To celebrate educationalist and campaigner for Indian independence, Sister Nivedita's 150th anniversary, UK government organisation English Heritage will put a blue plaque on her house in Wimbledon on 12 November 2017. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is attending the unveiling of the plaque along with some key delegates.
London’s famous blue plaques link the people of the past with the buildings of the present. Now run by English Heritage, the London blue plaques scheme was started in 1866 and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world. Across the UK capital over 900 plaques, on buildings humble and grand, honour the notable men and women who have lived or worked in them.
The Scottish-Irish social worker and disciple of Swami Vivekananda began her professional life as a school teacher in southwest London and set up the Ruskin School in the area. The school was to later become the inspiration for her girls' school in Kolkata, she set up in 1898 after accompanying Swami Vivekananda to India that year.
Born as Margaret Elizabeth Noble, the name Nivedita or 'the dedicated one', was given to her by Swami Vivekananda. In India, she served the poor in Bengal during the times of flood, plague and famine and was a very vocal campaigner against the partition of Bengal proposed by the British in 1905.
Sarada Sarkar, a London-based teacher who is leading the campaign for installing the plaque on behalf of the Ramkrishna Mission said, "We are happy that English Heritage is recognising her contribution not only in the areas of education, but also as a campaigner of Indian Independence on her 150th birth anniversary on English soil for the first time.”
Sister Nivedita briefly travelled back to London with Swami Vivekananda, arriving at the 21 High Street in Wimbledon on July 31, 1899. He stayed there for a couple of days while Sister Nivedita's family found him an accommodation nearby. The house remained Sister Nivedita's family home until January 1902, though she had permanently moved to India.
CM Banerjee's week long travel also includes business meets in London and Scotland.
