Bhikaiji Cama Image

Madam Bhikaiji Cama, born on September 24, 1861, in Bombay as Bhikaji Patel, was a prominent figure in India’s struggle for independence. When a plague broke out in the Bombay Presidency in 1896, she led volunteer efforts to help the afflicted. Though she contracted the disease herself, she survived. In 1902, she went to Britain for medical care, where she became the private secretary of Dadabhai Naoroji. During her time in London, she also met other Indian revolutionaries, including Lala Har Dayal and Shyamji Krishna Varma.

On August 21, 1907, Madam Cama attended the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. At this event, she unfurled the first version of the Indian national flag before an audience of one thousand representatives from around the world. This bold act highlighted India’s poverty, oppression under British rule, and the struggle for freedom on an international stage. The flag, designed by Vinayak Savarkar with the help of other revolutionaries, symbolized the Indian independence movement.

Madam Cama traveled to the USA and Egypt to raise awareness about India’s revolutionary struggle. Her home in Paris became a haven for revolutionaries from around the world. She wrote, published, and distributed revolutionary literature, including “Bande Mataram,” in response to the British ban on the song, and “Madan’s Talwar,” in memory of Madan Lal Dhingra. Until her last days, she continued to support and finance revolutionaries both in and out of India.

Trivia : The flag that Madam Cama unfurled at Stuttgart is now on public display at the Maratha and Kesari Library in Pune.

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