Shakuntala Dhavan, wife of late Justice SS Dhavan, former governor of West Bengal and India’s High Commissioner to UK, left for heavenly abode at her Tashkent Marg residence last evening. She was 98. Her three children- former Chief Justice of Patna High Court Ravi S Dhavan, daughter Rani Dhavan Shankardass, son-in-law Vijay Shankardass and Dr Rajeev Dhavan, senior advocate, supreme court, were at her bedside when she breathed her last.
Born in Dera Ismail Khan, North West Frontier Province she was the daughter of Rai Saheb Malik Basant Lal Kapoor, elder brother of J L Kapoor Judge, Supreme Court. Educated at Queen Mary College, Lahore she had taken part in the Lahore Congress in 1929. She also acted as a translator for freedom fighters at the Lahore Central Jail. Her husband SS Dhavan barrister at Law came to the city of Allahabad in 1935 and later became a Judge at the Allahabad High Court.
Shakuntala Dhavan, with her rich background, soon became a part of the city’s social and cultural fabric during the 1930s and the next three decades until she left the city to accompany her husband to the United Kingdom as its High commissioner.
She also taught at Annie Besant High School in the late thirties. She was also a member of All India Women’s Council and during the 1965 war she was in charge of the operations to supply cooked food to the troops at the railway station when they were assigned to take their position at the front.
{{/usCountry}}She also taught at Annie Besant High School in the late thirties. She was also a member of All India Women’s Council and during the 1965 war she was in charge of the operations to supply cooked food to the troops at the railway station when they were assigned to take their position at the front.
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