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Podcast: New Books in Women's History
Episode: The Pioneering Life of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
Description: Manu Bhagavan and Ellen Chesler discuss Bhagavan’s latest book on Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (Penguin, 2023), admired sister of India’s founding Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and a pioneering public servant, diplomat, and women's rights advocate, in her own right. They talk about the Nehru’s privileged upbringing and elite education, their conversion to a Gandhi inspired ascetism, the hardships of repeated jail sentences during the struggle against British colonialism, as well as the many influences on Pandit’s feminist consciousness, including early western role models like Annie Besant and Margaret Sanger.Their conversation highlights the critical role of the All...