Pallavi Rebbapragada unveils Nandini Satpathy's profound journey of resilience and lasting impact in her book ‘Nandini Satpathy, The Iron Lady of Orissa’
Women have played a critical and active role in shaping the political future of India. But unless they have risen to positions of power, most of them have remained unsung and forgotten. It is then a paradox that Nandini Satpathy, one such spunky politician who governed her state of Odisha as its first woman chief minister and never lost an election as a member of the legislative assembly, faded out of not just public memory but also found little or no mention in many official records of her time in office.
Why is so little known about Satpathy, the astute politician who legislated several groundbreaking state land reforms and was a passionate conservationist, poet and author? Despite being a Rajya Sabha member and minister of Information and Broadcasting in former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s cabinet, why was her legacy largely confined to her family and friends? Was she deliberately isolated because she dared to oppose the imposition of the Emergency despite being a trusted friend and close aide of Indira Gandhi?
Did this step sound the death knell for Satpathy’s association with Indira Gandhi?
Answers to these questions can be found in Pallavi Rebbapragada’s well-researched book on the second woman to become chief minister of a state in India. Titled ‘Nandini Satpathy, The Iron Lady of Orissa’, Rebbapragada, a journalist and public policy consultant, chronicles the story of a girl who first defied odds to be born and then, went on to show not just Cuttack, the city where she was born, but also her state and the country that her birth would one day herald new beginnings.The first time she made her presence publicly known was when she did the unthinkable by pulling down the Union Jack flag atop her Ravenshaw college and hoisting the national flag. Satpathy, then just 15, showed no remorse even though she was imprisoned by the British police for this act of defiance. It was also to be a turning point in her personal life.
It was in jail that she met activist Devendra Satpathy whom she later married. While she accomplished several milestones during her stint in office including the setting up of the Free Bangla Radio as I&B minister in Indira Gandhi’s first government during Bangladesh’s struggle for independence, her contribution when out of power is no less significant.Except perhaps for students of law, not many know about her case.
PL Dani, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, led to a historic 1978 Supreme Court judgment that expanded the scope of the right against self-incrimination and provided guidelines for police interrogation, ensuring individuals could not be compelled to provide evidence against themselves at any stage.
This came about when Satpathy, then former Chief Minister of Odisha, refused to answer certain questions invoking her right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution when she was called for police interrogation in connection with a corruption case. The police contended that her refusal to answer questions constituted an offence under Section 179 of the Indian Penal Code.
The case reached the Supreme Court and paved the way for reaffirmation of the Right to Silence as a fundamental right, protecting individuals from being compelled to answer incriminating questions during police interrogation and the Right to Legal Assistance allowing individuals to consult with a legal practitioner before answering any questions during police interrogation, promoting fair treatment and safeguarding against coercive practices. Importantly, the judgment continues to remain a key reference today for ensuring the protection of individual rights during the investigative process.
(Swapna Majumdar is a journalist writing on development and gender. The views are expressed are personal)
