Google bows to eminent Indian Physician Rukhmabai on 153rd birth anniv

New Delhi, Nov 22: The Indian unit of global search engine Google on Wednesday paid an apt homage to renowned Indian Physician Rukhmabai Raut on her 153rd birth anniversary, by creating a Doodle in her name. 

Rukhmabai was among the very few women of her times, who raised voice against child marriage and fought for the right of women over consent in a marriage. “Today’s Doodle by illustrator Shreya Gupta shows the courageous doctor among her patients, doing the dedicated work of a skilled physician,” said Google’s blog post on its doodles. Born on this day in 1864 in Bombay, she was the only daughter of Janardhan Pandurang and Jayantibai. She lost her father at eight and was married off to one Dadaji Bhikaji at the tender age of 11. Rukhmabai continued to stay with her mother even after marriage, which irked Dadaji. Her husband moved court after seven years, where Rukhmabai stated that a woman cannot be compelled to stay in a wedlock when she is not interested. Her decision was supported by her step-father Sakharam Arjun, an eminent physician and the founding member of Bombay Natural History Society, who helped her fight the case in court. However, the verdict went in favour of Dadaji. 
Rukhmabai was ordered to live with her husband or face six months imprisonment. The brave woman said she was willing to opt for the latter. The verdict was subsequently overruled by Queen Victoria. The publicity of this case helped influence the passage of the Age of Consent Act, 1891 which outlawed child marriages across the British Empire Rukhmabai legally separated from her husband in 1888 and moved to England to study medicine. She returned to India in 1894 and practised in Surat, Rajkot, and Bombay for the next 35 years. She passed away on September 25, 1955. UNI