth anniversary, the doodle in a splash of colours highlights her contribution to handicrafts, handlooms, and theatre. 

For the unversed, Kamaladevi was a pioneer in cultural institutions and Indian handicrafts. It is because of her, institutes and organisations such as National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Central Cottage Industries Emporium and the Crafts Council of India exist. 

Not social and cultural reforms, she worked towards the upliftment of women and pioneering the cooperative movement. Her focus was on grassroot level that changes the socio-economic condition of women

In 1930s, she became the first woman to be arrested for entering the Bombay Stock Exchange where she tried to sell packets of contraband salt.

Kamaladevi has been the recipent of several awards including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1966), Padma Bhushan (1955), and Padma Vibhushan (1987). She is also the recipient of Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama.