Captain Lakshmi Sahgal

Early life and background

Born in Madras to a lawyer father and a mother active in public life, Lakshmi Swaminathan qualified as a doctor from Madras Medical College in 1938. In 1940 she moved to Singapore, where she treated poor migrant workers.

Historical context

After the fall of Singapore in 1942, Indian prisoners of war and civilians in South-East Asia were organised into the Indian National Army. Subhas Chandra Bose arrived in 1943 and called for women to join.

Key achievements

She raised and led the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, one of the first all-women combat units of its kind, and became known as ‘Captain Lakshmi’. She served in the cabinet of the Provisional Government of Free India.

Important events and milestones

• 1938 Qualifies as a doctor.
• 1943 Joins the INA; leads the Rani of Jhansi Regiment.
• 1945 Taken into custody by British forces in Burma.
• 1947 Marries Prem Kumar Sahgal; settles in Kanpur.
• 23 July 2012 Dies in Kanpur.

Awards and honours

Padma Vibhushan (1998).

Later life

After the war she settled in Kanpur, where she practised medicine for decades. She died in 2012, aged ninety-seven.

Enduring legacy

Captain Lakshmi’s life combined service as a doctor and as a soldier, and the regiment she led remains a landmark in the history of women in India’s freedom struggle.