Great freedom fighter and officer of the Indian National Army Captain Dr. Laxmi Sahgal

Captain Dr. Lakshmi Sehgal was a great freedom fighter and an officer of the Azad Hind Fauj.

She did many commendable works while in the army, shoulder to shoulder with Subhash Chandra Bose. He was entrusted with a very difficult responsibility. The responsibility on his shoulders was to motivate women to join the army and get them admitted into the army. Lakshmi took this responsibility to the end very well. At a time when it was considered a crime to remove women from the house, at that time she formed an army of 500 women, which was the first wing of its kind in Asia.

Life introduction:

Captain Dr. Lakshmi Sehgal was born on 24 October 1914 in a conservative Tamil family. His father was a lawyer Dr. Swaminathan and his mother was a social worker and freedom fighter Ammukutty.

Education and Early Life:

Captain Sehgal passed his graduation in science in 1932. In 1938, he did his MBBS from Madras Medical College. Did it and the next year in 1939 she became a gynecologist. After working in India for a few days, she went to Singapore in 1940.

In Singapore, she not only opened a free hospital for migrant laborers from India but also became an active member of the India Independence Association. When the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese in 1942 during World War II, she did a lot of work for wounded prisoners of war.

 Meeting with Netaji:

Seeing the condition of the laborers abroad and the atrocities on them, his heart was filled with tears. She decided that she would do something for the freedom of her country. The flame of freedom had awakened in Lakshmi's heart, during this time when leader Subhash Chandra Bose came to Singapore on July 2, 1943, with the torch of the country's independence, Dr. Lakshmi also could not live without being influenced by his thoughts and finally about a During the hour-long meeting, Lakshmi expressed her desire that she would join him in India's freedom struggle. 

After seeing the spirit of freedom within Lakshmi, Netaji announced the formation of the Rani Laxmibai Regiment under her leadership, in which those brave women who could give their lives for the country were included. On October 22, 1943, Dr. Lakshmi took charge as Captain of the Rani Jhansi Regiment. Due to her courage and amazing work, she later got the rank of colonel, which was the first time a woman got it in Asia. 

But people remembered her only as Captain Lakshmi. Dr. Lakshmi became the first woman member of the cabinet of the temporary Azad Hind government. She was an officer of the Azad Hind Fauj and the Minister of Women's Affairs in the Azad Hind government.

After the defeat of Japan in World War II, the British forces also arrested the soldiers of Azad Hind Fauj. Dr. Lakshmi was also among the Azad Hind soldiers captured in Singapore. He was acquitted after being brought to India in July 1946.

Marriage:

Dr. Lakshmi married Colonel Prem Kumar Sehgal in March 1947 in Lahore.

Politics Career:

After the death of her husband, Captain Lakshmi started living in Kanpur, and later Captain Sehgal also came into active politics. In 1971, he joined the Communist Party of India-Marxist / CPM (Communist Party of India / CPIM) and represented the party in the Rajya Sabha. She was one of the founding members of the All India Democratic Women's Association (All India Democratic Women's Association).

During the Bangladesh dispute, he also opened rescue camps and medical camps for refugees coming to India from Bangladesh in Calcutta. She is a founding member of the All India Democratic Women's Association, established in 1981, and has led many of its activities and campaigns.

In the Bhopal gas tragedy in December 1984, she along with her medical team reached Bhopal to help the victims. In 1984, she started working to bring peace to Kanpur during the Sikh riots and in 1996 she was arrested for campaigning against the Miss World Competition in Bangalore.

He fought a lot for the social and economic freedom of women. In the year 2002, at the age of 88, under the pressure of the people of his party (Left Party), he also contested for the post of President against former President APJ Abdul Kalam, but he had to face defeat. But his reputation was not affected.

Respect:

In recognition of his significant contribution and struggle in the freedom movement, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the President of India, KR Narayanan in 1998.

Death:

Captain Dr. Lakshmi Sehgal died at the age of 98 on July 23, 2012, at 11.20 am at Hallett Hospital, Kanpur. He was admitted after suffering a heart attack on July 19, where he later suffered a brain hemorrhage. But two days later she went into a coma. After battling for life and death for almost five days, Captain Sehgal finally lost his last battle. This country will always remember him as a freedom fighter, doctor, parliamentarian and social worker.