17 Facts About Subhadra Joshi

Subhadra Joshi was an Indian freedom activist, politician and parliamentarian from Indian National Congress.

Subhadra Joshi took part in the 1942 Quit India movement, and later remained the president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee.

Subhadra Joshi attended the Maharaja Girls' School, Jaipur, the Lady Maclegan High School, Lahore and the Kanya Mahavidyalaya at Jalandhar.

Subhadra Joshi obtained a master's degree in Political Science from the Forman Christian College, Lahore.

Subhadra Joshi was arrested and after serving time at the Lahore Women's Central Jail, she started working among industrial workers.

Subhadra Joshi was very close to Rafi Ahmad Kidwai and recalled his role in encouraging her in politics in an interview she gave in December 1987.

Subhadra Joshi was an ardent secularist who dedicated her life to the cause of communal harmony in India.

Subhadra Joshi spent several months in Sagar when the first major post independence riots of India broke out there in 1961.

Subhadra Joshi was a parliamentarian for four terms from 1952 to 1977 - from Karnal in 1952, Ambala in 1957, Balrampur in 1962 and from the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in 1971.

Subhadra Joshi won Lok Sabha election from Chandani Chowk in Delhi in 1971 but lost from the same seat in 1977 to Sikandar Bakht.

Subhadra Joshi became the first woman MP from the state of Punjab when she got elected from Karnal.

Subhadra Joshi made important contributions to the passage of Special Marriage Act, the Nationalization of Banks, Abolition of Privy Purses and the Aligarh University Amendment Act.

Subhadra Joshi introduced the Code of Criminal Procedure Bill, 1957 "to remove the hardship caused to a woman in spending money on litigation when her husband commits the offence of bigamy".

Subhadra Joshi's crowning achievement however was her successful move to amend the code for Criminal Procedure that made any organized propaganda leading to communal tensions or enmity a cognizable offence.

Subhadra Joshi is alleged to have had an affair with Indira Gandhi's husband, Feroze Gandhi.

Subhadra Joshi was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi Sadhbhavana Award given by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

Subhadra Joshi died on 30 October 2003, at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Delhi, after a prolonged illness at the age of 84.