Janaki Venkataraman

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Janaki Venkataraman

| birthname =

| image = Janaki Venkataraman.jpg

| caption =

| order1 = First Lady of India

| term_label1 = In role

| term_start1 = 25 July 1987

| term_end1 = 25 July 1992

| president1 = Ramaswamy Venkataraman

| predecessor1 = Pardhan Kaur

| successor1 = Vimala Sharma

| order2 = Second Lady of India

| spouse = {{marriage|Ramaswamy Venkataraman|1938}}

| children = 3

| term_label2 = In role

| term_start2 = 20 August 1982

| term_end2 = 27 July 1987

| vicepresident2 = Ramaswamy Venkataraman

| predecessor2 = Pushpa Shah

| successor2 = Vimala Sharma

| party =

| alma_mater =

| birth_date = {{birth year|1921}}

| birth_place = Pegu, Burma (now Myanmar)

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2010|08|13|1921}}

| death_place = New Delhi, India

| residence =

| relations =

| signature =

}}

File:President R. Venkataraman and the First Lady Janaki Venkataraman with Princess Diana and Prince Charles.jpg and Prince Charles]]

Janaki Venkataraman (1921 – 13 August 2010) was the First Lady of India from 1987 until 1992. She was the wife of Indian President R. Venkataraman who served as India's head of state from 25 July 1987 until 25 July 1992. Upon her husband's assumption of the presidency, Janaki Venkataraman became India's first foreign-born first lady (also the first foreign-born second lady).

Early life

Janaki was born in Pegu, Burma, to Tamil Iyer Burmese Indian parents, Kamala and Krishna Iyer. Her mother died when she was five and as her father did not remarry, she assisted with the household duties along with her siblings.{{Cite web|url = http://presidentvenkataraman.in/images/pdf/JanakiVenkataramanProfile.pdf|title = Mrs. Janaki Venkataraman|access-date = 19 October 2015|website = President Venkataraman|archive-date = 4 March 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045402/http://presidentvenkataraman.in/images/pdf/JanakiVenkataramanProfile.pdf|url-status = dead}} Janaki was married to R. Venkataraman in 1938 and had three daughters.{{cite book|last=Dubey|first=Scharada|title=First among equals President of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ToBFJZiRsxMC&pg=PA80|date=15 January 2015|publisher=Westland|isbn=978-81-89975-53-1|page=80}} She was considered "deeply pious" in her Hinduism by Gopal Gandhi.{{Cite book|title = Of a Certain Age: Twenty Life Sketches|last = Gandhi|first = Gopalkrishna|publisher = Viking|year = 2011|isbn = 9780670085026|pages = 115}} After her marriage, her husband's political and unionist activities increased. To assist him, she became a partner in the Labor Law Journal which he had established.

Human rights activist

Janaki was a human rights activist and led "hundreds of supporters" in protests about the war violence perpetrated upon women during the Bangladeshi War. She was an ardent feminist and supported women's self-reliance, as well as a humanitarian, working on projects for the poor. In addition, she was an animal rights activist refusing to wear silk which required worms to be killed and instead popularized the wearing of Ahimsa silk, which does not require harming the cocoon. Her promotion of wearing saris created without harming the silkworms led to popularity of Ahimsa Silk (also called "mulberry silk") and inspired entrepreneurs to develop the technology further.{{cite news|last1=Parekh|first1=Dhimant|title=Ahimsa Silk: Silk Saree without killing a single silkworm|url=http://www.thebetterindia.com/135/ahimsa-silk-silk-saree-without-killing-a-single-silkworm/|access-date=19 October 2015|publisher=The Better India|date=11 September 2008|location=India}} In addition to obtaining a patent, the Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Co-operative Society began marketing its "vegan wild silk" products to high end fashion labels.{{cite news|last1=Harchandrai|first1=Padmini|title=The real deal: Karma conscious Ahimsa Silk shawls, only in India|url=http://travel.cnn.com/mumbai/shop/real-deal-karma-conscious-ahimsa-silk-shawls-only-india-104289|access-date=19 October 2015|publisher=CNN|date=7 October 2009}}

When a documentary about her husband's life was made and Janaki was included in only one frame, she requested removal of the image. She preferred to be "noticed in the absence than to be ignored as an insignificant presence."{{Cite web|url = http://www.gitakrishnaraj.com/gita/Individual-articles/Once%20a%20First%20Lady.pdf|title = Once a First Lady…|access-date = 19 October 2015|website = Gita Krishnaraj|last = Krishna Raj|first = Gita|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061946/http://www.gitakrishnaraj.com/gita/Individual-articles/Once%20a%20First%20Lady.pdf|archive-date = 4 March 2016|df = dmy-all}} She accompanied her husband on state visits and was the public face of "Indian womanhood" during his presidency. As an active first lady, she was responsible for implementing social welfare programs that came from the president's office.{{cite news|last1=Mathew|first1=Liz|title=The first ladies of Rashtrapati Bhavan|url=http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/xRTTVgpPc6llFXcJrddTPI/Views--The-first-ladies-of-Rashtrapati-Bhavan.html|access-date=19 October 2015|publisher=Livemint|date=25 July 2012|location=Mumbai, India}}

Janaki Venkataraman died on 13 August 2010, a year and a half after her husband died. She is survived by her three daughters.[https://web.archive.org/web/20100816175815/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Former-first-lady-Janaki-Venkataraman-dies/Article1-586526.aspx Former first lady Janaki Venkataraman dies]. The Hindustan Times. 14 August 2010