CM Majhi pays tribute to Captain Lakshmi Sahgal on her birth anniversary
Synopsis
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi paid reverent tribute to Captain Lakshmi Sahgal — physician, INA commander of the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, and freedom fighter — on her birth anniversary on 24 October 2026, saluting her enduring legacy in India's independence movement.
Key Takeaways
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi posted a birth-anniversary tribute to Captain Lakshmi Sahgal on 24 October 2026 .
Captain Sahgal was a physician who commanded the Rani of Jhansi Regiment of the Indian National Army (INA) under Subhas Chandra Bose .
The all-women Rani of Jhansi Regiment was a pioneering combat unit in India's anti-colonial struggle.
After independence, Sahgal continued practising medicine in Kanpur and was fielded as a presidential candidate in 2002 by the Left parties and Samajwadi Party.
The tribute reflects a cross-party Indian tradition of publicly honouring independence-era figures on their birth anniversaries.
On the birth anniversary of one of India's most remarkable freedom fighters, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi offered his reverent homage to Captain Lakshmi Sahgal on Saturday, 24 October 2026, saluting a woman who took up arms against colonial rule as a soldier, a surgeon, and a symbol of fearless resistance.
Posting in Odia, the Chief Minister wrote: 'Bishishta swadhinata sangrami Captain Lakshmi Sahgalanka jayantire bhaktiputa pranama' — offering 'devoted salutations on the birth anniversary of distinguished freedom fighter Captain Lakshmi Sahgal.'A soldier-doctor who marched with Netaji
Captain Lakshmi Sahgal stands as one of the most singular figures to emerge from the Indian independence movement. A trained physician, she joined Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army (INA) in the early 1940s and was appointed to command the Rani of Jhansi Regiment — an all-women combat unit that was itself unprecedented in the anti-colonial struggle. She treated wounded soldiers on the front lines in Burma even as she organised her regiment for battle, embodying the dual identity of healer and fighter in a way that few in any liberation movement have managed. Her commitment to public service did not end with independence. She continued practising medicine in Kanpur well into her final decades, remaining a voice for progressive causes. In 2002, she was put forward as a presidential candidate by the Left parties and the Samajwadi Party — a nomination that brought her story to a new generation of Indians.A national tradition of remembrance, observed from Bhubaneswar
CM Majhi's tribute fits within a well-established pattern of Indian elected leaders publicly commemorating independence-era figures on their birth anniversaries — a tradition that cuts across party lines and serves as an affirmation of national memory. For a BJP chief minister to honour Sahgal, whose associations lay closer to the Left and INA legacy, underscores the broad, cross-ideological reverence she commands. Sahgal's connection to the INA also links her to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, a figure of particular emotional resonance in Odisha, the state Majhi governs — making this tribute locally meaningful as well as nationally symbolic. Seventy-nine years after independence, Captain Lakshmi Sahgal's life remains a standing challenge: how many roles can one person fill in the service of a nation? Soldier. Doctor. Politician. The answer, her biography insists, is all of them at once.Point of View
Claimed without ideological reservation by leaders across the spectrum. For the BJP, honouring INA veterans and figures linked to Netaji Bose has become a deliberate and consistent political thread, one that deepens the party's nationalist credentials. In Odisha specifically, where Netaji's memory carries deep regional resonance, such a tribute carries weight beyond the ceremonial. It also reinforces the soft-power value of social media diplomacy for state leaders — a single post anchoring a chief minister within a continuum of patriotic memory.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Captain Lakshmi Sahgal?
Captain Lakshmi Sahgal was an Indian freedom fighter, physician, and officer in Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army. She commanded the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, an all-women combat unit, during the independence struggle and later continued practising medicine in Kanpur.
What is the Rani of Jhansi Regiment?
The Rani of Jhansi Regiment was an all-women military unit formed within the Indian National Army (INA) under Subhas Chandra Bose. It was one of the first organised female combat formations in Asia's anti-colonial movements, and Captain Lakshmi Sahgal was appointed its commanding officer.
When is Captain Lakshmi Sahgal's birth anniversary?
Captain Lakshmi Sahgal's birth anniversary falls on 24 October. Leaders across India's political spectrum mark the date with public tributes.
Why did Odisha CM Mohan Majhi pay tribute to Captain Lakshmi Sahgal?
CM Mohan Charan Majhi posted a tribute on her birth anniversary as part of the long-standing Indian tradition of publicly commemorating freedom fighters on significant dates. Captain Sahgal's connection to the INA and Netaji Bose also holds particular resonance in Odisha.
Was Captain Lakshmi Sahgal ever a presidential candidate?
Yes. In 2002, Captain Lakshmi Sahgal was fielded as a presidential candidate by the Left parties and the Samajwadi Party, bringing renewed national attention to her lifelong legacy of service.
