Sarojini Naidu Birthday: Sarojini Naidu’s birthday is celebrated on 13 February 1829. Sarojini Naidu is also called Nightingale of India. She was a poet, freedom fighter and one of the most prominent women leaders of India’s independence movement. She became the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress in 1925 and later the first woman Governor of Uttar Pradesh. His relationship with Mohammad Ali Jinnah is one of the most interesting political friendships of pre-independence India. Let us know how this friendship finally reached its breaking point later.

friendship in the beginning

Sarojini Naidu and Jinnah met for the first time in 1906 during the session of the Indian National Congress in Kolkata. At that time Jinnah was largely considered a moderate nationalist leader. Jinnah believed in constitutional reforms and Hindu-Muslim unity. Naidu greatly appreciated his speaking skills and political clarity. After the historic Lucknow Pact of 1916, he described Jinnah as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. In 1918, he collected Jinnah’s speeches and wrote a book praising him. His connections were not limited to politics only. Sarojini Naidu was also very close to Jinnah’s wife Ratanbai Jinnah.

Impact and political changes of Mahatma Gandhi

The turning point in their relationship came in the 1920s with the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi and his massive movements like non-cooperation and Satyagraha. Jinnah was very uncomfortable with Gandhi’s methods, especially the use of civil disobedience and religious symbols in politics. He gave priority to constitutional talks and gradually distanced himself from the Congress. Sarojini Naidu, on the other hand, became one of Gandhi’s most loyal supporters and actively participated in his campaign.

As Jinnah’s political path converged with the All India Muslim League and he started advocating the Two Nation Theory, ideological differences between him and Congress leaders increased. Sarojini Naidu believed in one India and communal harmony.

From friendship to formal distance

By the 1940s, as the demand for Pakistan intensified, the personal friendship between Sarojini Naidu and Jinnah turned into formal political distance. The friendship which was once a symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity was now struggling with painful divisions within Indian politics. However, Sarojini Naidu never publicly showed personal bitterness towards Jinnah.

Partition and final separation

The partition of India in 1947 marked a definite end to their joint political journey. Jinnah became the founding leader of Pakistan and Sarojini Naidu remained in India and became the first woman Governor of Uttar Pradesh.

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RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Remark on Pakistan: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, giving a sharp political statement at the closing ceremony of the worker development class held in Nagpur, called Pakistan Dogala. Questioning the principle of dualism, he said that this idea is still riding on Pakistan’s head like a ghost.

Mohan Bhagwat said that Pakistan had a ghost of secondary theory. If he could live peacefully, he started to separate and started doing disturbance as soon as it separated. There will be danger in the country until this bottleness goes. This statement comes at a time when there is resentment in the country due to the news of terrorist attack during Operation Sindoor in Pahalgam, Kashmir. Bhagwat’s gesture was that Pakistan supports India’s internal security by supporting terrorism.

Tough trend on conversion
Mohan Bhagwat called it violence after tribal leader Arvind Netam raised the issue of conversion in tribal areas at the ceremony. He said that if a person voluntarily changes the method of worship, there is no objection, but changing religion under greed or pressure is violence. He said that conversion is violence. Those who want to come back to their original religion, they should be brought back. RSS has been in favor of homecoming campaign for a long time and this statement has been seen as a reconstruction of the same ideology.

Conversion in tribal areas
In the program, tribal leader Netam also raised the issue that conversion is being done in a planned manner in tribal areas. Expressing support on this, Mohan Bhagwat said that: If a person changes religion with compulsion or deception, then he should have the right to return to his original religion. Society should cooperate with such people, not they should be excluded.