NaomiLoftis490 at 23:02, 7 February 2026

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{{Short description|Founding member:Malaysian Indian Congress (1925–2014)}}
{{More footnotes needed|date=December 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Malay titles|Yang Berbahagia Puan Sri Datin]]
| name = Janaky Athi Nahappan
| image =
| image_size = 200px
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 25 February 1925
| birth_place = [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[British Malaya]] (now Malaysia)
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2014|5|9|1925|2|25}}
| death_place = [[Kuala Lumpur]], Malaysia
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| other_names =
| known_for = Figure of [[Indian independence movement]] And Malaysian independence movement, <br /> Co founder of [[Malaysian Indian Congress]]
| education =
| employer =
| occupation =
| title = Notable commander of [[Rani of Jhansi Regiment]] [[Indian National Army]], Puan Sri
| networth =
| height =
| term =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| party = [[Malaysian Indian Congress]]
| boards =
| alma_mater =
| spouse = Athi Nahappan
| partner =
| children = 3
| footnotes =
}}
'''Janaky''' (25 February 1925 – 9 May 2014), better known as '''Janaky Athi Nahappan''', was a Malayan politician and activist who was founding member of the [[Malaysian Indian Congress]] and one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]]) independence.<ref>{{cite web |title=Women Freedom Fighters |date=12 August 2017 |url=https://www.inuth.com/india/women-freedom-fighters-of-india/janaky-athi-nahappan-the-woman-who-led-rani-of-jhansi-regiment-of-the-indian-national-army/}}</ref>

Janaki grew up in a privileged Tamil family in Malaya and was only 16 when she heard [[Subhas Chandra Bose]]'s appeal to Indians to give whatever they could for their fight for Indian independence. Immediately she took off her gold earrings and donated them. She was determined to join the women's wing, the [[Rani of Jhansi Regiment]] of the [[Indian National Army]]. There was strong family objection especially from her father. But after much persuasion, her father finally agreed.

She was among the first women to join the Indian National Army organised during the [[Japanese occupation of Malaya]] to fight for Indian independence with the Japanese. Having been brought up in luxury, she initially could not adapt to the rigours of army life. However, she gradually got used to military life and her career in the regiment took off. She became second in command of the regiment.<ref>Women Against the Raj: The Rani of Jhansi Regiment By Joyce C. Lebra, p.xii</ref>

After [[World War II]] she emerged as a welfare activist.

Janaki found the [[Indian National Congress]]'s fight for Indian independence inspiring and joined the Indian Congress Medical Mission in then [[Federation of Malaya|Malaya]]. In 1946 Nahappan helped [[John Thivy]] to establish the [[Malaysian Indian Congress|Malayan Indian Congress]], which was modelled after the [[Indian National Congress]]. The party saw Thivy as its first president.

The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of [[Padma Shri]] in 2000.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> She died at her house on 9 May 2014 due to pneumonia.<ref>{{in lang|ms}} [http://www.sinarharian.com.my/semasa/pejuang-kemerdekaan-janaky-meninggal-dunia-1.278632 Pejuang kemerdekaan Janaky meninggal dunia]</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Malaysia}}
* [[Rasammah Bhupalan]]
* [[Lakshmi Sahgal]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110521072500/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F8%2F20%2Fnation%2F18609040&sec=nation Mothers of substance], ''The Star'', 20 August 2007.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110521072537/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2007%2F8%2F20%2Fnation%2F18608907&sec=nation They dared to take up public office], ''The Star'', 20 August 2007.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070425051646/http://www.s1942.org.sg/s1942/indian_national_army/freedom.htm Biographies of INA freedom Fighter National Archives of Singapore]
* {{Cite web |date=17 October 2012 |title=Shyam Benegal gets Netaji award '06 - Times Of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Shyam-Benegal-gets-Netaji-award-06/articleshow/1379778.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017115936/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2006-01-20/india/27822421_1_shyam-benegal-forgotten-hero-netaji-research-bureau |url-status=live |archive-date=17 October 2012 |access-date=17 May 2022 }}
* {{cite news |title=Subhas Chandra Bose and the Indian National Army |url=http://www.rsi.sg/english/theasianjournal/view/20060825172311/1/.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717083900/http://www.rsi.sg/english/theasianjournal/view/20060825172311/1/.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 July 2007 |date=17 July 2007}}
* [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-14333914_ITM Biography of Janaky Athi Nahappan]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140512224210/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/newsindex.php?id=1037245 Puan Sri Janaky Athi Nahappan Passes Away At Age 89 ]

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Social Work}}
{{Azad Hind Fauj}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Janaky, Athi Nahappan}} 
[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women politicians]]
[[Category:20th-century Malaysian politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Dewan Negara]]
[[Category:Women members of the Dewan Negara]]
[[Category:Malaysian Indian Congress politicians]]
[[Category:Malaysian politicians of Tamil descent]]
[[Category:Malaysian people of Indian descent]]
[[Category:Women in Kuala Lumpur politics]]
[[Category:Indian National Army personnel]]
[[Category:Indian revolutionaries]]
[[Category:Indian women in war]]
[[Category:Indian women in World War II]]
[[Category:Malayan collaborators with Imperial Japan]]
[[Category:Malayan people of World War II]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in social work]]
[[Category:Tamil military personnel]]
[[Category:Women in war 1900–1945]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in Malaysia]]

Janaky Athi Nahappan - Revision history

NaomiLoftis490 at 23:02, 7 February 2026