Pushpalata Das

Pushpalata Das

Born: 27 March 1915
Died: 9 November 2003

Smt. Pushpalata Das who was a die-hard Gandhian, legislator, social worker, and Independence activist was born on 27 March 1915 to Rameswar Saikia and Swarnalata in Assam. She did her schooling at Panbazar Girls High School and started her political activities from school days as the secretary of Mukti Sangha. In 1931, Das organized a protest along with her companions which was against the hanging of the great revolutionary, Bhagat Singh, and for that, she was dismissed from the school.

 

She continued her studies as a private student, completed her intermediate from Banaras Hindu University, and later in 1938 joined Andhra University to pursue her graduation and post-graduate. Subsequently, she continued as a student by enrolling herself to study Law at Earle Law College, Guwahati, where she was the secretary of the college union in 1940. It was during the time, when Gandhiji called for Individual Satyagraha, as a part of the civil disobedience movement. Being a part of the movement, Das was imprisoned which cut short her law studies.

Being a member of the Women Sub Committee, at the National Planning Committee, Das moved to Mumbai and stayed there for two years. Her activities made her work with Mridula Sarabhai and Vijaya Laxmi Pandit as well as Omeo Kumar Das (sitting member of the Assam Legislative Assembly), whom she married in 1942. After her return to Assam, she formed two organizations, namely “Shanti Bahini” and “Mrityu Bahini”. In September 1942, Das and her colleagues from Mrityu Bahini started a protest at the local police station holding the National Flag and the police opened fire which led to the death of one of her colleagues. Soon she became a member of the All India Congress Committee and the coordinator of the women’s wing of the Assam Congress Committee.

 

After Independence in 1947, Pushpalata Das was nominated to Rajya Sabha in 1951 and soon she clasped a position at the Rajya Sabha in 1961. Later, in 1958 she was elected to the Congress Working Committee and the next year, as a member of the parliamentary delegation she visited various East European countries. After the demise of her husband, Das withdrew from politics, focusing more on social services. Das served as the chairperson of the All India Khadi Board and the state boards of “Bhoodan and Gramdan” initiatives. She edited the Assamese magazine, Jayanti, and headed the Assam branch of the Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust. The book ‘Rajarama Sukla rashtriyaatma varcasva evam krtitva’, san 1898-1962, was published by Das, which was released in 1976.

 

Das was honored with the ‘Tamrapatra Freedom Fighter Award’ by The Government of India, but she refused to take the award saying that she participated in the freedom movement without expecting anything in return. In 1999, the government awarded her the Padma Bhushan (the third highest civilian honor) for her contributions to society. In the later days of her life, she conquered some age-related issues and was admitted to Woodlands Nursing Home, Kolkata, where she took her last breath on 9 November 2003. Survived by her daughter and her husband, Das died at the age of 88.

 

We salute her selfless dedication and sacrifices for the nation. Jai Hind!

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