Why in the news?

• The Prime Minister paid tribute to Rani Rashmoni on her Birth Anniversary.

Rani Rashmoni

• Early Life:
  • Born in 1793 in a poor Kaivarta (fishing community) family in Bengal.
  • After her husband’s death, she assumed charge of the vast zamindari estate.
• Social Welfare Measures:
  • Opened her wealth for public welfare projects:
    • Construction of ghats (riverfront steps) along Hooghly for pilgrims.
    • Funded roads, causeways, and bridges for public use.
    • Dug large tanks/ponds for drinking water and fishing communities.
• Social Reform:
  • Opposed East India Company’s oppressive policies like high levies on fishing in the Hooghly.
  • Known for pro-poor measures and for challenging colonial exploitation.
  • Extended support to reformist ideas during Bengal Renaissance.
• Legacy:
  • Remembered as a “Mother of the Poor” for her charity and compassion.
  • Associated indirectly with the Ramakrishna-Vivekananda movement, which later influenced India’s social and spiritual reform.
  • A Kolkata metro station and many institutions are named after her.