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Minimata Agam Dass Guru

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Minimata Agam Dass Guru
Portrait of Minimata Agam Dass Guru
Member of Lok Sabha
In office
1957–1973
Succeeded byManhar Bhagatram
ConstituencyJanjgir-Champa
In office
1955–1957
Preceded byGuru Agamdas
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
ConstituencyBilaspur-Durg-Raipur
Personal details
Born
Meenakshi Devi

(1916-03-15)March 15, 1916
Sainabagan, Assam
DiedAugust 11, 1973(1973-08-11) (aged 57)
Palam Airport, Delhi
SpouseGuru Agam Das (m. 1932)
Parent(s)Budhari Das Mahant
Devmati Bai

Minimata Agam Das Guru (15 March 1916 – 11 august 1973) was an Indian politician from the Indian National Congress Party, and a Member of Parliament in the first through fifth terms of the Lok Sabha from Madhya Pradesh.

Early life[edit]

Guru agam das minimataji
Guru Agam Das with his wife Minimata

Minimata was born Meenakshi Devi in Sainabagan, Nagaon district in Assam in 1916 to Budharidas Mahant.[1] She was educated at Girls School, Nagaon and Raipur.[2]

She married Guru Agam Das, the then-Guru of the Satnami Panth, on 2 July 1930.[2]

Political career[edit]

minimata
minimata

Minimata was elected to the first Lok Sabha in a bye-election in 1955 after the death of the sitting MP, her husband, Guru Agamdas.[1] She contested the same constituency on a Congress party nomination and won. In 1962, she contested for the Indian National Congress party in Madhya Pradesh state, in Baloda Bazar, a Scheduled Caste reserved constituency. She won with more than 52% of the vote, defeating the Prajya Socialist Party candidate.[3] In 1967, she contested for the Indian National Congress Party in the Schedule Caste reserved constituency of Janjgir, then in Madhya Pradesh state, winning with more than 62% of the vote.[4] Minimata contested the same constituency of Janjgir in 1971, again for the Indian National Congress Party, and again winning the election.[5] She died in 1973 before the end of her parliamentary term, prompting a by-election.[citation needed]

Besides her parliamentary work, she served as General Secretary, State Congress Committee; President of Guru Ghasidas Seva Sangh; President of Harijan Education Society; Vice-President, State Depressed Classes League; Secretary, Mahila Mandal, Raipur.[2] She was also a member of the Social Welfare Board, Raipur and a member of District Congress Committee, Raipur.[2]

Minimata

Minimata was associated with Satnami politics, a form of Ambedkarite Dalit self-assertion.[6] After the death of her husband, she took on the leadership of the community.[6] She stood against casteism and untouchability, as well as child marriage and dowry.[1]

Personal life[edit]

Minimata Guru Agam Das
Minimata with Rajendra Prasad

Her parliamentary profile listed her hobbies as reading, knitting, embroidery, cooking and gardening, and debating and discussion on social and political affairs.[2]

Minimata died in an airplane crash on a flight from Raipur to Delhi; the plane crashed as it tried to land at Palam airport.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Kshīrasāgara, Rāmacandra (1994). Dalit movement in India and its leaders, 1857-1956. M.D. Publications. pp. 270–271. ISBN 9788185880433.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Lok Sabha member profiles". Lok Sabha. Retrieved 29 July 2017.
  3. ^ Statistical Report on General Elections, 1962, to the Third Lok Sabha (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 109.
  4. ^ Statistical Report on General Elections, 1967, to the Fourth Lok Sabha (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 131.
  5. ^ Statistical Report on General Elections, 1971 to the Fifth Lok Sabha (PDF). Election Commission of India. p. 142.
  6. ^ a b Singh, Yasna (2013). Satnami Self-Assertion and Dalit Activism: everyday life and caste in rural Chhattisgarh (central India) (PhD Dissertation) (PDF). London School of Economics and Political Science e-theses.
  7. ^ Sen, Ilina (2014). Inside Chhattisgarh: A Political Memoir. Penguin.

8, https://cgculture.in/samman_front_list.aspx?id=Y3j79zuhgzch7sZF33PD0Q==

9, https://www.livehindustan.com/lok-sabha-election/story-minimata-is-first-woman-mp-of-chhatisgarh-know-about-her-peronal-and-political-career-2453768.html

10, https://www.cgnewshindi.in/2020/06/mini-mata-chhattisgarh.html

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