A pioneer who danced to her own tune

V R Devika's biography of Muthulakshmi Reddy brings to life not just the story of India's first female student in a medical college. She was a trailblazer in many other ways

Muthulakshmi Reddy: A Trailblazer in Surgery & Women’s Rights

Author: V R Devika

Publisher:  Niyogi Books

Pages: 203

Price: Rs 299

The Pioneers of Modern India is a series from Niyogi Books that includes biographies of trailblazing Indians and their stories. Muthulakshmi Reddy’s accomplishments make her eminently qualified for a place in this series.

Muthulakshmi was a pioneer in almost every sense of the word. She was the first woman member of the legislature of Madras Presidency, the first woman deputy speaker, and the first alderwoman of the Madras Corporation. In 1907, she became the first — and the only female — candidate in a medical