Nayantara Sahgal

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A Voice of the Nation
A Voice of the World
A Voice ofWoodstock School
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Mrs. Nayantara Sahgal
This is the story of
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Nayantara Pandit Sahgal was born in Allahabad on
May 10, 1927.
Her family was one of the most prominent in
Indian politics, and from an early age her fate
was entwined with that of the nation.
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Her mother, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, became Indias
first ambassador to the United Nations.
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Her uncle, Jawaharlal Nehru, was to be Indias
first Prime Minister.
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Her cousin, Indira Gandhi, would become Indias
third Prime Minister.
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Mrs. Sahgal came to Woodstock with her two
sisters in 1936.
She was eight years old.
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Our parents knew they would be imprisoned again,
but no one knew for how long. We didnt realize
that two years after graduating from here, my
sister would also be put in jail and locked up
for seven months. She may well have been the only
Woodstock graduate to have been jailed during
Indias fight for freedom.

Nor did we know at the time that my father was
to die of his last imprisonment in 1944. My
parents only knew that the future was uncertain,
so it was best to bring me and my younger sister
home.
But the five years I spent here were the
longest I had spent at any school, and the most
rewarding.
- Prison and Chocolate
Cake
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Mrs. Sahgal attended Woodstock from 1936 until
1940, when the state of the nation necessitated
her return home.
The five years she spent at Woodstock were
fleeting, but rich.
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We entered with great zest into a crowded
schedule of work and play. We took part in
sports, theatricals, and student government.
Lehka and I joined the two school orchestras,
while Rita started piano lessons.
School became less of an ordeal, and we were
always eager to go back after the holidays.-
Prison and Chocolate Cake
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At Woodstock, students and staff already
knewthat the Class of 1943 would go far.
- Whispering Pine, 1937
The predictions were right.
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In 1947, the year of Indias Independence, Mrs.
Sahgal graduated with a BA in History from
Wellesley College in the United States.
She then embarked on a life of politics,
literature, and social advocacy.
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POINT OF VIEW A PERSONAL RESPONSE TO LIFE,
LITERATURE, AND POLITICS
BEFORE FREEDOM NEHRUS LETTERS TO HIS SISTER
INDIRA GANDHIS EMERGENCE AND STYLE
PRISON CHOCOLATE CAKE
During the course of her life, Nayantara Sahgal
has authored nine novels published in India and
abroad,six works of nonfiction, and numerous
articles and essays published around the world.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
THIS TIME OF MORNING
RICH LIKE US
FROM FEAR SET FREE
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INDIRA GANDHI, HER ROAD TO POWER
SUNLIGHT SURROUND YOU
A TIME TO BE HAPPY
PLANS FOR DEPARTURE
A VOICE FOR FREEDOM
In each of these genres, Mrs. Sahgal has gained
acclaim for her critical examination of Indias
sociopolitical culture and the voice of
independence she has given to women throughout
the world.
A SITUATION IN DELHI
LESSER BREEDS
STORM IN CHANDIGARH
THE DAY IN SHADOW
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Fellow of the Radcliffe InstituteUSA
Fellow of the NationalHumanities CenterUSA
Doon Ratna AwardIndia
CommonwealthWriters AwardUK
Sinclair Prizefor FictionUK
Honorary Doctorate fromthe University of LeedsUK
For her personal and literary achievements,Mrs.
Sahgal has been honored worldwide.
Fellow of the WoodrowWilson InternationalCenter
for ScholarsUSA
Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Arts
and SciencesUSA
Alumni Achievement Award from Wellesley
CollegeUSA
Sahitya Akademi AwardIndia
Pride of Doon AwardIndia
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a leading example of Indias emergent writers,
blending the Hindu with the Christian outlook,
possessed equally of a cool analytical brain and
broadly human sympathies.

- The Times
among the remarkable group of women writers at
work in India today. It is possible that she may
prove to be the best of them
- The
Observer
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Nayantara Sahgals life has not only been one of
letters,
but one of action.
Greatly influenced by the politics of Gandhi and
Nehru from her early years, Mrs. Sahgal has spent
her life working as a committed advocate for
freedom and civil rights.
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Her political concerns have carried her into both
national and international spheres of action and
dialogue.
In 1978, she was a member of the Indian
delegation to the United Nations General
Assembly.
In 1980, she played an integral role in the
formation of the Peoples Union for Civil
Liberties, an organization dedicated to the
pursuit of basic human rights, regardless of
political affiliation.
Mrs. Sahgal went on to hold the position of
Vice-President of the PUCL.
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Nayantara Sahgal has left an ongoing legacyfor
both the world and Woodstock.
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She has done so through her writing and
ideologies.
There are certain points I have attempted to
make which may or may not go against pastor
current expert theories about India. One is
that India abounds in leadership.
- A Voice for Freedom
While I live I will fight for a free India, for
the nation my uncle built and which he made
unique for the civilized values it has
represented in Asia and the world.
- A Voice for
Freedom
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She has done so through her words, her actions,
and her example.
Wherever you go when you leave here, whether to
some other part of India or abroad, somewhere
deep down you will stay connected with this
particular stretch of the Himalaya, and I hope
the bonds and friends and memories that tie you
to these hills will remain with you all your
lives.
- words from Nayantara Sahgal at Woodstock
Schools 75th Commencement Ceremony
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To Mrs.. NayantaraPandit Sahgal
Author
Educator
We Thank You.
FriendandInspiration
Activist
Emissary
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