Noted social worker, Padma Bhushan awardee and daughter of former chief minister M Bhaktavatsalam, Sarojini Varadappan, passed away on Thursday morning after a brief illness. She was 92.
Sources said she had been receiving treatment at a private hospital for the last 10 days and breathed her last around 7.30 am on Thursday. Her body was taken to her residence in Mylapore and was cremated in the evening at the Besant Nagar crematorium.
Born on September 21, 1921, into an illustrious Congress family, which included her niece Union Minister Jayanti Natarajan, Sarojini had to discontinue her education at an early age owing to, what she had earlier termed, her family’s “conservativeness”.
However, she resumed studies after marriage and went on to complete her masters in political science. Her perseverance was evident from the fact that she managed to earn a doctorate in Vaishnavism at the age 80.
Sarojini was best known for her activities, along with her mother Gnanasundarambal, with the Women’s India Association, which is now an institution with over 75 branches across the country, working for the empowerment of women, especially those from the weaker sections. She was also, for a while, president of the Indian Red Cross Society.
Sarojini was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2009 for her activities as a social worker. This apart, she also served as the Sherif of Chennai city when former chief minister M G Ramachandran was in power. Expressing condolence, Governor K Rosaiah said Sarojini was known for her simplicity and exemplary social work.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, in a statement, said Sarojini continued her social work in a full-fledged manner even in her advanced age. Her loss was irreplaceable, she said.