Dr.muthulakshmi 's life as Doctor

After graduation Dr.Muthulakshmi joined the Women and Children Hospital ,Egmore as a House-Surgeon.No woman had ever been accepted as a House-Surgeon in that hospital before .Thus she was the First Lady House-Surgeon in Madras Medical history.After completing her House-Surgeoncy in 1913 ,she set up practice in Egmore.It was in that year that Dr.T.Sundara reddy ,the first Indian to qualify for the F.R.C.S.,also a self made man ,approached  to marry her.They were married in April 1914 and their first son was born .Their second son was born in 1919.
In 1918  the Women's Indian Association of Madras was foundeds by two European Women theosophists,Mrs.Margaret and Mrs.Jina.Dr.(Mrs) Reddy was its first Indian member and was as secretary for many years and as Editor of its journal ''Stri Dharma'.She later bacame its Life President.
During 1923  her beloved sister died due to cancer.
Dr.Reddy visited England for the first time in 1925,for Post-graduate studies and returned in 1927.

Dr.Muthulakshmi and her sister's death

In 1923,Ms.Muthulakshmi reddy lost her beloved sister at the young age of 23 from cancer of the Rectum.The first symptoms of Cancer had appeared an 1921 ,but the eminent Surgeons and Gynecologists of that day had diagnosed and treated the condition as amoebic dysentry.Dr.Reddy knew nothing about it till  1922 ,as the sister was married and was living elsewhere.In 1922,  Dr.Reddy examining her for the first time , detected cancer but it was then too late.From that day she stayed by that bedside of agony for nearly a year till her sister passed away in 1923.It was this personal experience by the Death bed of  her beloved sister that laid the psychological foundation of all her anti-Cancer work in the years to come.

FIRST WOMAN IN INDIA TO GRADUATE IN MEDICINE.

In 1907,Ms.Muthulakshmi came to Madras to join the Medical College on a stipend from the Maharaja of Pudukottai.Her father came along with her to chennai who had retired prematurely from service and remained her constant companion throughout her college days.She was the first girl to join the  Medical College  (M.B&C.M) and she stood first in her class right through her college career.She graduated in medicine in 1912 ,standing first in the University.She was the FIRST WOMAN IN INDIA TO GRADUATE IN MEDICINE.

Political career

Dr.Muthulakshmi was nominated to the Madras Legislature as a member of legislative council in 1926, and became the first woman to be a member of any legislature in India. When she was elected as the Deputy Chairperson of the legislative council, she became the first woman in the world to become the Vice-President of a Legislature. She was the prime mover behind the legislation that abolished the devadasi system in 1929 and played a keen role in raising the minimum marriage age for women in India. In 1930, she resigned from the Madras Legislature as a protest following the imprisonment of Mahatma Gandhi. Under the influence of Gandhi and Periyar E.V.Ramasamy, she argued for the removal of devadasi system that was widely prevalent in Tamil Nadu at that time against stiff resistance from the Congress lobby led by Sathyamoorthy Aiyar. She was the founder-president of the Women’s Indian Association (WIA) and became the first alderwoman of the Madras Corporation.
Dr Reddy was actively involved with several orphanage homes and women’s welfare organisations, and initiated measures to improve the medical facilities given to slum dwellers. In 1930, she founded Avvai Home, a home for destitute women and orphans at Besant Avenue, Adyar. As an MLC, she introduced a scheme of free education for girls up to class eight.

