PURNIMA BANERJEE (1911-1951)
Purnima Banerjee was the younger sister of independence activist and educator Aruna Asif Ali Her advocacy for broader educational reforms and the removal of sectarian exclusiveness in educational institutions marked her contributions to the Constituent Assembly.
Purnima Banerjee was the secretary of the Indian National Congress committee in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. She was one among a radical network of women from Uttar Pradesh who stood at the forefront of the freedom movement in late 1930’s and 40’s.a s secretary of the Indian National Congress committee in Allahabad, she was responsible for engaging and organizing trade unions, kisan meetings and work towards greater rural engagement. She took part in the Salt March and the Quit India Movement and was subsequently imprisoned.
Later, she became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and of the Constituent Assembly of India. She was arrested for her participation in the Satyagraha and Quit India Movement. One of the more striking aspects of Purnima Banerjee’s speeches in the Constituent Assembly was her steadfast commitment to a socialist ideology.
Purnima Banerji stood up in support of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar to pass the Draft Constitution, she was never hesitant to express her apprehensions. According to her, the Constitution only provided the basic means for a just and civil society. However, it is always dependent on people of power to scale our society to new heights of glory.
Banerji felt that the key industries and mineral resources of the country should have been taken over from private enterprises to save the government from foreign aggression.
Keeping in mind, India’s tryst with salt, salt should have been kept duty free as a gift to free India. She was the first woman to lead the chorus of Jana Gana Mana after it was officially adopted as our National Anthem on 24th January 1950.
Purnima Banerjee’s legacy is one of quiet but powerful defiance, visionary thinking, and unwavering commitment to justice.
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