Dadabhai Naoroji, a famous Parsi Nationalist, was a powerful political and intellectual power in India as well as Pakistan
A famous member of the Indian freedom struggle and Britain’s first Indian parliamentarian, Dadabhai Naoroji, lived in his south London home for 80 years at the end of 19th century has been glorified with a commemorative Blue Plaque.
The English Heritage Charity runs the Blue Plaque Scheme that glorifies the historic importance of specific buildings in London. Naoroji’s Blue Plaque was shown on Wednesday to coexist with the 75th anniversary celebrations for the independent India.
Dadabhai Naoroji, usually known to us as the “grand old man of India”, in August 1897 moved to Washington House, 72 Anerley Park, Penge, Bromley, eventually when his ideas were facing mainly towards full independence for India in 1897.
The London Home today has a Plaque which reads:
“Dadabhai Naoroji 1825-1917 Indian Nationalist and MP lived here.”
Image Source: Siasat.com
History of Naoroji’s London House
The English Heritage said, “ Dadabhai Naoroji made seven trips to England and has passed over three decades of his life in London.”
Further it said, “Much of his time was engaged in his work as he was a member of the Welby Commission which was established by the British Government to research about the wasteful spending in India. ‘Poverty and Un-British Rule in India’, his main text in drain theory, was published while he was reading in London.”
According to reports, Washington House operated as an essential centre for the Indian community in London – an area where a lot of Indians were invited and where Indians visited to if they were in pain or a problem.
Image Source: Firstpost
Romesh Chunder Dutt, fellow Indian Nationalist, and sister Nivedita are said to have been visitors at the home.
The English Heritage added, “Dadabhai Naoroji moved out of his house in 1904 or 1905, making it his longest-standing London home.”
Much of his work was supported by his ‘drain theory’ of British colonial rule, challenging that India was weakened by a costly foreign bureaucracy for which it has to spend, and that any benefits from the British presence they were secondary.
Dadabhai Naoroji spent seven years in England, and five in London. He in 1896 stood for parliament in the general election as a Liberal candidate for Holbourn in central London. But later he lost in the strongly conservative constituency.
He then was elected on a Liberal ticket for the north London constituency of Finsbury central at the general election Of July 1892, creating history as the first Indian to sit in the U.K. Parliament.
