Erased But Unfazed

Southern India’s Hidden Heroines.

Once upon a time, in the southern realm of India, where the sun shines a tad brighter and the spices taste a bit spicier, history was being quietly rewritten by some extraordinary women. Yet, like that one sock you can never find in the laundry, they seem to have slipped through the threads of popular historical narratives. You know, the ones we read in textbooks that never quite make it past the Vindhyas.

First, let’s talk about Velu Nachiyar, the original firebrand who, long before Mangal Pandey was even a twinkle in his mother’s eye, took on the British and actually won. Yes, in 1780, a full 77 years before the First War of Independence, Velu Nachiyar gave the British a taste of their own bitter medicine. And by “taste,” I mean she literally blew up their ammunition store—thanks to Kuyili, her fiercely loyal commander-in-chief, who performed the first recorded instance of a suicide bombing, dousing herself in ghee (probably the only time ghee didn’t make things better) and leaping into the British arsenal. Talk about fiery patriotism.

Velu Nachiyar wasn’t just all brawn; she was brains too. She cleverly teamed up with Haider Ali, the Sultan of Mysore, who was so impressed by her Urdu-speaking, strategy-making prowess that he showered her with soldiers, money, and a temple in his palace as a token of his admiration. But where’s her page in the history books? Perhaps it got misplaced between chapters on the British East India Company and something about railway lines.

Fast forward to Vani Vilas Sannidhana, who was more than just a placeholder regent waiting for her son to grow up. This Maharani of Mysore put the “ruler” back in “regent,” doubling down on education, health, and agriculture like it was her personal mission to make Mysore great again. Her initiatives, like founding Maharani College and combating a deadly plague by tripling healthcare spending, were the kind of progressive policies that would make any modern-day politician weep with envy. But while she was busy saving lives and ensuring that girls got a proper education, history decided to give her the old “thanks, but no thanks” treatment.

And speaking of women who didn’t get the recognition they deserved, let’s not forget Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy. Born into a family that broke every norm, she became the first woman admitted to Madras Medical College and went on to become a trailblazer in both medicine and social reform. But try telling that to the principal who initially thought she might “demoralize” the male students just by existing. Spoiler: she didn’t. Instead, she graduated with flying colors, got married on her own terms, and even found time to look after her cousin’s child while she was still a medical student. If multitasking were an Olympic sport, Dr. Reddy would have more gold medals than she already had in her drawer.

Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s give a nod to Suraiyya Tyabji, the woman credited with designing the Indian national flag. Yes, that’s right—next time you see the Tricolor waving proudly in the breeze, thank Suraiyya, a woman who, like the others, seems to have been reduced to a footnote, if that. Because, apparently, being from the South and being a woman means you’re less likely to make the cut when it comes to historical fame.

So, here’s to the women who didn’t wait for permission to make history. The ones who, despite the odds, managed to set fires, both literal and figurative, in the name of freedom, education, and equality. And here’s hoping that one day, their stories will be told with the grandeur they deserve, even if it means rewriting a few history books along the way. After all, history might have forgotten them, but it’s high time we remembered.