Puri Pays Tribute to Bhikaji Cama on Birth Anniversary
Synopsis
On Bhikaji Cama's birth anniversary, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri paid tribute to the Indian revolutionary who unfurled a precursor to the national flag at the 1907 Stuttgart International Socialist Congress, calling her 'a fearless patriot.'
Key Takeaways
Hardeep Singh Puri paid tribute to Bhikaji Cama on her birth anniversary on 24 September 2026 .
Cama is celebrated for unfurling a precursor to the Indian national flag at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart in 1907 .
Puri described her as 'a fearless patriot and a pioneering voice of India's freedom struggle.' Cama conducted much of her anti-colonial activism from Europe, inspiring freedom fighters through writings and speeches.
The tribute reflects the BJP's broader pattern of honouring transnational and revolutionary strands of the independence movement.
She carried India's colours to the heart of Europe more than a century before independence was won. On her birth anniversary, Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri paid tribute on Thursday, 24 September 2026 to Madam Bhikaji Cama, honouring her as 'a fearless patriot and a pioneering voice of India's freedom struggle.'
A flag unfurled in Stuttgart, a defiance that echoed across empires
The act that defined Bhikaji Cama's legacy took place thousands of kilometres from Indian soil. At the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907, she unfurled a precursor to the Indian national flag before a global audience — a moment of breathtaking audacity at a time when the British Empire brooked no such symbolism. Puri's tribute underlined precisely this dimension: 'She displayed immense courage by unfurling the Indian flag on foreign soil.'
Born on 24 September 1861, Cama conducted much of her anti-colonial activism from Europe, weaving together revolutionary politics, suffragist thought, and fierce journalism. Her writings and speeches, as Puri noted, 'inspired generations of freedom fighters to rise against British rule and dedicate themselves to India's independence.' The transnational character of her work — operating from London and Paris while agitating for a subcontinent under colonial rule — gave the Indian independence movement an unmistakably global register.
Why BJP leaders invoke revolutionary voices from abroad
Ministerial tributes on independence-era anniversaries are a consistent feature of Indian political culture, but the BJP's commemorations have frequently foregrounded figures whose activism was international, unconventional, or outside the mainstream Congress narrative. Cama fits squarely into that frame: a woman, a revolutionary, and an exile who challenged empire from within its own geographic sphere of influence.
For Puri — a former career diplomat who spent decades representing India at the United Nations and in multilateral forums — the salute to a figure who carried India's cause to European capitals carries particular resonance. The tribute is brief, but the history it points to is anything but small.
Point of View
Saluting a figure who internationalised India's anti-colonial cause also implicitly validates the idea that India's global voice predates its independence. The tribute is routine in form, but pointed in its historiographical emphasis.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Bhikaji Cama?
Bhikaji Cama was an Indian revolutionary and suffragist born on 24 September 1861, best known for unfurling a precursor to the Indian national flag at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907. She conducted much of her anti-colonial activism from Europe.
Why is Bhikaji Cama important to India's freedom struggle?
Cama is significant because she carried the Indian independence cause to international forums at a time when the British Empire was at its height. Her writings, speeches, and the dramatic flag-unfurling in Stuttgart gave the freedom movement a global platform and inspired later generations of activists.
When did Bhikaji Cama unfurl the Indian flag abroad?
Bhikaji Cama unfurled a precursor to the Indian national flag at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1907 — decades before India achieved independence in 1947.
What did Hardeep Singh Puri say about Bhikaji Cama?
Puri called her 'a fearless patriot and a pioneering voice of India's freedom struggle,' noting that her writings and speeches 'inspired generations of freedom fighters to rise against British rule and dedicate themselves to India's independence.'
When is Bhikaji Cama's birth anniversary?
Bhikaji Cama's birth anniversary falls on 24 September. She was born on 24 September 1861.
