Rukmini Lakshmipathi
{{Short description|Indian independence activist and politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rukmini Lakshmipathi
| image=Rukmini_Lakshmipathi.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1892|12|6}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1951|8|6|1892|12|6}}
| spouse = Achanta
| occupation = activist, politician
}}
Rukmini Laxmipathi (also spelled as Rukmani Lakshmipathi; 6 December 1892 – 6 August 1951) was an Indian independence activist and politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. She was the first woman to be elected to the Madras Legislature and the first to serve as a minister in the Madras Presidency.{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/article244000.ece|title=Historic moments, historic personalities|last=Ramakrishnan|first=T|date=13 March 2010|work=The Hindu|access-date=8 April 2010}}
Biography
Rukmini was born in Madras in an agriculturist family. Her grandfather was the landlord Raja T. Ramrao. She obtained her B.A from the Women's Christian College, Madras and married Dr. Achanta Laxmipathi.{{cite book|title=Who's Who in India, Burma & Ceylon|publisher=Who's Who Publishers (India) Ltd., 1941|year=1941|pages=175|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MFyE_jYD43EC&q=raja+ramrao}}
She was secretary of the Madras branch of the Bharat Stree Mahamandal (The Great Circle of Indian Women).{{Cite book |last=Shukla |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NMocKFODKxkC&dq=Bharat+Stree+Mahamandal+members&pg=PA14 |title=Women Chief Ministers in Contemporary India |date=2007 |publisher=APH Publishing |isbn=978-81-313-0151-7 |pages=14 |language=en}} In 1923, she joined the Congress. In 1926, she attended the International Women's Suffrage Alliance Congress at Paris as the Indian representative.{{cite book|title=Seminar on Uplift of Women in South India in 20th Century and Suggestions for 2000 A.D.|publisher=Mother Teresa Women's University, Dept. of Historical Studies|year=1987|series=Conferences, seminars, and workshops series|volume=5|pages=83|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D0AqAAAAYAAJ&q=rukmini+lakshmipathi}}
For her participation (in 1930) in the Salt Satyagraha in Vedaranyam she was jailed for a year, becoming the first female prisoner in the Salt Satyagraha movement.{{cite book|last= Roy|first=Kalpana |title=Encyclopaedia of violence against women and dowry death in India|publisher=Anmol Publications|year=1999|volume=1|pages=30|isbn=978-81-261-0343-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0uFJjf6iVQwC&dq=rukmini+lakshmipathi&pg=PA30}}
She contested and won a by election to the Madras Legislative Council in 1934.{{cite book|last=Bhatt |first=B. D. |author2=Sita Ram Sharma |title=Women's education and social development|publisher=Kanishka Pub. House|year=1992|series=Modern education series|pages=343|isbn=978-81-85475-54-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=18OeAAAAMAAJ}} She was elected to the Madras Presidency Legislative Assembly in the 1937 elections. On 15 July 1937 she was elected as the Deputy Speaker of the assembly. During 1 May 1946 – 23 March 1947, she was the Minister for Public Health of the presidency in the T. Prakasam cabinet. She was the first (and only) woman minister of the presidency.{{Cite book
| title = Justice Party golden jubilee souvenir, 1968
| publisher = Justice Party
| year = 1968
| pages =62
| id = ISBN
| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rCZYAAAAMAAJ
}}{{Cite book| last =Kaliyaperumal| first =M| title =The office of the speaker in Tamilnadu : A study| publisher =Madras University| year = 1992| pages =47| url =http://dspace.vidyanidhi.org.in:8080/dspace/bitstream/2009/4880/3/MAU-1992-055-2.pdf}}{{cite web|url=http://www.whereincity.com/india/great-indians/women/rukmini-laxmipathi.php|title=Rukmini Laxmipathi |access-date=12 March 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/04/stories/2002120400130200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031109220337/http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/mp/2002/12/04/stories/2002120400130200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 November 2003|title= Discipline, need of the hour |last=Frederick|first=Prince|date=4 December 2002|work=The Hindu|access-date=12 March 2010}}
Marshall's road in Egmore, Chennai has been renamed after her.{{cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/10/stories/2005071012690300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109004628/http://www.hindu.com/2005/07/10/stories/2005071012690300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 November 2006|title= In Chennai Today |date=10 July 2005|work=The Hindu|access-date=12 March 2010}} In her memory, a postage stamp was issued in 1997.{{cite book|last=Daryanani|first=Mohan B|title=Who's who on Indian stamps|year=1999|pages=219|publisher=Mohan B. Daryanani |isbn=978-84-931101-0-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZZPtAAAAMAAJ&q=rukmini+lakshmipathi}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lakshmipathi, Rukmini}}
Category:Indian independence activists from Tamil Nadu
Category:Politicians from Chennai
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Tamil Nadu