Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay is associated with the renaissance and protection of Indian art forms and handicrafts, such as theatre and tribal art. She realised the importance of preserving and protecting these practices in the face of totalising British imperialism and other global forces of change. To this end she was involved in the setting up of institutions such as the National School of Drama, Sangeet Natak Academy, Cottage Industries Emporium, and the Crafts Council of India.
Significantly, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay helped set up the township settlement of Faridabad, near Delhi, for refugees from the Northwest Frontier to rebuild their lives post-Partition.
She was awarded the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship, the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan, and the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamaladevi_Chattopadhyay
- https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-affairs/story/why-google-remembers-kamaladevi-chattopadhyay-the-unsung-feminist-freedom-fighter-1203511-2018-04-03
- https://indianexpress.com/article/who-is/who-is-kamaladevi-chattopadhyay-5121371/
- https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/always-a-world-citizen/article25439130.ece