Bhicoo Batlivala | |
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Born | Bombay, British India | 13 October 1910
Died | 10 October 1983 Burgess Hill, West Sussex, England | (aged 72)
Other names |
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Alma mater | Cheltenham Ladies College |
Occupation | Barrister |
Known for |
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Spouse |
Guy Robinson Mansell
(m. 1939) |
Children | 2 |
Bhicoo Batlivala (13 October 1910 – 10 October 1983), also known as Mrs. Guy Mansell or Bee Mansell, was an Indian-born British barrister and campaigner for India's independence.
She first appeared in the 1930s as a popular socialite and photographs of her appeared in several magazines including Tatler and The Sketch. In 1935, after working as a barrister at the Inner Temple, the Maharaja of Baroda in Gujarat, appointed her as the first female to work for its State service, where she became an advocate for the education of women. For a short while, she was personal secretary to Jawaharlal Nehru during his European tour of 1938. She would later campaign for the release from prison of both Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, and at one time led a delegation of Indian women into the House of Commons to speak to women MPs there. Her earlier tour of the United States, to talk about India, gave British government intelligence significant concern.
In 1962, after settling in Cobham with her family, she founded Cobham Hall School.