Zohra Begum Kazi
Encyclopedia
Dr. Zohra Begum Kazi was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and himself, published privately immediately after the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. Dr. Kazi's family was closely tied to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
and several prominent Indian and later Pakistani politicians of that era. (see Quit India)
Prof. Ashraf Kazi served as the secretary general of All India Students Federation
All India Students Federation
The All India Students Federation was the first student union in India level.It was founded by students] on 12 August 1936 with the banner Freedom Peace Progress, with the guidance of Nehru. At that time, it worked for the independence of India. The organisation now works for the betterment of...
when Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam
Kazi Nazrul Islam , sobriquet Bidrohi Kobi, was a Bengali poet, musician and revolutionary who pioneered poetic works espousing intense spiritual rebellion against fascism and oppression. His poetry and nationalist activism earned him the popular title of Bidrohi Kobi...
was the organizations president.
Her youngest sister Dr. Shirin Kazi was also a physician, and a poet. She was noted as being the first Bengali female doctor to obtain a DRCOG
DObst RCOG
The medical post-nominal suffix DObst RCOG is awarded to obstetricians and gynaecologists who have gained the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists...
degree in 1951. Dr. Shirin Kazi later specialized in paediatrics. She was also known for having adopted and raised several children from less fortunate families.
All three siblings once lived in Sevagram
Sevagram
Sevagram is Hindi for "A village for service" and the name of a village in the state of Maharashtra, India. This was the place of Mohandas Gandhi's ashram. Previously it was named as Shegaon: it was Mahatma Gandhi who renamed it to Sevagram....
, the ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi in Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
, India. Dr. Zohra Kazi also volunteered at Mahatma Gandhi's Sevashram, (which later gave birth to the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences
The Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences is run by the Kasturba Health Society. It was earlier affiliated to the Nagpur University and from 1998 to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, Nasik.-History:...
) providing free medical care for the poor. She also served as an honorary secretary of the Kasturba Gandhi
Kasturba Gandhi
Kastürbā Gāndhi was the wife of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, marrying him in an arranged marriage in 1883.-Early life and background:...
Hospital.
Letters written by the Mahatma to the young Zohra Kazi, indicate that he treated her as his own daughter.
Education
Dr. Zohra Kazi obtained her MBBSMBBS
MBBS was a popular BBS system in the Nordic countries during the mid-1990s. It was created by a team of Oslo-based enthusiasts, led by Mike Robertson. As many BBS systems of that era, it was only available for the DOS platform. Since one process could only handle one node, multitaskers such as...
degree in 1935 from Lady Hardinge Medical College
Lady Hardinge Medical College
Lady Hardinge Medical College is a Medical College for women located near Connaught Plane in New Delhi, India. Established in 1916, it became part of the Delhi University, Faculty of Medical Sciences in 1950. For the teaching and training of medical students, it has two hospitals, Smt...
for Women in Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
. She ranked First Class First and was awarded the Viceroy of India's Medal (Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GBE, PC (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941).
Dr. Kazi completed her FCPS
College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan
College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan is the only postgraduate training and examination body of Pakistan awarding degrees of FCPS and MCPS. Its head office is in Karachi...
degree and received a scholarship from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
in London and obtained DRCOG
DObst RCOG
The medical post-nominal suffix DObst RCOG is awarded to obstetricians and gynaecologists who have gained the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists...
degree. She continued her studies in London and obtained FRCOG and MRCOG degrees. Upon her return to East Bengal
East Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
(then renamed East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
), she joined Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
(Dacca) Medical College and Hospital as professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Career
During her long career, Dr. Kazi held several key positions in Medicine. Dr. Kazi was posthumously awarded the Ekushey PadakEkushey Padak
Ekushey Padak is one of the highest civilian awards in Bangladesh, introduced in memory of the martyrs of the Language Movement of 1952 that took place on February 21, 1952.-2001:*Shah Abdul Karim...
in February 2008 for her notable social work. During her lifetime, she also received several other distinctions and acknowledgements for her contributions, both medical and philanthropic, to society.
On February 21, 1952, Dr. Zohra Kazi is said to have organized emergency treatment for the wounded students of the Bengali Language Movement. During The Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
in 1971, she sought out and provided medical attention to the wounded Freedom Fighters. Throughout her life, she took an active interest in the well being of all her patients and the children she delivered.
Dr. Zohra Kazi died on November 7, 2007 at the age of 95.
Documentary
A Documentary Film titled "Zohra Kazi" was recently released in BangladeshBangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. The film was directed by Mahbubul Alam Taru. The documentary illustrates Dr. Kazi's life and her greatest success; her lifelong fight against illogical superstitions and backward beliefs, convincing uneducated female patients all over India and Bangladesh, the need for modern medical treatment. She saved many lives by bringing modern medicine to the masses.
See also
- Women in IndiaWomen in IndiaThe status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful...
- Feminism in IndiaFeminism in IndiaFeminism in India is a set of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for Indian women. It is the pursuit of women's rights within the society of India...
- BegumBegumBegum, Begam or Baigum is a Turkic title given to female family members of a Baig or 'Beg', a higher official. The term Begum is derived from the word Beg, and means a female member of the Beg's family.Also used Begzadi, for Ex...
- Bengali nationalismBengali nationalismBengali nationalism is the political expression of ethno-national consciousness of the Bengali people, who inhabit the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. The region's territory is divided between Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal...