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{{Infobox writer<br />
| name = Sarojini Varathappan<br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1921|9|21}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Madras]], India<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2013|10|17|1921|9|21}}<br />
| death_place = [[Chennai]], India<br />
| nationality = Indian<br />
| occupation = Social worker, indian independence movement / indian independence activist<br />
| spouse = Varadappan<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Sarojini Varadappan''' (21 September 1921 − 17 October 2013) was an Indian social worker from the state of Tamil Nadu. She was the daughter of [[M. Bhaktavatsalam|former Chief Minister of Madras, M. Bhaktavatsalam]].<br />
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== Early life ==<br />
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Sarojini was born in Madras on 21 September 1921 to Bhaktavatsalam and Gnanasundarambal.<ref name="saga_thehindu">{{cite news|title=Saga of grit and success|author=Suganthy Krishnamachari|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/06/stories/2009030651160100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310064112/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2009/03/06/stories/2009030651160100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2009|date=6 March 2009|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> Her father Bhaktavatsalam was a student at the [[Madras Law college]] when she was born.<ref name="kamat_mlc">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kamat.com/database/biographies/m_bhaktavatsalam.htm|title=Biography: M.Bhaktavatsalam |access-date=27 December 2008|publisher=Kamat's Potpourri|work=Kamat Research Database}}</ref> She studied till ninth standard at Lady Sivaswami Girls School when her education was discontinued.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /><ref name="chennaionline_interview">{{cite web|title=Chennai Citizen: Sarojini Varadappan|url=http://archives.chennaionline.com/chennaicitizen/2000/sarojini.asp|author=T. Chandra|publisher=Chennai Online|year=2000|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090401180520/http://archives.chennaionline.com/chennaicitizen/2000/sarojini.asp|archive-date=1 April 2009|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She studied [[Hindi language|Hindi]] through private home tuitions and completed her Visharadh.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> As her family objected to her travelling to an exam center to write her exams, her Prathmic exams were conducted at home.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> In her later years, she explained that her education was curtailed due to the conservativeness of her family.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> She was associated with the [[Indian National Congress]] and the Congress Seva Dal during her early days.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /><br />
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At an early age, she was married to her cousin Varadappan.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> Sarojini was 21 years old when her father was arrested at the height of the [[Quit India Movement]].<ref name="rediff">{{cite news|title=Quit India Movement:'I do not know what kind of magic Gandhiji had but people listened to him'|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2002/aug/07spec.htm|work=Rediff News|date=7 August 2002}}</ref> After two years of imprisonment, he was released in 1944.<ref name="rediff" /><br />
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Sarojini resumed her studies after marriage and completed her Master's in [[political science]] from [[Mysore University]] through [[distance learning|correspondence]].<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> She also did her [[Master of Arts|MA]] in [[Vaishnavism]] from [[Madras University]]. Sarojini got her [[doctorate|PhD]] at the age of 80 for her thesis on "Social Service and the Swami Narayan Movement".<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> Sarojini is also an ardent devotee of the [[Paramacharya]] of [[Kanchi]], Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /><ref name="kamakoti">{{cite web|title=Mahaswamigal of Kanchi|publisher=Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham|url=http://www.kamakoti.org/souv/5-108.html|author=Sarojini Varadappan}}</ref><ref name="doctorate80_thehindu">{{cite news|title=A doctorate at 80|url=http://www.thehindu.in/thehindu/2001/05/28/stories/13281288.htm|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=28 May 2001|author=S. Muthiah|author-link=S. Muthiah}}</ref> Her niece Mrs. [[Jayanthi Natarajan]] was a minister in the central cabinet. She died on 17 October 2013, at the age of 92.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Social-worker-Sarojini-Varadappan-dies-aged-92/articleshow/24299552.cms | work=The Times of India | title=Social worker Sarojini Varadappan dies aged 92&nbsp;– The Times of India}}</ref><br />
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== Music ==<br />
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Sarojini learnt music from Parur Sundaram Iyer and sung prayer songs at Congress meetings. She also learnt Kshetragna padams and Tamil padams from Mylapore Gowri Amma, [[Subramania Bharati|Bharatiyar]] songs from [[E. Krishna Iyer]] and Hindi bhajans from Veena Visalakshi.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /><br />
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== Social activities ==<br />
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Sarojini was involved in social activities ever since her early days. Her mother Gnanasundarambal was associated with the Women's India Association (WIA) and Sarojini joined the organisation at an early age.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> Sarojini also served as the President of the WIA.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> Under her leadership, the number of branches of the organisation increased from four to 76.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> Sarojini is also the president of the [[Mylapore]] Academy.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /><br />
