Bhikaiji Cama and International Nationalism

Bhikaiji Rustom Cama, popularly known as Madame Cama, was a pioneer of the Indian independence movement who internationalized the anti-colonial struggle across Europe and America. Born on September 24, 1861, into an affluent Parsi family in Bombay, she transitioned from social relief work during the 1896 Bombay plague epidemic to radical anti-colonial activism in exile. Her efforts connected Indian revolutionaries with global socialist networks, provided operational logistics for underground outfits, and created early visual symbols of Indian nationhood on foreign soil.

Early Life and Political Awakening

Family Background and Early Career

Bhikaiji was the daughter of Sorabji Framji Patel, a prosperous merchant and lawyer in Bombay. She received an English education at the Alexandra Girls’ English Institution. In 1885, she married Rustom Cama, a pro-British lawyer. Ideological differences over British rule created distance in her marriage, leading her to focus on social work and political causes.

The 1896 Plague Epidemic and Move to Europe

When the bubonic plague struck Bombay in 1896, she volunteered to care for afflicted patients. She contracted the disease herself, survived, and traveled to Britain in 1902 for specialized medical care. In London, she met Shyamji Krishna Varma, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. She served as private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji, who was then campaigning for election to the British House of Commons.

Revolutionary Operations in Europe

The Paris Indian Society

British surveillance forced her to move from London to Paris in 1907. Alongside Singh Rewabhai Rana (S. R. Rana) and Munchershah Burjorji Godrej, she co-founded the Paris Indian Society. The society functioned as an operational center for Indian revolutionaries residing in continental Europe.

Revolutionary Publications and Logistics

She edited and financed radical publications to counter British censorship in India. Following the British ban on Subramania Bharati’s India and the shutdown of Bande Mataram in Bengal, she published the monthly journal Bande Mataram from Paris. She also assisted in publishing Talwar (originally edited by Virendranath Chattopadhyaya). These journals were printed in Europe and smuggled into India via French-ruled Pondicherry. She funded arms procurement, including Browning automatic pistols, which were smuggled to Indian revolutionary outfits like the Abhinav Bharat Society and the Bharat Mata Association.

The Stuttgart Flag and International Diplomacy

Unfurling the Flag of Indian Independence

On August 22, 1907, Madame Cama represented India at the Seventh International Socialist Congress held in Stuttgart, Germany. She delivered an address outlining the economic drain, famines, and human rights abuses under British colonial rule. During the conference, she unfurled an early version of the Indian national flag, making her the first person to hoist an Indian national flag on foreign soil.

Design and Symbolism of the Stuttgart Flag

The flag was co-designed by Cama, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, and Shyamji Krishna Varma, based on the 1906 Calcutta Flag.

• Top Stripe (Green): Represented Islam and contained eight lotus flowers symbolizing the eight provinces of British India.
• Middle Stripe (Saffron/Yellow): Featured the words Vande Mataram written in Devanagari script.
• Bottom Stripe (Red): Represented Hinduism and contained symbols of a sun and a crescent moon.
• Design Legacy: The design was adopted in 1914 as the emblem of the Berlin Committee (Indian Independence Committee). The original flag was later smuggled into India and is preserved at the Maratha and Kesari Library in Pune.

World War I Internment and Final Years

Conflict with European Powers

With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the alliance between Britain and France altered her operational freedom. The French government, allied with Britain, interned her at Vichy and later required her to report weekly to the police in Bordeaux due to her anti-colonial propaganda.

Return to India and Death

She remained in Europe after the war, continuing her intellectual association with anti-imperialist groups. In 1935, following a stroke that left her paralyzed, she petitioned the British government for permission to return home. She returned to Bombay in November 1935 and passed away at the Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Hospital on August 13, 1936, at the age of 74.

Key Facts for Quick Revision

• Birth & Death: Born September 24, 1861, in Bombay; died August 13, 1936, in Bombay.
• Parsi Lineage: Daughter of Sorabji Framji Patel and wife of Rustom Cama.
• Private Secretary Role: Worked as private secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji in London.
• Key Organization: Co-founded the Paris Indian Society in 1907 with S. R. Rana and M. B. Godrej.
• Stuttgart Event: Hoisted the early Indian national flag at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, on August 22, 1907.
• Flag Symbolism: A tricolor (green, saffron, red) carrying eight lotuses, Vande Mataram in Devanagari, a sun, and a crescent moon.
• Flag Preservation: The original Stuttgart flag is preserved at the Maratha and Kesari Library in Pune.
• Journals Published: Edited and financed Bande Mataram from Paris.
• Philanthropic Bequest: Left her personal estate to the Avabai Petit Orphanage for girls and her family’s Agiary in Mazgaon.
• Commemorative Honors: Indian Posts issued a commemorative stamp in her honor in 1962, and the Indian Coast Guard commissioned the fast patrol vessel ICGS Bhikaiji Cama in 1997.