Minimata Agam Dass Guru
Minimata Agam Dass Guru | |
|---|---|
| Member of Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1957–1973 | |
| Succeeded by | Manhar Bhagatram |
| Constituency | Janjgir-Champa |
| In office 1955–1957 | |
| Preceded by | Guru Agamdas |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Constituency | Bilaspur-Durg-Raipur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Meenakshi Devi March 15, 1916 Sainabagan, Assam |
| Died | August 11, 1973 (aged 57) Palam Airport, Delhi |
| Spouse | Guru Agam Das (m. 1932) |
| Parent(s) | Budhari Das Mahant Devmati Bai |
Minimata Agam Das Guru (15 March 1916 – 11 August 1973) was an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress Party, and a Member of Parliament in the first through fifth terms of the Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.
Early life
[edit]Minimata was born in Meenakshi Devi in Sainabagan, Nagaon district in Assam in 1916 to Budharidas Mahant.[1] She was educated at Girls School, Nagaon and Raipur.[2]
She married Guru Agam Das, the then-Guru of the Satnami Panth, on 2 July 1930.[2]
Political career
[edit]Minimata was elected to the first Lok Sabha in a bye-election in 1955 after the death of the sitting MP, her husband, Guru Agamdas.[1] She contested the same constituency on a Congress party nomination and won. In 1962, she contested for the Indian National Congress party in Madhya Pradesh state, in Baloda Bazar, a Scheduled Caste reserved constituency. She won with more than 52% of the vote, defeating the Prajya Socialist Party candidate.[3] In 1967, she contested for the Indian National Congress Party in the Schedule Caste reserved constituency of Janjgir, then in Madhya Pradesh state, winning with more than 62% of the vote.[4] Minimata contested the same constituency of Janjgir in 1971, again for the Indian National Congress Party, and again winning the election.[5] She died in 1973 before the end of her parliamentary term, prompting a by-election.[citation needed]
Besides her parliamentary work, she served as General Secretary, State Congress Committee; President of Guru Ghasidas Seva Sangh; President of Harijan Education Society; Vice-President, State Depressed Classes League; Secretary, Mahila Mandal, Raipur.[2] She was also a member of the Social Welfare Board, Raipur and a member of District Congress Committee, Raipur.[2] Minimata was associated with Satnami politics, a form of Ambedkarite Dalit self-assertion.[6] After the death of her husband, she took on the leadership of the community.[6] She stood against casteism and untouchability, as well as child marriage and dowry.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Her parliamentary profile listed her hobbies as reading, knitting, embroidery, cooking and gardening, and debating and discussion on social and political affairs.[2]
Minimata died in an airplane crash on a flight from Raipur to Delhi; the plane crashed as it tried to land at Palam airport.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Kshīrasāgara, Rāmacandra (1994). Dalit movement in India and its leaders, 1857-1956. M.D. Publications. pp. 270–271. ISBN 9788185880433.
- ^ a b c d e "Lok Sabha member profiles". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
- ^ Statistical Report on General Elections, 1962, to the Third Lok Sabha (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 109.
- ^ Statistical Report on General Elections, 1967, to the Fourth Lok Sabha (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 131.
- ^ Statistical Report on General Elections, 1971 to the Fifth Lok Sabha (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 142.
- ^ a b Singh, Yasna (2013). Satnami Self-Assertion and Dalit Activism: everyday life and caste in rural Chhattisgarh (central India) (PhD Dissertation) (PDF). London School of Economics and Political Science e-theses.
- ^ Sen, Ilina (2014). Inside Chhattisgarh: A Political Memoir. Penguin.
8, https://cgculture.in/samman_front_list.aspx?id=Y3j79zuhgzch7sZF33PD0Q==
9, https://www.livehindustan.com/lok-sabha-election/story-minimata-is-first-woman-mp-of-chhatisgarh-know-about-her-peronal-and-political-career-2453768.html
10, https://www.cgnewshindi.in/2020/06/mini-mata-chhattisgarh.html