Who was Kamala Nehru, wife of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru? Passed away at the age of 36, but left a lasting impact on society due to…
Who was Kamala Nehru?
Kamala Nehru was born on 1st August 1899 in Delhi. Her father, Jawaharmal Kaul was a wealthy businessman and her mother, Rajpati was an orthodox Brahmin woman. Every year on this day, people remember her for the role she played in India’s freedom struggle. She was deeply involved in the fight for independence and inspired many other women to join the movement. Even today, she is remembered as a symbol of simplicity, courage, and service.
Kamala Nehru received her early education at home, as girls’ education was not given much importance in those days. In 1916, at the age of just 16, she married Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and moved to live with him at Anand Bhavan in Allahabad.
She actively took part in major movements like the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Salt March. When Nehru was sent to jail, Kamala stepped forward, led groups of women, and kept the freedom movement alive and strong.
She organised a number of gatherings and urged other women to actively participate in the movement that was led by Mahatma Gandhi. Kamala Nehru along with other women leaders launched a massive protest against the shops selling foreign cloth and liquor in Allahabad.
At a time when most women were afraid to even step outside their homes, Kamala Nehru gave them the courage to believe they too had a role to play in the fight for freedom. She taught them that raising their voice for the country was their right.
Even while her husband was jailed for months, Kamala Nehru continued her fight for freedom and established a hospital at the Nehru mansion, the Swaraj Bhawan where injured freedom fighters would receive treatment.
She also passed on values of service, sacrifice, and patriotism to her daughter Indira Gandhi from a young age. These early lessons shaped Indira, who later became the first woman Prime Minister of India and left a strong mark on the country’s history.
Kamala Nehru lived a simple life. She stayed away from luxury with no interest in jewelry or expensive clothes. She wore khadi and followed Gandhiji’s ideals of simplicity and truth. But her beliefs were firm and powerful.
In Allahabad, she started a small hospital in Swaraj Bhavan to care for injured freedom fighters and their families. This later became the well-known Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital.
Years of struggle, jail time, and tireless work affected her health badly. She developed tuberculosis (TB) and had to be sent abroad for treatment, as proper medical care wasn’t available in India at the time.
According to media reports, Kamala Nehru passed away on 28th February 1936 in Switzerland during her treatment. Sadly, Nehru was in Almora jail at that time and couldn’t be with her in her final moments. It was one of the most heartbreaking times of his life.
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