India@75: The extraordinary story of Captain Lakshmi

Born in a family of landlords in Kerala. An adolescence spent in luxury as the daughter of a prosperous barrister in Madras. Brilliant in studies and armed with a medical degree. Striking looks. Yet, she chose the adventurous and hard life in jungles, hills, and prison to fight the British as a soldier to win freedom for her motherland. This is the extraordinary story of Captain Lakshmi.   

Lakshmi was the second daughter of a freedom fighter, Ammu Swaminathan and S. Swaminathan, a top lawyer in Madras. After graduating in medicine, Lakshmi moved to Singapore at 26 following her failed marriage. 

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She met Netaji Subhash Bose’s Indian National Army leaders in Singapore and was attracted by their activities. The INA was allied to the Japanese army in the 2nd World War against their common enemy-Britain. She tended the wounded Japanese soldiers in the 2nd WW. 

Lakshmi met Netaji when he came to Singapore and expressed her wish to join INA. Netaji made her head of a newly formed all-woman brigade named Jhansi rani Regiment. Daughters of Indians in Singapore and Malaysia joined the regiment and were given training in arms and combat. She met Lt Col Prem Sehgal a top INA officer in Singapore and they fell in love. 

In December 1944, Captain Lakshmi’s Rani Regiment too marched along the INA forces led by Col Sehgal to Burma with the Japanese army. But the Japanese army faced a major setback from the Allied forces at Burma and among those captured by the British were INA soldiers like Sehgal and Lakshmi. 

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After independence, Lakshmi joined CPI(M) and became a Rajyasabha member and also the combined Opposition presidential candidate in 2002. She led relief camps during the Bangladesh war and also the Bhopal gas tragedy. She fought for women’s rights and against beauty contests. Until last, Captain Lakshmi ran her clinic, providing free medical care to the poor at Kanpur. A Padmavibhushan winner, Lakshmi passed away at 97 in 2012.