New Delhi: On this day in 1847, Annie Besant was born. She was a prominent socialist, theosophist, women’s rights activist, and supporter of Indian-self rule.
Besant came to India on 16 November 1893 to attend the Annual Convention of the Theosophical Society at Adyar in Madras and in 1898 she established the Central Hindu College at Benares, nucleus of the Benares Hindu University.
In 1914, Besant founded a weekly newspaper Commonweal in January 1914. In June the same year she purchased the ‘Madras Standard’ and renamed it ‘New India’, which later became her chosen organ for her tempestuous propaganda for India’s freedom. She named this freedom ‘Home Rule’ for India.
In 1917, Besant established the Indian Boy Scouts’ Association and also started the Women’s Indian Association. In 1932, she was made Honorary Commissioner for India and in the same year she was awarded the Order of the Silver Wolf—the greatest honour of the Scout Movement of which the Boy Scouts’ Association became part of. She was also made the President of the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress in August the same year.
Besant passed away in 1933. Her self-desired epitaph bears the simple yet profound words, “She tried to follow Truth.”
Google is commemorating the 168th birth anniversary of the fierce advocate of Indian self-rule by a special doodle.
Doodler Lydia Nichols has created a fitting doodle with Besant at the center of the Google logo looking content while rocking sweetly in her chair, with a copy of ‘New India’ in her hands.
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