Sarala Roy

Background

She was daughter of the renowned Brahmo reformer Durga Mohan Das, sister of S.R.Das, Abala Bose and Sailabala Das, and cousin of Chittaranjan Das and Sudhi Ranjan Das (Chief Justice of India).

Career

She belonged to the famous Das family of Telirbagh, Dhaka, now in Bangladesh. She was amongst the early students of Banga Mahila Vidyalaya and Bethune School (established by Bethune) and devoted her life to the cause of women's education. She inspired women from aristocratic families to participate in dance dramas.

Rabindranath Tagore composed his dance-drama Mayar Khela at her request and it was first staged at Bethune School.

The all-India women's conference, founded in 1927 under the leadership of Margaret Cousins but soon run completely by Indian women, was the most important women's organisation in its time. lieutenant had an effective Bengal branch under capable leaders like Sarala Ray, Renuka Ray, Phulrenu Guha and Ashoka Gupta.

Achievements

• She was founder of Gokhale Memorial Girls School & College at Calcutta, which was founded in 1920.

Membership

On her return to Kolkata she was a member of Swarnakumari Devi’s “Sakhi Samiti”. Apart from her founding the Gokhale Memorial School, she was the first woman to be secretary of Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya, member of Calcutta University’s senate and one of the leaders of the all-India women's conference.