Nellie Sengupta Biography 
Nellie Sengupta is a British born Indian freedom fighter. She dedicated her full life for Indian people. She was the wife of famous Indian revolutionary, Jatindra Mohan Sengupta who died in 1933 in police custody. She supported her husband in Indian freedom struggle and has been arrested several times. She has also served as the president of Indian National Congress. Her real name is Edith Ellen Gray and she changed her name to Nellie Sengupta after her marriage.
Nellie Sengupta was born in Cambridge to Frederick and Edith Henrietta Gray in the year 1886. When Jatindra Mohan went to England to acquire a Bachelor's degree in Law, he lodged at Gray’s home. During this time, they fell in love and got married against her parents’ wish. After completion of law, when Jatindra returned to Kolkata, he took his wife also. Jatindra joined Bar association and started practising as a lawyer and earned good reputation. He also worked as a professor during this time. The couple had two sons - Sishir and Anil.
With early 1920’s, Jatindra turned to be a revolutionary and got actively involved in Indian politics as well as freedom struggle movement. He gave up his career too. Nellie joined her husband in participating in the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1921. When he got imprisoned, she actively participated in freedom struggle movement. She protested against the District authorities on the imposition of a ban on assembly by delivering a public speech and got arrested. She also participated in Khadi movement.
After the death of her husband in 1936, she was fully involved in Indian freedom struggle and was once selected as the president of INC. She has also served as Alderman to the Calcutta Corporation in 1933 and 1936. After Indian independence, she chose to live in her husband’s hometown, Chittagong. She was brought to India in 1972 by Indira Gandhi for treatments and she died in Kolkata the following year.
Published: N/A
Updated: March 25, 2014
