Vijaya Laxmi Pandit: The Face of newly independent India

A political world is and will always be a very complex world to be in. It's a world where you have to strive very hard to make your place. It is a world where there is no place for fear. One fearless woman was Vijaya Laxmi Pandit who became the face of the newly independent India.

Vijay Laxmi Pandit; Image source: theprint.in

Daughter of Motilal Nehru and Swarupini Thusse, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit was born on August 18, 1990. She was named Swarup Kumari Nehru by her parents when she was born but she changed her name to Vijaya Laxmi Pandit when she got married to Ranjit Sitaram Pandit in 1921. Her interest in politics began at a very young age. She was just 16 years old when she attended her first-ever political meeting organised by her cousin Rameshwari Nehru.

In the early 1930s, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit’s official political career began. She started her career by joining the All India Women’s Conference, which she later led from the year 1941 to the year 1943. Vijaya Laxmi became the first woman to be elected to a cabinet position in the year 1937 when she was elected as the local self-government and health minister of the United Provinces. When the Britishers sent Indian troops for world war II without the permission of the Indian government, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit along with all the other elected congress members gave her resignation.

In the year 1944, her husband passed away, and unfortunately, women could not claim any of their husband’s property at that point of time. She had three daughters but no son so her husband’s entire wealth was given to her husband's brother instead of her and her family.As Vijaya Laxmi Pandit was no ordinary woman, She didn’t lose hope and worked even harder to not just attain secure livelihood but also to make her unique mark in the field of politics.

Vijaya Laxmi Pandit went on to achieve tremendous success in politics. In the year 1953, she was appointed as the first-ever female president of the UN General Assembly. After returning to India, She served as a Governor of Maharashtra from the year 1962 to the year 1964. Later on, she was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha from which she resigned in 1968. In the year 1979, Vijaya Laxmi Pandit worked as the Indian representative to the UN Human Rights Commission. Vijaya Laxmi Pandit made history by becoming one of the first leaders who were called for the assembly of the formation of the Indian constitution.

Vijaya Laxmi Pandit is and will always be a true ideal for every woman out there who wants to make her identity on her own terms. She taught people that no matter how difficult the road is, if you are determined to reach the destination, you will and no one can stop you. Vijaya Laxmi Pandit was always grateful for all the privileges she had as she belonged to the Nehru family but she also knew the struggles one has to go through to make her own space in any particular field.