Gadkari pays tribute to Bhikaiji Cama on her birth anniversary
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari saluted Bhikaiji Cama on her birth anniversary on 24 September 2026, honouring the exile-based freedom fighter who famously unfurled an Indian tricolour at the 1907 Stuttgart congress.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute to Bhikaiji Cama on her birth anniversary, 24 September .
Bhikaiji Cama was born on 24 September 1861 and passed away on 13 August 1936 .
She unfurled an Indian tricolour with the words 'Vande Mataram' at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart in 1907 .
She conducted much of her nationalist work from exile in Europe , barred from India by British colonial authorities.
Her Stuttgart flag moment is considered one of the first times an Indian flag was raised internationally as a symbol of the freedom struggle.
A flag unfurled in Stuttgart in 1907 — and a name that India has never forgotten. Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari marked the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Bhikaiji Cama on Thursday, 24 September 2026, posting a salute to the trailblazing activist on X.
In his post, Gadkari wrote: 'महान स्वतंत्रता सेनानी मैडम भीकाजी कामा की जयंती पर उन्हें अभिवादन' — 'Greetings to the great freedom fighter Madam Bhikaiji Cama on her birth anniversary.'
The woman who raised a flag for a nation not yet free
Born on 24 September 1861, Bhikaiji Rustom Cama became one of the most remarkable figures of the Indian independence movement — remarkable not least because she waged her struggle largely from exile in Europe. It was at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907 that she unfurled a version of the Indian tricolour emblazoned with the words 'Vande Mataram' — arguably the first time an Indian flag was raised on foreign soil before an international audience as a declaration of the nation's claim to freedom. The act was bold, symbolic, and defiant. Cama was living in exile, barred from returning to India by British colonial authorities who viewed her as a seditious threat. She moved through early nationalist networks across Europe, collaborated with figures like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Shyamji Krishna Varma, and used her platform abroad to internationalise India's freedom cause at a time when most of the world had never heard of it. She passed away on 13 August 1936 in Mumbai, just over a decade before the independence she had fought for finally arrived.Routine tribute, enduring resonance
Gadkari's post follows a well-established pattern among Union ministers of paying public homage to freedom-era figures on their jayantis — a form of civic commemoration that cuts across party lines. The tribute carries no direct policy dimension, but it keeps the memory of figures like Cama alive in everyday public discourse, particularly for younger audiences who encounter these names through social media first. For a leader who spent her life fighting for a country she could not legally enter, a birthday tribute from the heart of the Indian government carries its own quiet weight.Point of View
Placing Bhikaiji Cama's legacy within the BJP government's broader project of celebrating lesser-spotlighted freedom fighters. Cama's story, centred on exile-based internationalist activism, sits somewhat apart from the dominant Gandhian narrative, making her periodic rediscovery politically useful across the spectrum. The jayanti-post tradition also functions as soft public diplomacy, keeping independence-era memory circulating on platforms that reach younger voters. There is no immediate policy dimension, but the pattern reflects how digital statecraft increasingly doubles as heritage maintenance.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bhikaiji Cama?
Bhikaiji Cama (1861–1936) was an Indian independence activist who lived in exile in Europe and famously unfurled an Indian tricolour at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart in 1907 , one of the earliest displays of an Indian flag on foreign soil.
When is Bhikaiji Cama's birth anniversary?
Bhikaiji Cama's birth anniversary falls on 24 September . She was born on 24 September 1861 .
What did Bhikaiji Cama do at Stuttgart in 1907?
At the 1907 International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany , Bhikaiji Cama unfurled a version of the Indian tricolour bearing the words 'Vande Mataram' , effectively internationalising India's demand for freedom before a global audience.
Why did Bhikaiji Cama live in exile?
British colonial authorities considered Bhikaiji Cama a seditious threat and barred her from returning to India , forcing her to conduct her nationalist activities from Europe , where she collaborated with other early Indian revolutionaries.
Why did Nitin Gadkari post about Bhikaiji Cama?
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted a tribute on 24 September 2026 to mark Bhikaiji Cama's birth anniversary, as part of the common practice among Indian ministers of publicly honouring freedom fighters on their jayantis.
