Swarajyalata, MSc (1948) in Chemistry was Holkar state sports champion, a freedom fighter (hoisted Indian tricolor at Holkar College in pre-independence period), a journalist (President of Indian Small & Medium Newspaper Association) , a feminist (Secretary of Delhi Women’s League), a politician (President of UP Women’s Congress), a businesswoman (She ran her printing press, LPG distributorship and a social worker (she was member of national governing council of INTACH, headed WWF at Mathura and was director of Mathura District Consumers Cooperative Society).

She was ‘mataji’ to each of over 100 admitted patients in my father’s tuberculosis sanitorium ensuring that food & medicines were available. Many a times, in staff’s absence, she even cooked food for them single handedly.