Padma Kumari Gohain
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Padma Kumari Gohain | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Social Welfare, Sericulture and Weaving | |
| In office 11 November 1970 – 31 January 1972 | |
| Chief Minister | Mahendra Mohan Choudhry |
| Preceded by | Abdul Matlib Mazumdar |
| Succeeded by | Uttam Chandra Brahma |
| Minister of State for Social Welfare, Relief and Rehabilitation | |
| In office 1967 – 1970 | |
| Chief Minister | Bimala Prasad Chaliha |
| Member of Assam Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 1957 – 1972 | |
| Preceded by | Ghana Kanta Gogoi |
| Succeeded by | Tarun Chandra Chutia |
| Constituency | Moran |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Padmavati Kumari Gohain 24 February 1913 |
| Died | 1987 (aged 74) |
| Party | Indian National Congress |
| Other political affiliations | Independent |
| Spouse | Jogesh Chandra Borgohain (died 1944) |
| Children | Shanti Gogoi |
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | Rajeswar Singha (fourth great-grandfather) Kesab Chandra Gogoi (son-in-law) Ranjan Gogoi (grandson) Anjan Gogoi (grandson) Shrinjan Rajkumar Gohain (grandson) |
| Occupation |
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Padmavati Kumari Gohain (24 February 1913 – 1987) was an Indian stateswoman, social worker,[1] writer, and descendant of the Ahom dynasty who served as Minister for Social Welfare, Sericulture and Weaving from 1970 to 1972. She previously served as Minister of State for Social Welfare, Relief and Rehabilitation from 1967 to 1970. A member of the Indian National Congress, she was the Member of Assam Legislative Assembly for Moran for three terms from 1957 to 1972.
Gohain was the first post-independence female cabinet minister in Assam, the only woman to contest every general election from 1946 to 1967, the first woman to contest for a general Assam assembly seat,[a] and one of the first female MLAs in Assam.[2] She was the mother-in-law of Chief Minister Kesab Chandra Gogoi, and maternal grandmother of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Padma Kumari Gohain was the daughter of Siddheswar Gohain and Subhadra Aideau. Her father was the son of Srimat Gohain and grandson of Indunath Gohain, Sarumelia Raja. Indunath Gohain was the son of Bijoy Barmura Gohain, grandson of Ratneswar, Tipam Raja, and great-grandson of Ahom King Rajeswar Singha. This made Padma Kumari Gohain the fourth-great-granddaughter of King Rajeswar Singha. Her grandfather, Srimat, was also a first cousin of Ahom King Purandar Singha.[3]
Gohain's brothers were Kumudeswar Gohain, Vice Principal of Moran High School, Sureswar Gohain, Director of Education in Assam and Nagaland, and Debaswar Gohain, an advocate. Her sister Nilopadmani was married to an excise superintendent, and her sister Purobala was married to an IPS officer.[4]
Early life and education
Padmavati Kumari Gohain was born on 24 February 1913 in Shillong. She received an education in the Tai language until matriculation level.[4]
Political career
Gohain began her political career by becoming the first female member of the Dibrugarh local board. She unsuccessfully contested the 1946 Assam election as an independent candidate for the Dibrugarh West constituency, having polled 839 votes out of 8018.[5][6] In 1951, she contested the Moran assembly constituency as the Indian National Congress candidate[b] and received 7955 votes, by was defeated by independent candidate Ghana Kanta Gogoi.[7] In the 1957 Assam Legislative Assembly election, she was elected with 20525 votes as the Congress MLA for Moran. She was reelected at the 1962 Assam Legislative Assembly election with 9796 votes. At the 1967 Assam Legislative Assembly election, she won 9037 votes and was reelected.[7]
In 1967, Gohain was appointed Minister of State for Social Welfare, Relief and Rehabilitation in the third Chaliha ministry.[8] In 1970, she was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Social Welfare, Sericulture and Weaving under Mahendra Mohan Choudhry, serving until 1972. She left politics in the same year.[9]
Literary works
In 1935, Gohain published her work Madhuri, which was a collection of short stories. In 1952, she published her novel Hindu Nari.[10]