At midnight on 14 August 1947, a crowd of eminent personalities of the country had gathered in the Central Hall of Parliament. India was just a few minutes away from independence. At exactly 11:55, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru stood up and began his speech. A few seconds after the end of his speech, the clock hands had reached 12 and the call for independence was being given in the Central Hall. There were tears in the eyes of everyone present there and people were hugging each other and congratulating each other.
These songs were sung just after independence
The round of congratulations was still going on when a woman stood up. She was the same woman who later became the first woman Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in the 60s. Actually, we are talking about Sucheta Kriplani. Sucheta Kriplani stood up and first sang Allama Iqbal’s song Sare Jahan Se Achcha and then Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Vande Mataram. Later this song became the national song of India.
Who was Sucheta Kriplani
Sucheta Kriplani was a prominent female face of India’s freedom struggle. Apart from this, she was also the first woman Chief Minister of the country. She was born on 25 June 1908 in Haryana. She played an active role in the freedom movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. Talking about education, Sucheta Kriplani completed her education in Lahore and Delhi.
Talking about her role in the freedom struggle, Sucheta Kriplani participated in the Quit India Movement along with Mahatma Gandhi and went to jail several times. She was a big woman leader of the Congress Party and promoted the participation of women in the struggle for India’s independence. After independence, Sucheta Kriplani also became a member of the Constituent Assembly of India. In the year 1963, Sucheta Kriplani became the first woman Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, making her the first woman Chief Minister of independent India. Whereas, Sucheta Kriplani died on 1 December 1974.