Prime Minister Paid Tribute to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar

The birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar was commemorated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, who highlighted their compassion, courage and invaluable contributions to our nation.

About Savitribai Phule 

Savitribai Phule from Maharashtra was a social activist who provided education for girls and deprived portions of society. 

• She was the first female teacher in India (1848) and opened a girls' school with her husband, Jyotiba Phule. 
• She established a shelter (1864) for destitute women and played a crucial role in helping in Jyotiba Phule’s pioneering institution, Satyashodhak Samaj (1873). 
• Savitribai is celebrated as a champion of women's rights in India and is widely recognized as the mother of Indian feminism. 
• During the bubonic plague outbreak in Maharashtra in 1897, Savitribai helped by setting up a clinic for plague victims in Hadapsar, Pune. She was not content to be a mere observer and rushed to the affected areas to provide aid.

About Rani Velu Nachiyar

Rani Velu Nachiyar, also known by Tamils as Veeramangai, was the first queen to fight against the British colonial power in India. 

• She was born in the royal family of Ramanathapuram, the only child of Raja Chellamuthu Vijayaragunatha Sethupathy and Rani Sakandhimuthal of the Ramnad kingdom.
• Rani Velu Nachiyar was the first queen to fight against the British for India's freedom. In 1780, she granted powers to the Marudu brothers to administer the country. Velu Nachiyar passed away a few years later, on 25 December 1796.