Indumati Chimanlal Sheth (28 November 1906 – 11 March 1985) was an Indian independence activist, politician, social worker and educationist from

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

. Born in

Ahmedabad Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...

and influenced by

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, she participated in the independence movement and later served as a deputy education minister of the

Bombay State Bombay State was a large Indian state created at the time of India's Independence, with other regions being added to it in the succeeding years. Bombay Presidency (roughly equating to the present-day Indian state of Maharashtra, excluding Sou ...

and education minister of Gujarat. She was awarded 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 1970 for her social work.

Biography

Indumati was born in

on 28 November 1906 to Manekba and Chimanlal Nagindas Sheth. Her father died in 1908 and had willed his fortune to be used for education which resulted in the establishment of a hostel and a school by her mother.

Ambalal Sarabhai Ambalal Sarabhai (23 February 1890 – 13 July 1967) was an Indian industrialist, philanthropist, institution builder, and supporter of Mahatma Gandhi. He was the chairman and promoter of Calico Mills and the founder of The Sarabhai Group of Com ...

was a cousin of her father. She completed her primary education from the Government School in Ahmedabad. She matriculated in 1921 with a Chatfield prize awarded to the girl who stood first in the

Bombay Presidency The Bombay Presidency or Bombay Province, also called Bombay and Sind (1843–1936), was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India, with its capital in the city that came up over the seven islands of Bombay. The first mainl ...

. She graduated in sociology from Gujarat Vidyapith in 1926 where she was influenced by

. She briefly worked as an honorary lecturer at Gujarat Vidyapith. She joined and taught at

Sheth Chimanlal Nagindas Vidyalaya , motto_translation = The light radiates from Him. , location = Ambavadi , streetaddress = , region = , city = Ahmedabad , state = Gujarat , province ...

formed from the institutes founded by her mother. She participated in the

non-cooperation movement The Non-cooperation movement was a political campaign launched on 4 September 1920, by Mahatma Gandhi to have Indians revoke their cooperation from the British government, with the aim of persuading them to grant self-governance.

in the 1920s and the

Quit India Movement The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Kranti Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8th August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British rule in ...

in 1942 for which she was imprisoned by the British authorities. She had appealed and worked for peace during the riots in Ahmedabad in 1941–42. She established the Sammunnati Trust and Mahila Mudranalaya for uplifting women through education and employment. She was also a member of Jyotisangh, a foundation for the women empowerment in Ahmedabad. She promoted

swadeshi The Swadeshi movement was a self-sufficiency movement that was part of the Indian independence movement and contributed to the development of Indian nationalism. Before the BML Government's decision for the partition of Bengal was made public in ...

(local produce) and established Khadi Mandir in Ahmedabad for promotion of khadi clothes. She also founded the Manekba Vinayvihar in

Adalaj Adalaj is a census town in Gandhinagar district in the Indian state of Gujarat, promoted in 2001 from village status. Geography Adalaj is located at . It has an average elevation of . Climate Adalaj has substantially similar climate to A ...

. She had served on the committee for the feasibility study of the university in Gujarat. She was associated with Ahmedabad unit of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

. She was elected as a member of Ahmedabad Municipal School Board in 1937. In 1946, she was elected to the

Bombay Legislative Assembly Bombay Legislative Assembly came into existence in 1937, as the legislature of Bombay Presidency, a province of British India. It functioned until 1960, when separate states of Maharashtra and Gujarat were formed. History The first session of thi ...

unopposed. After independence, she served as the deputy education minister of the

from 1952 to 1960. In 1961, she established Vyayam Vidyabhavan for training physical instructors and the first fine arts college of newly founded Gujarat state. She was also elected from

Ellis Bridge The Ellis Bridge is a century-old bridge in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It bridges the western and eastern parts of the city across the Sabarmati river. This bowstring arch truss bridge was the first bridge in Ahmedabad, constructed in 1892. Concret ...

constituency in 1962 and served as the Minister of Education, Social Welfare, Prohibition and Excise and Rehabilitation of

state from 1962 to 1967. She was appointed a member of University Grants Commission in 1969. She was awarded the

in 1970 by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

for her social work. She died on 11 March 1985 in Ahmedabad. Gujarati writer

Snehrashmi Jhinabhai Ratanji Desai (16 April 1903 – 6 January 1991), better known by his pen name Snehrashmi, was a Gujarati language author and Indian independence activist. Life Jhinabhai was born on 16 April 1903 at Chikhli, Bombay Presidency. He l ...

had written her biography in

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

, (1987).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheth, Indumati Chimanlal Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work Gandhians Women in Gujarat politics Indian independence activists from Gujarat Gujarat politicians Indian National Congress politicians from Gujarat 20th-century Indian women politicians 20th-century Indian politicians 20th-century Indian educators 20th-century Indian women educators Businesspeople from Ahmedabad Politicians from Ahmedabad Businesswomen from Gujarat 20th-century Indian businesspeople 20th-century Indian businesswomen Women educators from Gujarat Educators from Gujarat Social workers from Gujarat 1985 deaths 1906 births Sarabhai family Gujarat MLAs 1962–1967 Bombay State MLAs 1952–1957 Bombay State MLAs 1957–1960