24th September, 2025 marks the 164th birth anniversary of Madam Bhikaiji Cama, often described as ‘The Mother of India’s Revolution’ from far across the shores of her home country India. In the footsteps of the Grand Old Man of India, Dadabhai Naoroji, she played a significant role in advocating for India’s cause on the international stage. Her activism in the spheres of women’s rights and India’s independence from the unjust and economically draining British colonial rule made her a trailblazing figure in the history of India’s Freedom Struggle and Women’s Empowerment.
Bhikaiji Cama’s life stands as a shining example of purpose and conviction. Born on 24th September, 1861, into the affluent Patel family, her father Sorabji was a lawyer turned merchant, and her mother Jaijibai ensured she received an excellent education at the Alexandra Native Girls’ English Institution. Gifted with a flair for languages, Bhikaiji would later use this skill to advance her mission in Europe.
In 1885, she married Rustom Cama, son of renowned Oriental scholar Kharshedji Rustomji Cama. The marriage, however, proved unhappy. While her husband supported British interests, Bhikaiji’s heart was drawn to philanthropy and political activism, a clash that led to estrangement.
Exile did not weaken her spirit. Inspired by the ideals of the Indian nationalist movement, she immersed herself in political causes and social reform. Choosing a path far removed from the comforts she was born into, Bhikaiji dedicated her life to service, compassion and the pursuit of justice. Her legacy continues to inspire as one rooted in values, not privilege.
Healing The Sick: In October 1896, the Bombay Presidency faced a devastating famine followed by the outbreak of bubonic plague. The city was gripped by fear as healers, priests, doctors, nurses and attendants worked tirelessly amidst high mortality rates and little hope of cure. Many succumbed to exhaustion, while others paid with their lives, exposed daily to the deadly infection and the psychological weight of unending loss.
Amid the plague crisis, Bhikaiji Cama bravely joined a medical team at Grant Medical College, helping care for the sick and later inoculate the healthy. For her, service was about compassion, not recognition. She believed its true reward lay in the joy and shared humanity it fostered. In the process, she contracted the plague herself. Though she survived, her health was severely weakened, and in 1901 she was sent to Britain to recuperate.
Opportunity Amid Adversity: Stricken by plague and sent to Britain in 1901 to recover, she found herself at the crossroads of destiny. In London, she met Dadabhai Naoroji, the grand old man of Indian politics, whose ideals deeply inspired her. Under his mentorship, she was drawn further into the freedom movement and became one of its most spirited voices abroad. In early 1900s London, Bhikaiji Cama connected with Shyamji Krishna Varma, whose fiery speeches at Hyde Park’s Speakers’ Corner stirred debates on race, colonialism and freedom. The venue, once home to voices like Marx, Lenin and Orwell, deepened her resolve and strengthened her commitment to India’s independence struggle.
The ‘Home Rule’ Movement: She worked as Naoroji’s private secretary when he served as president of the British Committee of the Indian National Congress, helping shape the Indian Home Rule Society in 1905 alongside Naoroji and Singh Revabhai Rana. Relocating to Paris, she co-founded the Paris Indian Society with S. R. Rana and Munchershah Burjorji Godrej.
Bhikaiji also travelled to the United States, delivering stirring speeches on the oppression of British rule and appealing to Americans to support India’s cause. As one of the first Indian women to use international platforms for political advocacy, she carved a unique place in history, proving that her exile was a turning point in the nation’s journey to freedom.
Unfurling The First Indian Flag: One of Bhikaiji Cama’s most historic contributions was the unfurling of the first version of the Indian National Flag on 22nd August, 1907, at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany. Co-designed with Shyamji Krishna Varma, the flag carried bold symbolism that voiced India’s demand for freedom before a global audience. The tricolour featured green, saffron, and red horizontal stripes. On the top green stripe bloomed eight lotuses, representing the eight provinces of pre-independence India. Across the central saffron band, the words ‘Vande Mataram’ were inscribed in Hindi, serving as a rallying cry for freedom. The bottom red stripe carried a half-moon on the right and a rising sun on the left, signifying the unity of Hindu and Muslim faiths.
This flag, smuggled into India by socialist leader Indulal Yagnik, is preserved today at the Maratha and Kesari Library in Pune. It became an early template for the national flag we know today. Cama’s defiant act of raising the flag on foreign soil was more than symbolic. It was a courageous declaration of India’s right to self-rule and a reminder to the world that the call for independence had found its voice.
In 1907, Bhikaiji Cama co-published and co-edited the revolutionary magazine Bande Mataram with Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. This publication became a vital platform to spread the message of independence while also voicing women’s rights. She later produced booklets for the Indian community in England, passionately advocating Swaraj. Among her works was Madan’s Talwar, written after the execution of Madan Lal Dhingra, with both publications smuggled into India through Pondicherry.
Cama’s activism extended beyond politics into women’s empowerment. Influenced by Christabel Pankhurst and the Suffragette movement, she consistently championed education and equal rights for women. In 1910, addressing a gathering in Cairo, she asked, “Sons of Egypt, where are the daughters of Egypt? Where are your mothers and sisters? Your wives and daughters?” In 1920, when she met suffragists Herabai and Mithan Tata, she urged them to prioritise independence, believing freedom of the nation was the foundation for women’s equality.
Return From Life In Exile: Bhikaiji Cama’s unwavering role in the freedom struggle forced her into a long exile across Europe, where she lived in France and England. During the First World War, her anti-British stance drew restrictions from French authorities, who ordered her to live outside Paris and report weekly to the police. Undeterred, she continued her political activities, building close ties with Indian, Irish and Egyptian revolutionaries, as well as French Socialists and Russian leaders.
Her exile lasted until 1935, when illness and a paralytic stroke left her frail. With the help of Sir Cowasji Jehangir, she petitioned the British government to return home, agreeing to renounce political activity. She reached Bombay in November 1935 but passed away nine months later, on 13th August, 1936, at Parsee General Hospital.
Bhikaiji Cama’s passion for women’s education was reflected in her philanthropy. She left most of her personal assets to the Bai Avabai Petit Orphanage for Girls, which set up a trust in her name. She also donated a significant sum of Rs. 54,000 to her family’s fire temple, the Framji Nusserwanjee Patel Agiary at Mazgaon.
National Recognition: Her legacy has been honoured across India. South Mumbai’s Madam Cama Road runs past Mantralaya, while Delhi’s Bhikaji Cama Place is a thriving commercial hub. On Republic Day in 1962, a commemorative stamp was issued in her memory, and in 1997 the Indian Coast Guard commissioned a vessel named ICGS Bhikaji Cama. She remains celebrated as a fearless patriot and a pioneering voice for freedom.
- Why Is Dokhma Preferred Over Burial Or Cremation? - 17 January2026
- Raenidar Adarbad Mahrespand – Rejuvenator Of Zoroastrian Faith! - 10 January2026
- Welcome 2026 With Compassion, Peace And Harmony! - 3 January2026
