Social Sciences, asked by brockprasad2090, 1 year ago

Write about the position of women after independence in tamil nadu?

Answers

Answered by OfficialPk
1
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, the face behind Cancer Institute, Avvai Home, Kasturba Hospital; she secured passage of a Bill favouring the abolition of Devadasi System

Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy (1886-1968) was one of the leading women pioneers who played a key role in India’s Renaissance.

Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy is a multi-faceted personality – a freedom fighter, first woman in India to graduate in medicine, founder of the Cancer Institute in Chennai, and Member and vice-president of the Madras Legislative Assembly; author of numerous social reforms.

Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy would have been yet another medical professional had she not come under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Annie Besant.

These leaders played a key role in motivating and convincing her to devote her time and energy for the uplift of women and children.

At a time when the presence of women was a rare phenomenon in public life, she worked tirelessly for women’s emancipation.

Dr. Reddy was a freedom fighter and a patriot to the core.

She was one of the women leaders of the pre-Independence era who stood for the cause of liberating India from the clutches of the British regime.

Dr. Reddy, who was a member and vice-president of the Madras Legislative Assembly during 1927-30, resigned from the Assembly in protest against the arrest of Mahatma Gandhi at Dandi in 1930.

Though she kept herself away from politics due to compelling pre-occupations, she stuck to her mission and remained a true Gandhian.

Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy was born in a middle class family in the formerly princely state of Pudukottai.

She had many firsts to her credit – first girl student to be admitted into a men’s college against the stiff opposition from the orthodox section of the society, first and only woman student in the Medical College in 1907; first woman house surgeon in the government maternity and ophthalmic hospital, first woman legislator in British India, first Alderwoman of the Madras Corporation (1937); first Chairperson of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board (1954) and the first woman Deputy President of the Legislative Council.

Being the lone woman medical professional, she had a roaring practice.

But on the request from the Women’s Indian Association, with which she was associated since 1917, she gave up her practice, and entered the Madras Legislative Council.

She was elected unanimously as its Deputy President.

Dr. Reddy led the agitation for municipal and legislative franchise for women.

She took special interest in orphans and took effective steps for bringing improvements in their diet and education of girls.

She set up the Avvai Home in Chennai in 1930 for providing free boarding and lodging for women.

She played a crucial role in bringing many social reforms. She single-handedly managed to secure the passage of a Bill in the Legislative favouring the abolition of the Devadasi System and this was considered as a great achievement.

Dr. Reddy, unmindful of the opposition from the powerful vested interest, brought in the Anti-Polygamy Bill.

She was instrumental in setting up Kasturba Hospital for Women and Children in Triplicane, Chennai. Through her convincing persuasion, women house-surgeons and women medical officers were appointed by the government.

She also recommended regular medical inspection of the students of all schools run by the local bodies.

She was inspired by the freedom struggle and utilised it with a new dimension in the cause for women’s liberation. She grabbed every opportunity to fight for women’s rights.

Under The Women’s Indian Association (WIA), she started Cancer Relief Fund.

She obtained a piece of land at Gandhinagar in Chennai and set up a specialised hospital for cancer, which has now developed into an all India institution combining therapy and research on cancer.

As a member of the Hartog Committee she travelled extensively and studied the progress of women’s education throughout the country.

She was instrumental in bringing about several improvements in developments to the Children’s Aid Society. She created a precedent for other women Legislators as a champion of many causes, needs and rights of women and children.

During her tenure as president of Women’s Indian Association , she never missed an opportunity to honour eminent personalities visiting Madras city.

She accorded reception to Dr. Hellen Keller; Vijayalakshmi Pandit, the then president of the UN General Assembly; Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Radhakrishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru; Lord and Lady Attlee, the former British Prime Minister and many others.

Similar questions