History News Desk!! Saraswathi Rajamani (English: Saraswathi Rajamani, January 11, 1927; death- January 13, 2018) was India’s youngest female spy. Saraswati Rajamani, who came from a prosperous family, joined Azad Hind Fauj in Singapore. At the age of 16, she was inspired by the powerful words of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and jumped into the fight for freedom. Saraswati Rajamani along with her companion Durga entered the camp of British soldiers. He had cut his hair for the mission. She disguised herself as a boy and started living in the camp. She washed the clothes and polished the shoes of the British soldiers and while doing this she gathered many important information.
Introduction
History has not given women the place they deserve. Whenever we turn the pages of history, we realize that history has been written by men. There are so many women across the world who made sacrifices for their country, but only a few are known today. Something similar has happened in the history of India too, many brave women sacrificed their lives and got lost in the past. Netaji had also included women in Azad Hind Fauj. There was a very young spy in this army, her name was Saraswati Rajmani.
early life
Saraswati Rajamani was born in 1927 into a prosperous family in Myanmar. According to those times, Rajmani’s family was quite patriotic, progressive and liberal. Rajamani got opportunities to study and know the world which many women were deprived of.
meeting Gandhiji
According to an article in Feminism in India, Mahatma Gandhi once visited Saraswati Rajamani’s house and Rajamani was practicing shooting with a gun. Gandhiji asked him why a child needed to learn how to use a gun. On this Rajamani had said, ‘To kill the British and why else?’ Gandhiji was non-violent and started explaining the path of non-violence to Rajmani; But Rajamani believed since childhood that the path of violence was more effective.
Journey of Azad Hind Fauj
At the age of 16, Saraswati Rajamani was so impressed by the words and powerful speech of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose that she donated all her jewelery to the Azad Hind Fauj. Netaji did not believe what the 16 year old girl said and he reached Rajmani’s house. At Rajmani’s house, his father also encouraged him. Seeing Rajmani’s passion, Netaji made her a part of the army and made her the youngest and first female spy.
in the British camp
According to an article by Live History India, when the Azad Hind Fauj was moving towards the north-eastern part of Imphal and Kohima; The Rani Jhansi Regiment of the army was then sent to the area of Northern Burma. Saraswati Rajamani and her companion Durga were also in this contingent. Both of them had to go on a secret spying mission in the camp of British soldiers. Rajamani and Durga cut their hair and reached the camp. While washing clothes, polishing shoes and doing other work for the British soldiers, both of them got many important information.
There came a time when Saraswati Rajamani escaped being captured by the British, although she had to leave her friend behind. Rajamani did not give up and disguised herself as a ‘dancing girl’ and entered the British camp. Freed his partner by rendering the Englishman unconscious. Due to the bullet injury, one of Rajamani’s legs was not functioning properly but Rajamani accepted it as an honour. Netaji himself wrote a letter praising her and called her ‘India’s first woman spy’.
Did not get proper respect
Saraswati Rajamani returned to India in 1957 and settled in Trichy. Rajamani’s life was not easy here and he had to work hard to get pension from the Government of India. For this reason Saraswati Rajamani had to go to Chennai and settle down. She started living herself with the money she got from selling her ancestral property in Burma. In 1971, 25 years after independence, Saraswati Rajamani and the rest of the army soldiers started getting pension, but Rajamani’s life was still difficult. Rajamani lived in a one-room house until 2005, when the Tamil Nadu government gave her a house in Chennai.[1]
death
On January 13, 2018, the country’s brave woman Saraswati Rajamani breathed her last.