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Sarojini has been a member of the Indian [[Red Cross]] Society for over 35 years.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> When [[Marri Chenna Reddy]] was the [[Governor of Tamil Nadu]], she was appointed President of the society.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> This was contrary to the usual practice of requesting the Governor's wife to preside over the society.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> When contacted, Channa Reddy's wife had declined the request due to her lack of proficiency in Tamil and instead asked Sarojini to preside over the organisation.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /><br />
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She served as the chairperson of Central Social Welfare Board of Government of India from 1973-1977.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/veteran-social-activist-sarojini-varadappan-passes-away/article5244412.ece| title = Veteran social activist Sarojini Varadappan passes away - The Hindu| website = [[The Hindu]]}} </ref> In 1987, Government of India appointed the High Power Committee on Nursing and Nursing Profession with Sarojini Varadappan as its chairperson to review the roles, functions, status, preparation of the Nursing Personnel, nursing services and other issues related to the development of Nursing profession and to make suitable recommendation to the Government. The committee submitted its report in 1989.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2388869/|pmid = 2388869|year = 1990|title = High Power Committee on Nursing and Nursing Profession: Conclusions and summary of recommendations|journal = The Nursing Journal of India|volume = 81|issue = 5|pages = 141–4, 161–3}}</ref><br />
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== Honours ==<br />
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Sarojini was awarded India's fourth highest civilian award, the [[Padma Shri]] in 1973.<ref name="saga_thehindu" /> She was awarded the Jankidevi Bajaj award for 2004 at a function in Chennai held on 23 February 2005.<ref name="jankidevi_thehindu">{{cite news|title=Sarojini Varadappan to set up trust with award money|date=24 February 2005|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/24/stories/2005022413730300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050224131609/http://www.hindu.com/2005/02/24/stories/2005022413730300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 February 2005|work=[[The Hindu]]|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> The same year, she received [[Jamnalal Bajaj Award]] from the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation.<ref name="Jamnalal Bajaj Award">{{cite web | url=http://www.jamnalalbajajfoundation.org/awards/archives/2004/women-and-child-welfare/drsmt-sarojini-varadappan | title=Jamnalal Bajaj Award | publisher=Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation | date=2015 | access-date=October 13, 2015}}</ref> In 2009, Sarojini was awarded India's third highest civilian award, the [[Padma Bhushan]] for [[social service]].<ref name="ndtv">{{cite news|title=List of Padma Bhushan Awardees|work=[[NDTV]]|author=NDTV Correspondent|date=26 January 2009|url=http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090081397|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129191059/http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20090081397|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 January 2013}}</ref> On 5 March 2009, she was honoured at a function in Chennai.<ref name="thehindu_felicitations">{{cite news|title=Sarojini Varadappan felicitated|url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/06/stories/2009030650960200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090310085536/http://www.hindu.com/2009/03/06/stories/2009030650960200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 March 2009|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=6 March 2009|location=Chennai, India}}</ref> She was selected [[Sheriff of Madras]] for 1983.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/veteran-social-activist-sarojini-varadappan-passes-away/article5244412.ece|title= Veteran social activist Sarojini Varadappan passes away |work= The Hindu| access-date= 24 July 2017}}</ref><br />
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== Notes ==<br />
{{reflist|2}}<br />
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{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}<br />
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}<br />
{{Jamnalal Bajaj Award winners}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Varadappan, Sarojini}}<br />
[[Category:1921 births]]<br />
[[Category:2013 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work]]<br />
[[Category:Tamil activists]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers]]<br />
[[Category:University of Mysore alumni]]<br />
[[Category:Red Cross personnel]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women activists]]<br />
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian educators]]<br />
[[Category:Indian political scientists]]<br />
[[Category:Women political scientists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian women scientists]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Indian social scientists]]<br />
[[Category:Women scientists from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Activists from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women scholars]]<br />
[[Category:Sheriffs of Madras]]<br />
[[Category:Scholars from Chennai]]<br />
[[Category:Social workers from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Women educators from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:Educators from Tamil Nadu]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century women educators]]</div>>Citation bot