Thread by @PUKOSARAVANAN

Doing a short thread on Dr. Muthulakshmi reddi on her 133rd birth anniversary. No adjective would be suffice to describe her contributions and legacy. We know her as a driving force behind removal of Devadasi system by legislation. There is much more to it. 1/n

Muthulakshmi born in a devadasi family in Pudukottai. Her mother Chandrammal wanted to discontinue her studies after her puberty. She refused to give up. Reason: Loss of her beloved sister to cancer. Muthulakshmi met ruler of Pudukottai and endured she got a place in college 2/n

Having been the only female student in the class, she blazed in studies and went on to get a seat in MMC. But troubles awaited her. She had to take her of her siblings and bear the brunt of eve teasing by batchmates. A professor denied her entry into surgery class 3/n

She went on to score centum in that paper and the same professor who denied her entry into the class called her graduation from MMC as a golden moment to be etched in annals of MMC history. She went to Europe during 1925-26 4/n

Foregoing her handsome practice, she went to London for pursuing Masters in the field of Oncology. In June 1926, she attended the International Congress of Women in Paris as India's representative. There she spoke in Tamil. I was moved to tears hearing recording of the talk 5/n

On her return from Europe, the Women's Indian Association proposed her name for the Legislative Council and she became the first woman legislator in the Council. She worked for establishment of schools for girls, medical inspection of schools, removal of school fee for girls 6/n

She even advocated incorporating women into Police force. When Sarda bill which raised minimum age of marriage was brought in central assembly Muthulakshmi introduced the bill in Madras presidency and got it passed. 7/n

She then started two battles of her life. Removal of devadasi system and cancer. She brought a bill to end Devadasi system. The bill didn't elicit much support and then premier Rajaji kept it at bay due to opposition within party ranks. 8/n

Before Madras, Cochin, Mysore states have abolished Devadasi system. Muthulakshmi waited for 2 decades to see her dream turn true. In Independent India Devadasi system was abolished. Interestingly, her arguments to remove it weren't loaded with feminist arguments. 9/n

She went as a delegate to London to depose before the Lothian Committee on Franchise and to Chicago to attend the International Congress of Women. In 1935, the centenary of MMC she moved a resolution for a specialised hospital for cancer. What followed is worse 10/n

The medical fraternity consisting of mostly men wasn't receptive of the idea. Health minister thought only aged persons die of cancer, one bureaucrat even went to joke 'புத்து மண்ணள்ளி போட்டா புத்துநோய் சரியாகிடும்' 11/n

Unfazed she went to toil for another 17 years to realise her dream. She had hit the streets, ran campaigns, conducted exhibitions and collected a sum of two lakhs. And in 1952 Rajaji invited her to become member of legislative council. She refused citing her age 12/n

After repeated insistence, she agreed with a condition. Land for her dream hospital within city limits. Rajaji gave a piece of land in Adyar. With able assistance of her son Krishnamurthi and young doctor Shantha Adyar cancer hospital was born with few beds. 13/n

Now the hospital serves lakhs of patients every year and remains as one of the leading hospitals in Asia for cancer treatment. Muthulakshmi had also started Avvai illam in her home when destitute women affected by abolition of devadasi system knocked her home in midnight 14/n

She also recommended Mrs.Soundaram's name for serving people in Southern parts of Madras presidency to Gandhi. That is how Gandhigram university came into existence and Soundaram went on to achieve many things in reproductive health. 15/n

Muthulakshmi Reddy published her first 246-page autobiographical account, My Experience As
Legislator, in 1930- systematic documentation of her speeches and interventions made in the
Madras Legislative Council from December 1926 until her resignation from the Council in 1930 16/n

It also gives glimpses of her experiences and struggles of being the only woman legislator in a council full
of men. She published her second autobiographical account, Autobiography, in 1964. 17/n

Professor Anandhi S quotes this interesting quote from autobiography of Muthulakshmi published in 1964 in her paper 'The manifesto and the modern self reading of autobiography of muthulakshmi reddy' academia.edu/3463456/autobi…

Also try these essays: saravananagathan.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/%e0…

And this : bbc.com/tamil/amp/indi…

If you re lazy enough try this video:

And this image is Google doodle celebrating her birth anniversary. Thanks for tuning in. 20/20