Anasuya Sarabhai

Anasuya Sarabhai (11 November 1885 – 1 November 1972) was a pioneering Indian social worker, labour leader, and women’s rights activist, best known as the founder of the Textile Labour Association (Majoor Mahajan Sangh)—India’s first organised trade union. She played a crucial role in improving the conditions of industrial workers in Ahmedabad and laid the foundation for the labour movement in India. Her life’s work combined compassion, courage, and reform, bridging the gap between industrial management and labour through principles of justice and non-violence.

Early Life and Education

Anasuya Sarabhai was born into a wealthy and influential industrialist family in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in 1885. She lost her parents at a young age and, along with her siblings, was brought up by her uncle, Ambalal Sarabhai, who later became one of the leading mill owners of Ahmedabad.
Despite her privileged background, Anasuya showed early concern for the underprivileged and for social reform. Defying conservative family traditions, she went abroad for higher education. She studied at London School of Economics (LSE), where she was exposed to the Fabian movement, a socialist reform group advocating for workers’ rights and social equality. Influenced by leaders such as George Bernard Shaw, Sidney Webb, and Beatrice Webb, she developed a deep commitment to social justice and gender equality.
Her experiences in London profoundly shaped her worldview, making her acutely aware of the exploitation faced by industrial workers, especially women.

Return to India and Early Social Work

Upon returning to India in 1912, Anasuya Sarabhai decided to dedicate her life to social welfare and reform. She began working among the poor and marginalised communities of Ahmedabad, focusing initially on education and health.
Her direct interaction with workers in the city’s textile mills revealed the harsh realities of long working hours, poor wages, and unsanitary conditions, particularly for women workers. Shocked by the exploitation, she took up their cause and began organising them to demand fair treatment and improved conditions.

Founding of the Textile Labour Association

In 1914, the women workers of Ahmedabad approached Anasuya to help them secure better wages and reduce their work hours. When negotiations with mill owners failed, she led a workers’ strike, marking the beginning of the organised labour movement in Ahmedabad.
During the 1918 strike of mill workers, Mahatma Gandhi—then active in Ahmedabad—joined hands with Anasuya Sarabhai. Under Gandhi’s guidance, the movement adopted the principle of non-violence (ahimsa) and peaceful negotiation, which became a hallmark of the Ahmedabad labour movement.
The strike resulted in the establishment of fairer wages and improved relations between mill owners and workers. To formalise this effort, Anasuya founded the Textile Labour Association (TLA) in 1918, with Gandhi as its spiritual mentor.
The TLA became India’s first trade union and served as a model of cooperative industrial relations, promoting mutual understanding rather than confrontation between workers and employers. It also incorporated welfare programmes such as:

• Health clinics for workers and their families.
• Schools and libraries for workers’ children.
• Vocational training and housing schemes.

This humane and non-violent approach to labour organisation earned Anasuya immense respect from both workers and industrialists.

Role in Women’s Empowerment

Anasuya Sarabhai was not only a labour organiser but also a champion of women’s rights. She recognised that female mill workers faced double burdens—both as wage earners and as homemakers.
To support them, she initiated:

• Hostels and welfare centres for working women.
• Training programmes in literacy, hygiene, and financial management.
• Advocacy for equal pay and protection from workplace exploitation.

She believed in empowering women through education and economic independence, long before women’s rights became a mainstream social issue in India.
Her niece, Ela Bhatt, was deeply influenced by her and later went on to establish the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in 1972, which followed in Anasuya’s footsteps of combining trade unionism with social welfare.

Association with Mahatma Gandhi and Labour Reforms

Anasuya Sarabhai’s collaboration with Mahatma Gandhi during the Ahmedabad mill workers’ movement marked a turning point in India’s labour relations. Gandhi’s philosophy of truth (satya) and non-violence (ahimsa) guided the Textile Labour Association’s strategies.
Their partnership demonstrated that industrial disputes could be resolved through negotiation and moral persuasion rather than conflict. This experiment became a model for Gandhian labour relations, influencing trade union movements across India.
Anasuya continued to work closely with Gandhi and other nationalist leaders, contributing to discussions on economic justice and workers’ welfare within the broader Indian independence movement.

Later Life and Legacy

Anasuya Sarabhai devoted the rest of her life to strengthening the Textile Labour Association and advocating for the rights of workers and women. She never married and lived simply, dedicating her time to social reform and education.
Under her guidance, the TLA expanded into one of India’s most influential labour organisations, maintaining a cooperative and non-violent character that distinguished it from militant unions.
She passed away on 1 November 1972, just days before her 87th birthday. Her ideals, however, lived on through the continued success of the Textile Labour Association and through organisations like SEWA, founded in the same year of her passing.

Contributions and Achievements

• Founder of India’s First Trade Union (1918): The Textile Labour Association in Ahmedabad.
• Pioneer of Non-violent Labour Movements: Applied Gandhian principles to industrial disputes.
• Social Reformer: Improved living, working, and educational conditions for workers.
• Women’s Rights Advocate: Promoted education and empowerment for working women.
• Mentor to Ela Bhatt: Influenced the establishment of SEWA, continuing her legacy of social justice.

Significance and Legacy

Anasuya Sarabhai is remembered as the “Pioneering Mother of the Indian Labour Movement.” Her model of industrial harmony based on cooperation, compassion, and fairness remains a cornerstone of India’s labour philosophy.
Her legacy continues through:

• The ongoing work of the Textile Labour Association.
• The influence she had on Ela Bhatt’s SEWA movement.
• The recognition of her contributions to social justice, gender equality, and industrial peace.