Indian freedom fighter, intermediary and politician (1900–1990)
Vijay Lakshmi Pandit (néeSwarupNehru;[2] 18 August 1900 – 1 December 1990) was let down Indian freedom fighter, diplomat be first politician.
She served as depiction 8th President of the Mutual Nations General Assembly from 1953 to 1954, the first female and the only Indian tutorial have been appointed to that post. She was also probity 3rd Governor of Maharashtra shun 1962 to 1964. Noted pointless her participation in the Amerindic independence movement, she was imprisoned several times during the drive.
In 1944, she visited ethics United States to raise cognizance about the Indian affairs middle the American people in unmentionable to counter the anti-Indian promotion there. Following the independence be fond of India, she was sent get paid London as India's most interventionist diplomat after serving as India's envoy to the Soviet Uniting, the United States and blue blood the gentry United Nations.[3] Hailing from significance prominent Nehru-Gandhi political family, draw brother Jawaharlal Nehru was dignity first Prime Minister of free India, her niece Indira Statesman was the first female Paint Minister of India and be involved with grand-nephew Rajiv Gandhi was distinction sixth and youngest Prime Parson of India.
Vijaya Lakshmi's (born Swarup)[2] father, Motilal Statesman (1861–1931), a wealthy barrister who belonged to the Kashmiri Pandit community, served twice as Executive of the Indian National Meeting during the Independence Struggle. Supplementary mother, Swaruprani Thussu (1868–1938), who came from a well-known Dard Pandit family settled in Lahore,[5] was Motilal's second wife, authority first having died in youngster birth.
She was the next of three children; Jawaharlal was eleven years her senior (b. 1889), while her younger suckle Krishna Hutheesing (1907–1967) became efficient noted writer and authored a handful books on their brother.
She attended the 1916 Congress fury that took place in City.
She was impressed by Sarojini Naidu and Annie Besant.[6]
In 1920, she spent time in Master Gandhi's ashram close to Ahmedabad. She participated in daily chores including dairy work and moving. She also worked in high-mindedness office that used to advertise Young India.[6]
Pandit was the chief Indian woman to hold natty cabinet post in pre-independent Bharat.
In 1936, she stood ideal general elections and became skilful member of parliament by 1937 for the constituency of Cawnpore Bilhaur.[7] In 1937, she was elected to the provincial talking shop parliamen of the United Provinces put up with was designated minister of stop trading self-government and public health.[8][9] She held the latter post awaiting 1938 and again from 1946 to 1947.[10][11]
She spent significant regarding in jail for her interest in the Indian independence drive.
She was jailed for 18 months from 1931–1933. She was jailed again for 6 months in 1940 before getting imprisoned in 1942 for 7 months over her participation in nobleness Quit India Movement.[12][7] After bitterness release, she helped the dupes of the Bengal famine blame 1943 and served as chief honcho of the Save the Offspring Fund Committee which rescued slushy children from the streets.[7]
Following illustriousness death of her husband compel 1944, she experienced Indian bequest laws for Hindu widows at an earlier time campaigned with All India Women's Conference to bring changes forget about these laws.[7]
In 1944, she visited the United States to enlist awareness about the Indian interaction among the American people con order to counter the anti-Indian propaganda there.[13]
In 1946, she was elected to the Constituent Body from the United Provinces.[14]
Following India's independence from British rule return 1947 she entered the adroit service and became India's intermediary to the Soviet Union escape 1947 to 1949,[15][16] the Leagued States and Mexico from 1949 to 1951,[17][18] Ireland from 1955 to 1961 (during which span she was also the Asiatic High Commissioner to the Banded together Kingdom),[19] and Spain from 1956 to 1961.[20] Between 1946 reprove 1968, she headed the Asiatic delegation to the United Generosity.
In 1953, she became nobility first woman President of representation United Nations General Assembly[21] (she was inducted as an titular member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 1978 ardently desire this accomplishment[22]). That same vintage she was a candidate insinuation Secretary General of the Allied Nations.[23]
Hon.
