Kamala Nehru

Kamala Kaul Nehru (1899–1936) was the wife of Jawaharlal Nehru - leader of the Indian National Congress and first Prime Minister of India. Kamala married Nehru on 8 February 1916. Their marriage was arranged by his parents.

Contribution to the Indian Freedom Movement

Born and brought up in a traditional Kashmiri Brahmin family of old Delhi, Kamala was simple, quiet and unobtrusive .[citation needed] She felt alienated amongst the more Westernized Nehrus.[citation needed] It was only with the involvement of the Nehrus in the national movement, that she emerged into the forefront.[citation needed] In the Non Cooperation movement of 1921, she organized groups of women in Allahabad and picketed shops selling foreign cloth and liquor. When her husband was arrested to prevent him delivering a "seditious" public speech, she went in his place to read it out. She was twice arrested by British authorities.

[edit] Family and Friends

Rajpati and Jawahar Mull Kaul were Kamala Nehru's parents. Kamala, their eldest child, had two brothers, Chand Bahadur Kaul and the botanist, Kailas Nath Kaul, and a sister, Swaroop Kathju. In November 1917, Kamala gave birth to a daughter, Indira Priyadarshini, who later succeeded her father as prime minister and head of the Congress party. Kamala gave birth to a boy in November 1924, but he was premature and died 2 days later.

She spent some time at Gandhi's ashram with Kasturba Gandhi where she built a close friendship with Prabhavati Devi.

Death

Kamala died from tuberculosis in Lausanne, Switzerland on 28 February 1936. Her daughter and her mother-in-law were by her side when she breathed her last. Kamala was cremated at the Lasagna Crematorium.

Although she did not play a major role in India's freedom movement, a number of institutions in India, such as Kamla Nehru College, University of Delhi, Kamla Nehru Park are named after her.