Kanpur, July 23: Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, who was part of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose's Indian National Army, died here today following a brief illness.
Sehgal (97) breathed her last at a private hospital at 11.20 AM, her daughter and noted CPI (M) leader Subhashini Ali said.
Sehgal was admitted to the hospital on July 19 after she suffered a heart attack at her residence in Civil Lines area here. She was kept on life support system.
She was very active during the Independence movement and had commanded the ‘Rani of Jhansi Regiment' of the INA formed by Bose.
A doctor by profession, Sehgal was working as a medical practitioner and a social worker. She was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1998.
Born as Lakshmi Swaminathan to noted lawyer Dr S Swaminathan and social worker Ammu Swaminathan in Chennai on October 24, 1914, Sehgal obtained her MBBS degree from the Madras Medical College in 1938.
In 1940, she went to Singapore for further studies before coming back to India in 1943 to join the INA. She married Colonel Prem Kumar Sehgal in 1947 and had been residing in Kanpur since then.
Expressing grief over the demise of Sehgal, senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat remembered her as a “highly politically motivated human being who fought injustice wherever she saw it”.
“She was a veteran CPI(M) leader and also a great freedom fighter. She served people with every ounce of strength,” Karat said, terming Sehgal as a “symbol of courage” and a “symbol of woman's expression”.
Ali said Sehgal's first love was always her profession. “Just weeks before falling ill, she used to regularly sit in her clinic to see patients,” she said, adding that Sehgal would treat everyone who came to her, regardless of whether the patient had money or not.
Sehgal, who was residing in Kanpur since 1952, was also very close to her filmmaker grandson Shad Ali, and would “never miss” any film directed by him, her daughter said. Sehgal joined CPI(M) in 1971 and was elected for Rajya Sabha on the party's ticket.
She also contested the 2002 Presidential polls against Dr A P J Abdul Kalam as a candidate for Left parties but lost. Sehgal's body will be donated to the GSVM medical college here for medical purposes, Ali said.
Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condoled the death of Captain Lakshmi Sehgal, saying that the nation has lost an icon of selfless service.
Ansari described Sehgal as a noted freedom fighter and tireless campaigner for women's rights and social causes. He said he was deeply grieved by her demise.
In his condolence message, the Prime Minister said, “In the passing away of Shrimati Lakshmi Sehgal the nation has lost an icon of liberal values and selfless service”.
Ansari said, “Captain Lakshmi Sehgal represents the pinnacle of sacrifice and struggle for the country, and for the rights of the downtrodden and women. Her contribution in public life in politics, the trade union movement and the women's movement are remembered by one and all”.
He said that Sehgal's compassion, concern and commitment towards humanity manifested in all her efforts and activities and this has inspired many to emulate her.
“Her demise is a tremendous loss to the nation,” he said.
