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Janaki Devi Bajaj

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Janaki Devi Bajaj
Born(1893-01-07)7 January 1893
Jaora, Jaora State, India
Died21 May 1979(1979-05-21) (aged 86)
NationalityIndian
Occupationindependence activist
ChildrenMadalsa
AwardsPadma Vibhushan (1956)
Janaki Devi Bajaj receives Padma Vibhushan from the President of India, Rajendra Prasad

Janaki Devi Bajaj (7 January 1893 – 21 May 1979) was an Indian independence activist who was jailed for participating in Civil Disobedience Movement in 1932.

Early life and career

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She was born on 7 January 1893 in Jaora in Jaora State into a Hindu family. At the age of eight, she was married to 12-year-old Jamnalal Bajaj, a boy of her own community and similar family, in a match arranged by their families in the usual Indian way.[1] The marriage was entirely harmonious and conventional, and Jankidevi was a devoted wife and mother. At the time of their wedding, the Bajaj family was one of very average, middle-class tradespeople; over the years, Jamnalal would build a large business empire and become one of India's earliest industrialists.[2]

Jamnalal participated in the freedom struggle movement, and Jankidevi also took up khadi spinning on charkha, working for Gauseva and the betterment of the lives of harijans and their temple entry in 1928. After independence, she worked with Vinoba Bhave on Bhoodan movement.[3] She served as President of Akhil Bhartiya Goseva Sangh for many years since 1942.[1] She was conferred Padma Vibhushan the second highest civilian award in 1956.[4] She published her autobiography titled, Meri Jivan Yatra in 1965.

Legacy

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She died in 1979. Many educational institutions and awards have been set up in her memory, including Janaki Devi Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Janaki Devi Bajaj Government PG Girls College Kota and 'Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha' established by Bajaj Electricals.[5] The Ladies' Wing of Indian Merchants' Chamber instituted the IMC-Ladies Wing Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar for Rural Entrepreneurs in the year 1992–93.[1]

Works

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  • Bajaj, Janaki Devi. Meri Jivan Yatra (My Life Journey). New Delhi: Martand Upadhaya, 1965 (1956).

References

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  1. ^ a b c "The Story of Jankidevi Bajaj, Who Gave up Gold, Silks & Purdah to Inspire Hundreds of Indian Women". The Better India. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  2. ^ "In Bajaj family, business sense over-rules ties". Financial Express. 6 April 2012.
  3. ^ Bharti Thakur (2006). Women in Gandhi's mass movements. Deep and Deep Publications. p. 118. ISBN 8176298182.
  4. ^ "Padma Awards Directory (1954-2007)" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. 30 May 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2009.
  5. ^ "Jankidevi Bajaj Gram Vikas Sanstha". Bajaj Electricals.
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