: 40 years before freedom, Bhikaiji Cama hoisted the first Indian flag in Stuttgart #IndiaNEWS #National By Quaid NajmiThe moment of legendary freedom-fighter Bhikaiji Patel-Cama first hoisting the

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40 years before freedom, Bhikaiji Cama hoisted the first Indian flag in Stuttgart #IndiaNEWS #National
By Quaid NajmiThe moment of legendary freedom-fighter Bhikaiji Patel-Cama first hoisting the Indian flag in Germany and issuing a simple appeal to the world to support Indias struggle for independence is etched in golden letters in the countrys history, as it was during a time when the freedom movement had very few women at the forefront.
It was on August 2, 1907, when the 46-year-old feminist-nationalist Bhikaiji Cama was in Stuttgart attending the International Socialist Conference during her forced sojourn in Europe, US and later north Africa that she took the opportunity to unveil the Indian flag before the world and sought their support for her motherlands freedom from the British oppression.
She told the horrors of the famine that had ravaged India, the flouting of human rights, and equality by Britain and demanded independence from the British Raj.
The flag, later smuggled into India and currently housed at a Pune museum, was jointly designed by Bhikaiji Cama and Shyamji Krishnavarma and later inspired the national tricolour that was created for independent India.
Her flag comprised a green stripe at the top with eight lotuses in bloom symbolising the countrys provinces, Bande Mataram scribbled at the centre in Hindi on the saffron stripe, along with a sun on the left and a crescent moon on the right, symbolising the two dominant faiths Hinduism and Islam in the country.
That small act coming from a woman succeeded in drawing big attention to Indias plight, its yearning and struggle for independence, before the global comity, embarrassing the British rulers.
Born into a wealthy Zoroastrian (Parsi) merchant family to Sorabji and Jaijibai Patel on September 24, 1861, Bhikaiji Patel was drawn to the fledgling Indian freedom struggle, at a very young age, thus, taking baby steps after the historic First War of Independence of 1857.
Educated at the famed Alexandra Girls English Institution, Byculla and blessed with the ability to pick up languages quickly which later helped her espouse Indias cause in different countries she got married to Rustomji Cama, a famous pro-Raj lawyer in 1885.
However, the couple remained at odds, as she was a nationalist with her disdain for the British and he had unabashed adulation for the Raj. The marriage was literally on the rocks as both remained immersed in their respective interests.
During the devastating bubonic plague that broke in the Bombay Presidency in 1896, Bhikaiji Cama volunteered to help the infected but ended up catching the fatal disease, and though she survived, it took an enormous toll on her frail health.
As doctors suggested she go to Europe for convalescence, she left the Indian shores in 1902 blissfully unaware at that time, of what would be a long, forced foreign exile and travel that would last for over 3 decades, starting with ironically, London.

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