Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddi: India’s First Woman Legislator

Muthulakshmi Reddy is a name that directly challenged the thought process of the Indian patriarchal system at a time when women were not even allowed to speak up. Muthulakshmi Reddy has many feathers to her cap, a social reformer, activist, Indian medical practitioner and Padma Bhushan award recipient and the list goes on. Reddy was born on 30^th July, 1886 in the Princely State of Pudukkottai, Madras Presidency, India. Her father, S. Narayanaswami Iyer was the principal of Maharaja’s College and mother, Chandrammal was a Devadasi. Her father was ostracised from the family for marrying a devadasi. She developed a close relationship with the maternal side of her family and she became quite perceptive about the Devadasi community and their issues.

From a very young age she showed enthusiasm for learning and education, so her father broke the tradition and sent her to school. Her teachers were very much impressed by her sincerity and decided to teach her in subjects beyond those approved by her father. Due to the onset of puberty she was forced to leave school but schooling did not stop her home schooling continued. From a very young age she started questioning the societal norms which were biased and against women’s rights. She was against the subordination of women to men and rebelled whenever people said that only boys need education and not girls.

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Background

Her path was full of hurdles and nothing came easy for her. After passing the Matriculation exam she applied for admission to Maharaja’s college but it was opposed by everyone and was summarily rejected because everyone thought she might “demoralize” the male students. But the somewhat enlightened Maharaja of Pudukkottai ignored these objections and admitted her to the college and she was also given a scholarship. From there she went to Madras Medical College and then became a House Surgeon in the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Chennai, the first female doctor in India. Her academic record was brilliant and apart from all the gold medals and prizes to her credit she had so many inspiring achievements like : the first female student to be admitted into a men’s college, first woman House Surgeon in a Government Maternity and Ophthalmic Hospital, first woman Legislator of in British India, the first chairperson of the State Social Welfare Advisory Board, the first woman Deputy President of the Legislative Council and the first Alderwoman of the Madras Corporation Avvai Home.

She was very much influenced by Annie Besant and Mahatma Gandhi. She wanted to change the perception of a woman in the society and wanted to correct the balance for women by removing all the social abuses and working for equality in moral standards. Her journey as a women’s activist and social reformer started at a very young age. After her matriculation her mother wanted her to get married but she opposed to the idea of submission towards men and later on married Sundara Reddy with the proviso that he promised to always respect her as an equal and never cross her wishes.

During her college days she met Sarojini Naidu and began attending women’s meeting where she met women who shared her concerns. She devoted her life for the upliftment of women and children and worked for the emancipation of women at a time when women were confined in the four wall of the house. She even gave up her rewarding practice in medicine in response to a request from the Women’s Indian Association to enter the Madras Legislative Council. From there on her journey towards of upliftment of women and children took a whole new path. She helped orphans, especially girls, arranged free boarding and lodging for them at the  Avvai Home in Chennai. She passed a resolution to establish a special hospital for women and children, and her move was welcomed by the government and a children’s section was opened in the maternity ward of the Hospital. She brought up drastic changes in the whole system which were the need of the time. She started systematic checkup of students in colleges, worked on stopping immoral trafficking, closing brothels, building shelter for rescued girls and also recommended government to increase the minimum age of marriage of boys and girls to 21 and 16 years respectively. She traveled the whole country in her quest for the betterment of women and equality in life for everyone. Reddy also started a cancer relief fund which has now developed into all-India institution combining therapy and research on cancer which attracts patients from all over India. She continued to fight for her cause till the last breath and nothing could deter her. She was energetic even in her last days and served as an inspiration for many.

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