In 1958,Aruna Asaf Ali became the first mayor of Delhi For her role in the Indian independence struggle, she was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1992 and the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1997. She participated in Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha and was arrested on the charge that she was a vagrant. Aruna Asaf Ali played a crucial role in the formation of the National Federation of Indian Women in 1954. After her marriage, Aruna became a member of the Indian National Congress where Asaf Ali was a leading figure. In 1998, a road named Aruna Asaf Ali Marg in New Delhi was named in her honor. Aruna’s husband Asaf Ali was a prominent politician and also an accomplished lawyer best known for defending Bhagat Singh. In 1958, she was elected the first woman Mayor of Delhi.Īruna Asaf Ali was awarded International Lenin Peace Prize in 1964, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding in 1991, India’s second-highest civilian honor in 1992, and finally the highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, posthumously in 1997. This project offers thoughtfully constructed 1BHK apartments. In 1947 India got her independence and in 1948, Aruna Asif Ali joined to socialist party and got involved in women upliftment efforts. Aruna Asaf Ali CHS is one of the popular residential projects in Sector 21, Kharghar, Mumbai. However, she came out of hiding after Mahatma Gandhi sent her a hand-written note. In the meanwhile, Aruna Asif also edited Inquilab, a monthly magazine of the Congress Party. The government announced a reward of 5,000 rupees for her capture. She was named Heroine of the 1942 movement for her bravery.Īn arrest warrant was issued in her name but she went underground. Young Aruna Asaf Ali commencement the movement on 9th August and hoisted the Congress flag at the Gowalia Tank Maidan. The government responded by arresting the major leaders and all members of the Congress Working Committee and thus tried to pre-empt the movement from success. On 8 August 1942, the All India Congress Committee passed the Quit India resolution at the Bombay session. In 1932, she was again sent to Tihar jail first and then moved to Ambala but her involvement in the Independence movement was active. After massive protests by the public and the intervention of Mahatma Gandhi, she was released.
Other women co-prisoners refused to leave the premises unless Aruna Asif Ali was also released. One of them was that every prisoner of Salt Satyagraha must be released. In 1931, during the second round table conference, the Gandhi-Irwin Pact came into being with many conditions. Asif Ali was a senior member of the Indian National Congress.Īruna Asaf Ali became a member of the Indian National Congress after marrying Asaf Ali and was sent to prison for processing in the Salt Satyagraha movement. After her schooling in Lahore, she started teaching in Kolkata and got married to Asif Ali, in 1928. She was first a member of the Socialist Party and then of the Communist Party of India, with a seat on. She was the daughter of Upendranath Ganguly and Ambalika Devi. Aruna Asaf Ali, who has died aged 86, was a legendary heroine of India's freedom struggle.
Aruna Asaf Ali was born (on 16 July 1909 in Kalka, Punjab. Aruna Asaf Ali is popularly known as the 'Grand Old Lady' was one of the leading female figures of India’s freedom movement.