Mrinal Gore (c. 24 June 1928 – 17 July 2012, Vasai) was a veteran socialist leader of India, and was a member of the

Parliament of India The Parliament of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Government of India, Government of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) and the Lok ...

. She died on 17 July 2012 at the age of around 84. Her death was mourned by Prime Minister of India

Manmohan Singh Manmohan Singh (26 September 1932 – 26 December 2024) was an Indian economist, bureaucrat, academician, and statesman, who served as the prime minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He was the fourth longest-serving prime minister after Jaw ...

and many other Indians.

Early life

Mrinal Gore was born Mrinal Mohile in a Marathi CKP family and was a medical student. Towards the end of her schooling she came in contact with Rashtra Seva Dal - the cultural and social wing of the Socialist Party. Her inspiration was Sane Guruji and it was RSD that brought her in touch with dynamic leaders like Keshav Gore, a

Marathi Brahmin Marathi Brahmins (also known as Maharashtrian Brahmins) are communities native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. They are classified into mainly three sub-divisions based on their places of origin, " Desh", "Karad" and "Konkan". The Brahmin ...

, who mentored the young recruits during the days prior to Independence. She and Keshav Gore married and had a daughter. Unfortunately, Keshav died when Mrinal was 30 and the daughter was only 5. She earned the sobriquet ''Paaniwali Bai'' (water lady) for her effort to bring drinking water supply to

Goregaon Goregaon (Help:IPA/Marathi, �oːɾeɡaːʋ is a suburb of Mumbai city, in the Mumbai Suburban district of India. It has a Goregaon railway station, railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Line (Mumbai Suburban Railwa ...

, a North

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

suburb. She led many protests along with her contemporaries Ahilya Rangnekar and Pramila Dandavate. She was the leader of opposition in

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (ISO: ''Mahārāṣṭra Vidhāna Sabhā'') is the lower house of the bicameral legislature of Maharashtra state in western India. It consists of 288 members directly elected from single-seat constituenci ...

and elected to 6th

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

from

Mumbai North (Lok Sabha constituency) Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency (formerly, Bombay City North Lok Sabha constituency) is one of the 48 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies of Maharashtra state in western India. Assembly segments Before delimitation, Mumbai North Lok ...

in 1977. When she was elected MP in 1977, the same election that

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

lost, the popular slogan was ''Paaniwali bai Dilli mein, Dilliwali bai paani mein'', meaning the water lady (Mrinal) has reached Delhi (Parliament) but the Delhi lady (Indira Gandhi) is in the water. She declined the offer of Health Ministry by then Prime Minister

Morarji Desai Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (29 February 1896 – 10 April 1995) was an Indian politician and Indian independence activist, independence activist who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India between 1977 and 1979 leading th ...

. Gore was arrested on December 21, 1975 and detained under MISA at Bombay Central Prison. Then she was moved to Akola Jail to completely isolate her from other political detainees. She was put in one barrack that had one door but no window. A criminal with advanced stage of leprosy was put in adjoining cell while a violent lunatic female prisoner was in opposite cell. This was done to torture Mrs Gore physically and mentally.

References

1928 births 2012 deaths Indian socialists India MPs 1977–1979 Janata Dal politicians Maharashtra MLAs 1985–1990 Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra Leaders of the opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Indian people imprisoned during the Emergency (India) 20th-century Indian women politicians Women members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly {{Maharashtra-politician-stub