She also worked as the First Female House Surgeon of Government Maternity and Eye Hospital in Madras. She fought against the system of Wet Nursing, in which upper-class and dominant caste women would have their babies breastfed by Dalit women.
KRC Times Tell Tale Teaser Team
Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy, an Indian educator, surgeon, lawmaker & reformer was born on the 30th of July 1886, in the princely state of Pudukkottai, now a town in Tamil Nadu. Indeed she was a Superwoman of India who broke many norms of the society With so many firsts attached to her name and work, one can hardly do justice to her numerous achievements.
She also worked as the First Female House Surgeon of Government Maternity and Eye Hospital in Madras. She fought against the system of Wet Nursing, in which upper-class and dominant caste women would have their babies breastfed by Dalit women. In 1954 she also laid the foundation of ‘Adyar Cancer Institute’. Started the Cancer Relief Fund, which is now an all India Institute for cancer research and treatment.
She gave up her medical practice to enter the Madras Legislative Council, and eventually became the First Woman to become the Vice President of any legislative council in the world. Muthulakshmi helped in the establishment of the ‘Women’s Indian Association’ in 1918.
She was also elected as Vice-President of Madras Legislative Assembly and after this, she became the first woman MLA of India. During her lifetime, Muthulakshmi made rules to stop the marriage of girls in the lower age and urged the Council to pass the Immoral Trafficking Control Act. She was an active participant in the freedom struggle and gave up her position as a legislator in the British government, during the Quit India movement.
She was very close to her mother who was a Devadasi, and she worked hard to move a legislation that abolished the Devadasi System in Tamil Nadu and raised the minimum age of marriage, 21 for boys and 16 for girls. She gave out scholarships for Harijan girls and opened hostels for Muslim girls. She was involved in setting up Toilets for men and women.
She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956 for her service to the nation. As a mark of respect, Google Doodle celebrates Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy 133rd birthday this year. We salute Dr. Reddi and seek inspiration from her grit and determination.
