Ashoka Gupta (Aged 96) was born in November 1912 as the fourth of six children and the second daughter to Kiran Chandra Sen and Jyotirmoyee Devi. Her father passed away when she was six years old, and she was brought up by her mother, who struggled to raise her and her five siblings. Gupta attended St. Margaret’s school in Kolkata, where she stood first among the girls in the matriculation examination. Later, she graduated with honours in Mathematics from Bethune College. When she was 20 years old, she got married to Saibal Gupta, an I.C.S. officer.
In 1936, Gupta joined the All India Women’s Conference, which was founded in 1929. She actively participated in setting up branches of AIWC and various welfare organizations. During the Bengal famine of 1943, she participated in relief work in Bankura. In 1945, she moved to Chittagong with her husband, who was transferred there. In 1946, during the Noakhali genocide, she led a team of relief workers on behalf of the Chittagong branch of AIWC, carrying out rescue and relief operations in Noakhali. After the Partition, she moved to Kolkata with her husband and devoted herself to refugee rehabilitation, child literacy, and the upliftment of rural women and tribals.
Gupta served as the chairperson of the West Bengal State Social Welfare Advisory Board from 1955 to 1959. In 1959, at the suggestion of Bidhan Chandra Roy and Durgabai Deshmukh, she became a member of the Central Social Welfare Board. In 1964, she participated in relief work among the Bengali Hindu refugees in the Mana and other camps in the Dandakaranya. Gupta passed away on 8 July 2008 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Ashoka Gupta
(1912 -2008) – (West Bengal)
Ashoka Gupta (Aged 96) was born in November 1912 as the fourth of six children and the second daughter to Kiran Chandra Sen and Jyotirmoyee Devi. Her father passed away when she was six years old, and she was brought up by her mother, who struggled to raise her and her five siblings. Gupta attended St. Margaret’s school in Kolkata, where she stood first among the girls in the matriculation examination. Later, she graduated with honours in Mathematics from Bethune College. When she was 20 years old, she got married to Saibal Gupta, an I.C.S. officer.
In 1936, Gupta joined the All India Women’s Conference, which was founded in 1929. She actively participated in setting up branches of AIWC and various welfare organizations. During the Bengal famine of 1943, she participated in relief work in Bankura. In 1945, she moved to Chittagong with her husband, who was transferred there. In 1946, during the Noakhali genocide, she led a team of relief workers on behalf of the Chittagong branch of AIWC, carrying out rescue and relief operations in Noakhali. After the Partition, she moved to Kolkata with her husband and devoted herself to refugee rehabilitation, child literacy, and the upliftment of rural women and tribals.
Gupta served as the chairperson of the West Bengal State Social Welfare Advisory Board from 1955 to 1959. In 1959, at the suggestion of Bidhan Chandra Roy and Durgabai Deshmukh, she became a member of the Central Social Welfare Board. In 1964, she participated in relief work among the Bengali Hindu refugees in the Mana and other camps in the Dandakaranya. Gupta passed away on 8 July 2008 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
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