Hema Bharali (19 February 1919 – 29 April 2020) was an Indian freedom activist, social worker,

Sarvodaya Sarvōdaya ( hi, सर्वोदय '' sarv-'' "all", '' uday'' "rising") is a Sanskrit term which generally means "universal uplift" or "progress of all". The term was used by Mahatma Gandhi as the title of his 1908 translation of John Ruskin ...

leader and

Gandhian The followers of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians. Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environmentalism, ...

, known for her contributions for the empowerment of women and efforts towards the upliftment of the socially and financially challenged sections of the society. She was reported to have been active during the relief operations in the wake of the earthquake in

North Lakhimpur North Lakhimpur ( ) is a city and a municipal board in Lakhimpur district in the Indian state of Assam, about northeast of Guwahati. It is the district headquarters of Lakhimpur district. North Lakhimpur is also the name of the subdivision of L ...

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

state in 1950 and in the development activities after the Sino-Indian War of 1962. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the

Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...

, in 2005, for her contributions to Indian society. A year later, she received the National Communal Harmony Award from the National Foundation for Communal Harmony, an autonomous organization under the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

Biography

Hema Bharali was born on 19 February 1919 in a family of

Chutia The Chutia people (Pron: or ''Sutia'') are an ethnic group that are native to Assam and historically associated with the Chutia kingdom. However, after the kingdom was absorbed into the Ahom kingdom in 1523–24, the Chutia population was ...

ethnicity in the Northeast Indian state of Assam and is known to have taken to social work from an early age. She became active in the Indian freedom struggle and when the earthquake caused devastation in

area in 1950, she took part in the relief operations. A year later, she joined the

Bhoodan movement The Bhoodan movement (Land Gift movement), also known as the Bloodless Revolution, was a voluntary land reform movement in India. It was initiated by Gandhian Vinoba Bhave in 1951 at Pochampally village, Pochampally The Bhoodan movement attempted ...

launched by

Vinoba Bhave Vinayak Narahari, also known as Vinoba Bhave (; 11 September 1895 – 15 November 1982), was an Indian advocate of nonviolence and human rights. Often called ''Acharya'' (Sanskrit teacher), he is best known for the Bhoodan Movement. He is cons ...

in 1951 and became one of its leaders. She was a part of the team, led by Vinoba Bhave, who were involved in the service of the victims of the war-torn area of

Tezpur Tezpur () is a city and urban agglomeration in Sonitpur district, Assam state, India. Tezpur is located on the banks of the river Brahmaputra, northeast of Guwahati, and is the largest of the north bank cities with a population exceeding 100, ...

and stayed at Maitreyi Ashram of Bhave during the operations. She has also been involved with the ''Padayatra'' in connection with the

and was a founder member of the executive council of the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB). The Government of India included Bharali in the 2005 Republic Day Honours list for the fourth highest civilian award of the

. In 2006, she was awarded the National Communal Harmony Award by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony of the

. Three years later, she received the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration from the

Government of Assam The Government of Assam is the subnational government of Assam, a state of India. It consists of the Governor appointed by the President of India as the head of the state, currently Jagdish Mukhi. The head of government is the Chief Minister, ...

. Bharali, a spinster by choice, endured financial and health challenges in her 90s and received financial assistance from the State Government. She lived in

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

, in Assam. As of April 2016, she has continued to make public appearances. She died on 29 April 2020, at age 101.Freedom Fighter Hema Bharali Passes Away in Guwahati
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bharali, Hema 1919 births 2020 deaths Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work Women educators from Assam Educators from Assam Social workers Gandhians Indian independence activists from Assam 20th-century Indian women 20th-century Indian educational theorists Social workers from Assam Indian centenarians Women centenarians 20th-century women educators

Biography

See also

References