Lakshmi Sahgal Biography 
Lakshmi Sahgal, commonly referred to as Captain Lakshmi, was an officer of the Indian National Army, a revolutionist of the Indian independence movement and the Minister of Women's Affairs in the Azad Hind government. She is one among the most powerful women India has ever witnessed. She passed away most recently 23 July 2012 at the age of 97. She was one among the founding members of AIDWA in 1981 and had led a medical team to Bhopal after the gas tragedy in December 1984. She was busy with her work treating patients at Kanpur till she was 92.
Lakshmi Sahgal was born as Lakshmi Swaminathan in Chennai on 24 October 1914. Her father S. Swaminathan was a lawyer and mother A.V. Ammukutty was a social worker and activist from Palakkad, Kerala. She completed MBBS degree from Madras Medical College in the year 1938. She completed her diploma in gynaecology and obstetrics also.
After the failure of her first marriage with pilot P.K.N. Rao, she went to Singapore in 1940 where she happened to meet members of Netaji’s Indian National Army. She started a clinic for poor, mainly targeting at migrant laborers from India. She also got opportunity to treat wounded prisoners of war between Britain and Singapore, who were interested in forming an Indian liberation army. Subhash Chandra Bose reached Singapore on 2 July 1943 where he expressed his willingness to raise a women's regiment to fight against British rule. At that time, Lakshmi stood up to set up a women’s regiment, to be called the Rani of Jhansi regiment. She got support from women followers too. Thus Dr. Lakshmi Swaminathan became Captain Lakshmi, the name through which she was known whole through her life.
Once Captain Lakshmi was arrested by the British army in May 1945 and she had to remain in Burma (Myanmar) till 1946 March. Sahgal joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in the year 1971 and represented the party in the Rajya Sabha. During the Bangladesh crisis, she organized relief camps and medical aid for refugees in Calcutta.
Sahgal married Colonel Prem Kumar Sahgal in March 1947 in Lahore and later settled at Kanpur. She continued with her medical practice and aided the refugees, thus doing the service of a doctor as well as a nurse. In true means, she is a great Indian lady! She was an atheist.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 13, 2018