Reform Works of Dr. Muthulakshmi

                                                  AVVAI    HOME  IN  CHENNAI
Dr.Muthulakshmi went to England for higher studies and she gave up her rewarding practice in medicine in response to a request from the Women's Indian Association (WTA) to enter the Madras Legislative Council. She was elected unanimously as its Deputy President. She led the agitation for municipal and legislative franchise for women. She was concerned about the orphans, especially girls. She arranged for them free boarding and lodging and started the Avvai Home in Chennai.
Muthulakshmi was the author of numerous social reforms. Her book `My Experience as a Legislator` records all her services in the Legislature. She passed a resolution to establish a special hospital for women and children. The then Government accepted her suggestion and opened a children's section in the maternity hospital. She recommended systematic medical inspection of students in all schools and colleges, run by municipalities as well as other local bodies. Kasturba Hospital at Triplicane is a monument to her efforts.
Muthulakshmi Reddy was the President of the All-India Women's Conference. She passed the Bill for the suppression of brothels and immoral trafficking in women and children. A home for rescued girls and women were opened through her efforts to provide shelter to women and girls rescued from brothels. Due to her efforts a hostel for Muslim girls was opened and scholarships were given for Harijan girls. She recommended to the Government that the minimum age for marriage be raised to at least 21 for boys and 16 for girls.
Muthulakshmi also started the Cancer Relief fund. This has now developed into an all-India institution combining therapy and research on cancer and attracting patients from all over India. She became the first Chairperson of the State Social Welfare Board. Her work on the Hartog Education Committee, which incorporated a study of educational progress in India, is a great achievement. As a member of the Hartog Committee she travelled extensively and studied the progress of women's education throughout the country. She was the only woman member of the committee and brought about many improvements. She was also the editor of Roshini, an important journal of AIWC.
Muthulakshmi Reddy continued to fight for her cause till the end of her days and never let anything come in her way. Even at the age of 80, she was energetic and vibrant. Her human preoccupations took her away from politics and she stuck to her mission and Gandhian ways. She was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 1956. Her two outstanding monumental gifts for humanity remain the Avvai Home (for children) and the Cancer Institute.

Influences on Muthulakshmi Reddy

During her college years, Muthulakshmi met Ms Sarojini naidu and began to attend women's meetings. She found women who shared her personal concerns and addressed them in terms of women's rights. The two great personalities who influenced her life were Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Annie Besant. They persuaded her to devote herself for the upliftment of women and children. She worked for women's emancipation at a time when women were confined in the four walls of their room.

EDUCATION AND MARRIAGE

When Muthulakshmi passed the matriculation exam she applied for admission to Maharaja's College but her application was not welcomed by the principal at the time or the parents of other students. Her gender was a factor and so was her background. The principal thought she might "demoralize" the male students. The somewhat enlightened Maharaja of Pudukottah ignored these objections, admitted her to the college, and gave her a scholarship. Her father suggested she become a school teacher but she had higher aspirations. She entered Madras Medical College, completed her studies in 1912, and became house surgeon in the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Chennai. She later married Dr. D. T. Sundara Reddy on the demand that he promised to "always respect me as an equal and never cross my wishes." In 1914, when she was twenty-eight years of age, they married in accordance with the 1872 Native Marriage Act.

Dr.muthulakshmi -Early life

In keeping with the prevailing Hindu custom of those days ,her education was stopped at the primary school stage.But she had been a very intelligent child that her primary school teacher ,Baliah vathiyar ,felt that a genius was being smothered by the blind tradition and pleaded with her parents that her education should be continued at all costs ,offering even to bear the cost of her education himself.It was this selfless offer of an exceedigly good man and teacher that opened the gates of knowledge to Ms.Muthulakshmi reddy.Tradition was however still strong and her education was all gone through at home.She appeared for her Matriculation exam as a private candidate and passed.Her qualifying for college was the most important news of the day in Pudukottai town.

Dr.Muthulakshmi Reddy

S.Muthulakshmi was born on30th July 1886, in a middle class family in Pudukkottai district  of Tamilnadu. Ms. Muthulakshmi was the first woman to get graduated in Medicine in the year 1912.

She became the first Indian member of WIA, Madras in 1918 and she was the President of WIA Madras for 30 years. Dr.Muthulakshmi was a Member and Vice-President of Madras Legislative Assembly from 1927 to 1930.She was an active member of the Freedom Struggle of India. In 1930 she founded an orphanage, named “Avvai Home” for the female children of the devadasis.

In 1922 Dr.Muthulakshmi found cancer in her sister’s rectum and she stayed by the bedside of her suffering  sister who passed away in a year. This induced Dr. Muthulakshmi to concentrate more on cancer. In 1949 she initiated Cancer Relief Fund of WIA and set up a CANCER HOSPITAL. In 1954 she formed Cancer Institute. She was awarded “Padma Bhusan” in 1956 by the Government of India.

Dr. Muthulakshmi made her son to be with the Cancer Institute for serving the poor cancer patients of India, after his completing his studies in Medicine at USA. Today, Adyar Cancer Institute is serving the poor cancer patients from allover India, in a notable way.