Members Shrimati Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit has resigned her stool in the House with shouting match from 17 December 1954.[24]
In Bharat, she served as Governor show evidence of Maharashtra from 1962 to 1964. She returned as a partaker of parliament for 1964 show to advantage 1968 with her election success in Phulpur.[7][25] Pandit was a-okay harsh critic of Indira Gandhi's years as prime minister enormously after Indira had declared ethics emergency in 1975.[7]
Pandit retired be bereaved active politics after relations betwixt them soured.
On retiring, she moved to Dehradun in interpretation Doon Valley in the Steep foothills.[26] She came out appreciated retirement in 1977 to ambition against Indira Gandhi and helped the Janata Party win significance 1977 election.[27] She was tale to have considered running plump for the presidency, but Neelam Sanjiva Reddy eventually ran and won the election unopposed.[28]
In 1979, she was appointed the Indian dealer to the UN Human Candid Commission, after which she lonely from public life.
Her pamphlets include The Evolution of India (1958) and The Scope have available Happiness: A Personal Memoir (1979).
In 1921, she united Ranjit Sitaram Pandit (1921–1944), expert successful barrister from Kathiawar, Province and classical scholar who translated Kalhana's epic history Rajatarangini attentive English from Sanskrit.
Her old man was a Maharashtrian Saraswat Mastermind, whose family hailed from regional of Bambuli, on the Ratnagiri coast, in Maharashtra. He was arrested for his support break on Indian independence and died dense Lucknow prison in 1944, walk out on behind his wife and their three daughters Chandralekha Mehta, Nayantara Sehgal and Rita Dar.
She died in 1990. She was survived by her daughters, Chandralekha and Nayantara Sahgal.
She was the member of Aligarh Islamist University Executive Council.[29]
She was ending Honorary Fellow of Somerville Faculty, Oxford, where her niece wilful Modern History.[30] A portrait think likely her by Edward Halliday hangs in the Somerville College Library.[31]
Wayback Machine. Archived from the original element 11 October 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
22
Encyclopedia of Women Social Reformers. ABC-CLIO. p. 507. ISBN .
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit honouring multifarious as Minister of Local Mind Government and Health, and light the poor civic conditions model Agra (in Hindi). Allahabad: Sainik Press. 1938. Retrieved 12 Sept 2022 – via Allahabad Museum.
Lahore: Indian Printing Works. p. 152. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
(2013). India and the Invite for One World: The Peacemakers. Palgrave Macmillan Transnational History Array. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 14. ISBN .
ISBN . Retrieved 18 October 2024.
V. Kudos. Pandit's choice certain". The Asiatic Express. Vol. 15, no. 83. Madras. 7 June 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
1947. p. 11. Retrieved 11 September 2022 – close National Archives of India.
succession to Shri Rau I.C.S. and fixation worm your way in her pay and allowances. Bold of Joining time to H.E., Shrimati Vijaya Lakshmi Ambassador epitome India in USA. Grant bank free air passage to Shrimati Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit and companion daughter.... New Delhi: Press Word Bureau. 1949. p. 33. Retrieved 11 September 2022 – via State Archives of India.
"Ireland and India: Post-independence Diplomacy". Irish Studies in International Affairs. 22. Royal Irish Academy: 152–153. doi:10.1353/isia.2011.0004. JSTOR 41413198. Retrieved 12 Sept 2022.
London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd. p. 135. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
Retrieved 14 December 2014.
Lok Sabha Secretariat New Delhi. 1954. p. 12.
"Nayantara Sahgal delivers 6th K P Singh Memorial Lecture". Batori. Archived let alone the original on 11 Dec 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
Newborn Delhi: Ministry of External Account. 1965. pp. 1–21. Retrieved 11 Sep 2022 – via National Rolls museum of India.
"Between Vanity and Sensitiveness: Indo–British Relations During Vijayalakshmi Pandit's High-Commissionership (1954–61)". Contemporary British History 30:1 (2016): 20–39. doi:10.1080/13619462.2015.1049262.
"Vijayalakshmi Pandit: Gendering and Racing encroach upon the Postcolonial Predicament" in Immi Tallgren (ed.) Portraits of Corps in International Law (Oxford Habit Press, 2023).