Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, 1903- , political leader and social worker. Born in a wealthy family of south Karnataka, she was married at a very young age but became a widow while yet at school. She broke away from tradition and married the poet Harindranath Chattopadhya, the brother of Sarojini Naidu, in 1920, though the marriage was dissolved in 1933. She became interested in art and drama and worked with her husband in producing plays in which she herself took a leading role. She came under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, and actively participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Civil Disobedience Movement. In 1948, she joined the Congress Socialist Party. She was intensely interested in women’s movement, art and culture, and held many high offices, including membership of the Congress Working Committee, president ship of All India Women’s Conference, and of the All India Handicrafts Board. In 1966, she was given the Magasaysay Award for community leadership.
