Feisty Parsi woman unfurled first version of Tiranga in Germany in 1907, spent 35 years in exile, sold her jewellery and funded freedom fighters

Independence Day 2026: Long before India adopted the tricolour as its national flag, Madame Bhikaji Cama stood before an international audience in Germany and unfurled a flag representing India's struggle for freedom.

On August 22, 1907, Cama displayed an early version of the Indian national flag at the International Socialist Congress in Stuttgart. The flag featured green, saffron and red bands, with ‘Vande Mataram’ inscribed on it.

Her act came more than two decades before the Indian National Congress adopted a modified tricolour at its Lahore session in 1929.


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According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), Cama's role in India's freedom movement extended far beyond the flag. She spent decades working from Europe, connecting with Indian revolutionaries and supporting the campaign against British rule.

Bhikaji Cama Unfurled The Flag In Stuttgart In 1907

Cama's appearance at the Stuttgart Congress became one of the most memorable moments of her political life.

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Addressing those gathered at the international event, she said: “This flag is of India’s independence. Behold, it is born.”

She also appealed: “to lovers of freedom all over the world to cooperate… in freeing from slavery one-fifth of the human race.”

Her appearance reportedly made a strong impression on the gathering. The German newspaper Leipziger Zeitung described how Cama, dressed in “shimmering silken garments”, entered the rostrum and appealed to the Congress to support Indians living under British rule.

The newspaper reported that when she displayed the “silken tricolour, the banner of the oppressed”, the cheers from the International would not end.

What Did Bhikaji Cama's 1907 Flag Look Like?

The flag displayed by Cama was different from the Indian national flag used today.

According to her biographer Khorshed Adi Sethna, the flag was believed to have been designed by Cama “jointly with (Vinayak Damodar) Savarkar”.

As described by the biographer, it had three horizontal sections in green, saffron and red.

The top green band carried a line of eight stars, representing the eight provinces of India at the time. The middle saffron band carried the words ‘Vande Mataram’ embroidered in Sanskrit.

The bottom red band featured an orb near the staff and a crescent on the outer side.

The flag therefore combined symbols associated with India's political identity and its demand for independence.

Bhikaji Cama Was Born Into A Wealthy Parsi Family

Bhikaji Cama was born in September 1861 in Bombay, now Mumbai, into a prosperous Parsi family.

She was the daughter of businessman Sorabji Framji Patel and Jijibai Patel.

Her privileged upbringing could have offered her a comfortable life. However, her political views eventually took her in a very different direction.

After marrying Rustom Cama, son of orientalist Khurshedji Rustomji Cama, she found that the couple had sharply different views about British rule.

Cama was deeply concerned about India's political condition and wanted the country to be free from the Raj. Her husband, meanwhile, believed in the benevolence of British rule.

The couple eventually separated.

How Bhikaji Cama Joined India's Revolutionary Movement

In 1902, Cama travelled to England after her health deteriorated.

Her time in London brought her into contact with Shyamji Krishna Varma, who ran India House, a centre for nationalist-minded Indians and anti-colonial activities.

She had initially worked with Dadabhai Naoroji in London. Over time, however, she became more attracted to the stronger nationalist positions associated with Lokmanya Tilak and Aurobindo Ghose.

Cama began delivering speeches against British rule at Hyde Park.

India House became particularly important to her, and she developed a close association with its young revolutionary Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

Cama, Savarkar and other Indian revolutionaries also worked to establish relationships with revolutionary and freedom-oriented groups in other countries.

Why Bhikaji Cama Moved To Paris

The activities of Indian revolutionaries operating from Britain inevitably attracted the attention of the Raj.

In 1909, Cama moved to Paris, where she continued her political activities from a relatively safer base.

Savarkar, who was being pursued by Scotland Yard, found shelter at Cama's Paris home for a period.

He later returned to London in 1910, where he was arrested by the British authorities and eventually sent to Kaala Paani.

Cama regarded Savarkar as an important figure in India's freedom struggle. Following his sentencing, she wrote to fellow patriot M P T Acharya, describing him as: “the great master, desh bandhu Savarkar”

She wrote that he had paid the price for his patriotism.

Bhikaji Cama Continued Her Work Despite Savarkar's Arrest

Savarkar's arrest did not bring Cama's political activities to an end.

She continued her work in France, although her activities were disrupted during the First World War, when she was interned by French authorities for three years.

Meanwhile, the revolutionary movement among Indians abroad gradually faced increasing difficulties.

The death of Tilak in 1920 also marked a changing phase in India's freedom struggle, as Mahatma Gandhi began taking the movement in a new direction.

Cama Spent Her Wealth Supporting India's Freedom Struggle

Cama's commitment to the cause came at a significant personal cost.

She spent approximately 35 years in exile and lived for long periods in a boarding house in France.

Much of the money she had taken abroad was eventually spent.

According to the TOI report, she sold jewellery given to her by her mother to help fund the activities of Indian anti-colonial activists. She also spent considerable sums supporting the legal defence of Savarkar.

Her political commitment therefore extended beyond speeches and public appearances. She used her own financial resources to support the movement.

Bhikaji Cama Returned To India After 35 Years

By 1936, Cama's health had deteriorated significantly.

After around 35 years in exile, she was finally allowed to return to India.

She reached Mumbai in poor health and was soon taken to the Parsee General Hospital, where she remained for eight months.

Cama died on August 16, 1936, largely away from public attention.

The woman who had once stood before an international audience and declared that India's independence flag had been born passed away in near-total obscurity.


Inputs from TOI