Neera Desai dies of cancer

Desai set up India’s first Research Centre for Women’s Studies at SNDT Women’s University and served as its first director. She had authored several books and research works on women’s issues including Feminism as Experience published by Sound and Picture Archives for Research on Women. Her other major works include Women in Modern India,Two Decades of Women’s Movement,Women and Society,etc.

Professor Vibhuti Patel,director of department of Post-Graduate Studies and Research and a close associate of Desai,said,“I had been working with her since 1977. In all these years that I had known her,I thought of her as a warm person who was forever motivating and ever ready to experiment with new ideas. She was a major institution builder. This is a period when women’s studies is coming of age. However,she started work in this field in the early 50s and for over two decades fought a lone battle to raise awareness about the same till the 70s when she began garnering support from several quarters.”

Patel remembers Desai as an enthusiastic participant of women’s rallies on International Women’s Day. “No matter which part of the world she was in,she would make it a point to attend rallies on March 8. Such was her spirit,” she said.

Subscriber Only Stories

View All

Premium

Delhi Confidential: Despite tumultuous relationship, Mamata is first to c...

Premium

The new Gujarat House: 105 fresh faces, 14 women legislators, 1 Muslim; 7...

Premium

Pratibha Singh throws hints, old dilemma for Congress: too many CM aspira...

Premium

Behind surge in Gujarat: Modi 2022, Modi 2024, missing Congress

Subscribe now at less than Rs 4/day

Desai retired in 1985 but continued working for women’s issues. “She would regularly travel from her residence in Dadar to Bhilwada where she was an active participant at a rural development centre. Her major areas of interest spanned from issues of tribal and dalit women to those from other strata of society.”

Desai’s son Mihir Desai is an eminent human rights lawyer and her husband G R Desai was a renowned sociologist who passed away 10 years ago.

A memorial lecture has been organised on Monday at 3 pm at the SNDT Juhu campus.