Poornima Arvind Pakvasa (5 October 1913 – 25 April 2016), known as the Didi of Dangs, was an Indian independence activist and social worker 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 ...

Early life

Pakvasa was born in Ranpur near

Limbdi State Limbdi State was a princely state and was entitled to a 9-gun salute during the British Raj. It was ruled at that time by members of the Jhala dynasty. It belonged to Kathiawar Agency. After India's independence The Indian independence m ...

, Saurashtra (now in Gujarat). She was also Manipuri dancer and classical vocal singer.

Political and social activism

Pakvasa first met Mahatma Gandhi at Ranpur when she was eight. She participated in the independence movement in Limbdi. At the age of 18, she participated in the

Dandi March The Salt March, also known as the Salt Satyagraha, Dandi March and the Dandi Satyagraha, was an act of nonviolent civil disobedience in colonial India led by Mahatma Gandhi. The twenty-four day march lasted from 12 March to 6 April 1930 as a di ...

during which she was arrested. Her inmate in jail was

Kasturba Gandhi Kasturbai Mohandas Gandhi (, born Kasturbai Gokuldas Kapadia; 11 April 1869 – 22 February 1944) was an Indian political activist. She married Mohandas Gandhi, more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi, in 1883. With her husband and her eldest so ...

. Pakvasa taught her how to read and write English.

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- ...

was appreciative of this act and gave her his blessings to continue on the path of education. She participated in the 51st session 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 ...

Haripura Haripura is a village located near Kadod town in the Surat district of Gujarat, India. It is around 13 kilometres north east of Bardoli. During the Indian independence movement, it was the venue of annual session of the Indian National Congress ...

in 1938. In 1954, she started Shaktidal, an institution for the cultural, physical and spiritual education of women in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

(now Mumbai). She headed the Bhosla Military School,

Nashik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashik ...

for 25 years. Later in 1974, she established Ritambhara Vishwa Vidyapeeth and extended its activities to become a residential school and college at

Saputara Saputara is a hill station located in Sahyadris or Western Ghats. Saputara town is part of Dang district in Gujarat, India. It is a tourist destination. Famous Places There are so many famous place that attract more tourist they are some ...

. The school chiefly served tribal girls of Dang. She turned 100 in October 2013 and died on 25 April 2016 at the age of 102 in Surat. Her last rites were performed in

by her children.

Awards

In 2004 she was awarded the

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

award for her services to society. She was awarded Santokbaa Award in 2013.

Personal life

She married Arvind Pakvasa and was a daughter-in-law of Mangaldas Pakvasa. She had two daughters - Aarti and Sonal Mansingh - and a son Anuj.

Sonal Mansingh Sonal Mansingh (born 30 April 1944) is an Indian classical dancer and Guru Bharatanatyam and Odissi dancing style. She has been nominated by the President of India to become a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. She is the youngest recipient of ...

is an Indian classical dancer.

References

External links

Profile of Poornima Arvind Pakvasa
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakvasa, Poornima Arvind 1913 births 2016 deaths Indian centenarians Social workers from Gujarat Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work Social workers Women educators from Gujarat Educators from Gujarat 20th-century Indian educators 20th-century Indian women People from Botad district Gandhians Indian independence activists from Gujarat Women centenarians 20th-century women educators