Laxmibai Kelkar (5 July 1905 –27 November 1978), [1] born Kamal Datey,affectionately known as 'Mausiji',was a prominent Indian social reformer and freedom fighter known for her contributions to women's empowerment and the Indian independence movement.
Kamal Datey was born on July 5,1905,in Nagpur. [1] [2] Her father,Bhaskarrao Datey,worked in the Accountant General's office,and her mother,Yashodabai,was a homemaker. [1] [2] Kamal began her education at a missionary school but left after a disagreement with a nun regarding school prayer. [2] She later attended the Hindu Girls School but had to discontinue her studies due to unavoidable circumstances. [2]
In accordance with the customs of her time,Kamal married lawyer Purshottam Rao Kelkar and was renamed Laxmibai Purshottam Kelkar. [2] Her husband,though not politically active,was friends with prominent Congress member Dr. N. B. Khare. [3] In 1932,she was widowed and left to care for six sons and two daughters from her husband's previous marriage. [3]
After the demise of Lokmanya Tilak,Mahatma Gandhi left Sabarmati and selected Wardha as his ashram. [4] Living near the Sevagram ashram in Wardha,she participated in meetings,prabhat pheries (morning processions),and other activities. [4]
She was introduced to R. S. S. work through her sons. [2] In 1936,Laxmibai met Dr. K.B. Hedgewar,the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Although initially hesitant,Hedgewar was convinced by Laxmibai's persistence that women were crucial to nation-building. [3] He agreed to support the formation of a women's organization provided she took full responsibility. [3] Consequently,the Rashtra Sevika Samiti was launched on Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) on October 25,1936,in Wardha. [3] [5]
Mausiji balanced her familial responsibilities with extensive travels to promote the Samiti under challenging conditions. She emphasized integrating the ideals of the Ramayana and Mahabharata into daily life and advocated for the equal importance of men and women in nation-building. [2] [3]
Lakshmibai Kelkar passed away on November 27,1978. [1]
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is an Indian right-wing,Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar,which has developed a presence in all facets of Indian society and includes the Bharatiya Janata Party,the ruling political party under Narendra Modi,the 14th prime minister of India. Mohan Bhagwat has served as the Sarsanghchalak of the RSS since March 2009.
The Sangh Parivar refers,as an umbrella term,to the collection of Hindutva organisations spawned by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),which remain affiliated to it. These include the political party Bharatiya Janata Party,religious organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad,students union Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP),religious militant organisation Bajrang Dal that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP),and the worker's union Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. It is also often taken to include allied organisations such as the Shiv Sena,which share the ideology of the RSS.
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar,also known by his moniker Doctorji,was an Indian political-social activist,physician and the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur in 1925,based on the ideology of Hindutva with the intention of creating a Hindutva.
Wardha is a city and a municipal council in Wardha district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The administrative headquarter of Wardha district is situated here. Wardha gets its name from the Wardha River which flows on the northern,western and southern boundaries of the district. Founded in 1866,the town is now an important centre for cotton trade. Wardha was an important part of the Gandhian era.
Kamala Nehru was an Indian independence activist and the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru,the first prime minister of India. Their daughter Indira Gandhi was the first female prime minister of India.
Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar,popularly known as Guruji,was the second Sarsanghchalak ("Chief") of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Golwalkar is considered one of the most influential and prominent figures among Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh by his followers.
Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh BR,better known as Nanaji Deshmukh,was a social reformer and politician from India. He worked in the fields of education,health,and rural self-reliance. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna,India's highest civilian award in 2019 by the Government of India. He was a leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and also a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras,was the third Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The Rashtra Sevika Samiti is a Hindu nationalist women's organisation that parallels the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for men. Even though it is often referred to as the "Sister" of the RSS,the organisation claims that it is independent of the RSS while sharing its ideology. Membership and leadership is embraced to women and its activities are directed to nationalist devotion and mobilisation of Hindu women.
Vidya Bharati is the educational wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). It runs one of the largest private network of schools in India,operating 12,000 schools with over 3.2 Million students,as of 2016 and has its registered headquarters in Lucknow with a functional headquarters in Delhi and a sub-office in Kurukshetra. In the year 2020,the million lives club selected Vidya Bharati as an official member of Vanguard cohort for its contribution to school education.
Sultana Kamal is a Bangladeshi lawyer and human rights activist. She serves as the executive director of Ain o Salish Kendra,a civil rights organisation. In 2006,she served as adviser in the Caretaker government of Bangladesh led by President Iajuddin Ahmed during the 2006-2008 Bangladeshi political crisis. Kamal,along with three other advisers,resigned from the caretaker government Her mother Sufia Kamal was a participant of the Bangladesh Liberation War.
Mohan Madhukar Rao Bhagwat is an Indian political activist and veterinarian who is currently serving as the 6th and current Sarsanghchalak (Chief) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 2009.
Eknath Ramakrishna Ranade was a social activist and right-wing leader. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when in school and was its general secretary from 1956 to 1962.
Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expression of social and political thought,based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. "Hindu nationalism" is a simplistic translation of हिन्दूराष्ट्रवाद. It is better described as "Hindu polity".
Ramadevi Choudhury,also known as Rama Devi,was an Indian freedom fighter and a social reformer. She was called Maa (Mother) by the people of Odisha. The Ramadevi Women's University in Bhubaneswar has been named after her.
Ambujammal Desikachari née Srinivasa Iyengar (1899-1983) was an Indian independence activist and women's rights activist. A Gandhian,she participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement and served as vice-president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. Ambujammal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1964.
Laxman Vasudev Paranjape,was a member of the Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),along with its first Sarsanghchalak Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. Paranjape also served as the Acting Sarsanghchalak (1930–1931) when Hedgewar went to jail during the Forest Satyagraha.
Venkatramaiah Shantha Kumari popularly called "Shanthakka" is the current Chief of the Hindu nationalist women's organisation Rashtra Sevika Samiti. She took charge as Chief in 2013.
Adruti Laxmibai was an Indian freedom movement activist and politician. She received her bachelor's degree from Dayacician College in Calcutta and later enrolled to study medicine at the Christian Medical College in Vellore. She was elected for the Berhampur constituency in 1937 and 1946 and was the deputy speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly,formerly known as Orissa,in 1946. She notably introduced a policy of free education for girls in Odisha.
Ram Narayan Chaudhary was a Gandhian social reformer,anti-colonial nationalist,writer,and publisher,from Rajasthan in India who contributed over three decades of his life to the Indian independence movement.