Sarojini Naidu: Courage of the Nightingale

Indian poet and freedom fighter and mother of four, Sarojini (Chattopadhyay) Naidu, could not hold back. As the protestors marched ahead without retaliating against the police’s blows, she stepped forward to join them. A British officer approached Naidu and touched her arm, saying, “You are under arrest.” Quick was her response, “I will come with you, but don’t touch me.” The crowd cheered as she followed the officer to the barbed-wire enclosure that served as a prison. They were participating in the Salt Satyagraha (also known as the Dandi March), a protest launched by Mahatma Gandhi in April 1930 as part of the civil disobedience movement against the British rule. Many leaders were imprisoned including Gandhi. In his absence, Gandhi had nominated Naidu to lead the march. A few senior leaders had reservations about women’s participation. Nevertheless, Naidu was undeterred, and “actively participated in the campaign for liberty,” similar to her male comrades. She realized the responsibility entrusted to her by Gandhi and the nation and said, “neither jail nor death shall hold any terror for me.” The first woman governor of an Indian state and the first Indian woman to serve as the president of the Indian National Congress (INC), Naidu, was an advocate for women’s rights and famed for her lyrical poetry, earning the title, ‘The Nightingale of India.’ She overcame ill health and personal tragedies, including the loss of her young son, to join India’s freedom movement. What inspired Naidu to act courageously, even in the face of violence? Was it her promise to Gandhi or her deep love for her country? How was she able to inspire large numbers in the absence of Gandhi and other Congress leaders? Was it her oratory skills, or was there something more? Why did people follow her—was it because they were following Gandhi, and she was simply the messenger, or did they see her as a leader in her own right?