Biography of Madam Bhikhaji Cama
Bhikhaji Rustom Cama was born Bhikai Sorab Patel on 24 September 1861 in Bombay into a large, well-off Parsi family. Her parents, Sorabji Framji Patel and Jaijibai Sorabji Patel, were well-known in the city, where her father Sorabji-a lawyer by training and a merchant by profession-was an influential member of the Parsi community.
Like many Parsi girls of the time, Bhikhaiji attended Alexandra Native Girl’s English Institution. Bhikhaiji was by all accounts a diligent, disciplined child with a flair for languages.
On 3 August 1885, she married Rustom Cama, who was son of K. R. Cama. Her husband was a wealthy, pro-British lawyer who aspired to enter politics. It was not a happy marriage, and Bhikhaiji spent most of her time and energy in philanthropic activities and social work.
Madam Bhikhaji Cama entered politics in the early 1900s inspired by the spirit and determination of leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji and Shyamji Krishna Verma. After leaving for England in 1902, she participated in the Socialist Congress at Struttegart in 1907. A year later, she joined hands with Savarkar, Sardar Singh Rana and others in extremism.
In 1905, Cama along with her friends designed the India’s first tricolor flag with green, saffron and red stripes bearing the immortal words-Bande Mataram. This flag was raised by Madam Cama on August 22, 1907, for India’s Independence at the International Socialist Conference in Stuttgart, Germany. After 35 years fighting for India’s independence on foreign land she returned to India and died on August 13, 1936.
A source of inspiration to Indian youths in the UK, she encouraged them to fight for their nation’s cause. She organised the Free India Society and began the Bande Mataram to spread her revolutionary thoughts. She died in India in the year 1936.
