Meera Behn
Meera Behn, 1892- , political and social worker. Daughter of the British admiral, Sir Edmond Slade, she was born in England and was originally named Madeleine Slade. In her youth she was fond of classical music, but felt bored with London society. She later met the French savant, Romain Rolland, who introduced her to the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, which changed her whole outlook on life. She came to India on 6 November 1925, and joined the Sabarmati Ashram. She was welcomed by Mahatma Gandhi, who gave her the name of Meera for her devotion to him. She also took to Indian dress and the Indian way of life, though the Mahatma dissuaded her from becoming a Hindu. She was originally put to social work and propagated Khadi and sanitation all over the country. She also accompanied Mahatma Gandhi to the second Round Table Conference in 1932 and acted as his interpreter in Europe. She later joined the Satyagraha Movement and was arrested on many occasions. In 1934 she started social work at Seogaon, near Wardha, where Mahatma Gandhi also joined her to establish the ashrama Sevagram. During the World War II she toured east India, when Mahatma Gandhi drew up a scheme of non-violence resistance against threatened Japanese invasion. Meera Behn took the draft of the Quit India resolution to the Congress office in Allahabad in 1942 though the viceroy, Lord Linlithgow, refused to meet her. She was arrested, along with Mahatma Gandhi on 9 August 1942 and put in detention along with him at Pune. After her release, and Indian independence, she set up a centre, Pashulok, at Rishikesh, for decrepit cattle, and acted as the advisor to the U.P. Government on ‘Grow More Food’. Following the death of Mahatma Gandhi, she left India on 18 January 1959, and settled in Europe near Vienna. She also, wrote an autobiography, The Spirit’s Pilgrimage. Meera Behn chose to remain unmarried.
