Madame Cama was one of the nine children born to the Parsee Advocate turned businessman Sorabji Framji Patel and his wife Jajibai in Mumbai on the 24 th of September 1861. She was an intelligent child from day one would never go to bed without completing the task for the day that was assigned by her teachers from the famous Alexandra Parsee School. Madame Cama was a diligent and dedicated student who had a flair for languages and love for the country. Her father was really worried about her love towards the freedom movement and in order to ensure that she does not continue with her interest, he got her married to Rustom K.R.Cama who loved English ideals. Madame Cama got married in the year 1885 and it was no means a bold stance taken by Rustom - a very bold man for agreeing to marry a lioness. The opposite poles never got along and the household used to resemble a battlefield from the early days of marriage. The patriotism of Madame Cama could be likened to the ambition of Poetess Princess Meera who was single handedly devoted to her Lord Giridhari.
Plague hit Mumbai during the last decade of the nineteenth century and Madame Cama gave her best in the service of the victims through the Grant Medical College which was to later become the Haffkine's Plague Vaccination Research Centre. The dreaded disease hit her but she managed to survive somehow. On seeing her poor health condition and the condition of her marital life, her near and dear advised her to move over to Europe in search of recuperation by the year 1902. She followed their advise and finally reached England in 1905 after spending some time in Germany, Scotland, France and a number of other countries. In England she became the Private Secretary to Dadabhai Naoroji, the grand old man of India and it was at this time that she came across a number of patriots who were working for Indian independence. She met Shyamji Krishna Varma and lent her support to the Indian Home Rule Society and she was really impressed by Madanlal Dhingra who had assassinated William Hutt Curzon Wyllies, an aide of the Secretary of State for India. Veer Savarkar was also accused in this affair and he was being carried to India by the authorities and while trying to escape enroute to India near Marseilles he was again captured by the authorities unfortunately.
Madame Cama began to live in France for she received a number of threats from the authorities in England and she worked for India's freedom through the Paris Indian Society. On learning about the Socialist Conference at Stuttgart in Germany, Madame Cama decided to attend the same and address the gathering. It was here at Stuttgart that she unfurled the "Flag of Indian Independence" while addressing the gathering who thought that she was an Indian Princess. She later became an inspiration for the African American author W.E.B. Du Bois who wrote the book "Black Princess" in the year 1928. The flag was a modification of the Calcutta flag and the top of the flag was coloured green with 8 blooming lotuses, the middle portion was saffrom coloured and had the words Vande Mataram written across it and the bottom most portion was red coloured with a crescent moon and the rising sun. The three colours were said to represent Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism respectively. This flag was to later evolve and become the flag of India. It had been designed by Savarkar, Cama and Varma. The "Flag of Indian Independence" was brought over to India by Indulal Yagnik and it is kept preserved at the Maratha & Kesari library at Pune. She knew a number of patriots including V.V.S.Iyer and Rana.
The Indian lioness was greatly influenced by Christobel Pankhurst and supported the liberation of women. She travelled to the USA and spoke for her country and while addressing people at Egypt she wanted to know why the women were left unrepresented. It was at France that she met Senapati Bapat, Hemachandra Das and Lenin while living at 25, Rue de Ponthieu in Paris. She continued her tirade against the British by requesting the Punjab Regiment to act against them while they were allies of the French in the war against Germany. Her friend Rana was sent off from France and she was interred instantly for having tried to divert the soldiers. In spite of several constraints, Madame Cama did her best for India by publishing the magazines "Vande Mataram" and "Madan's Talwar". She was forced to change the place of publication frequently within Europe and the magazines were smuggled into India through Pondicherry. Madame Cama supported a number of freedom loving revolutionaries from around the world.
"He who loses freedom will lose virtue. Opposition of tyranny is obedience to God's command" roared the lioness. Her health began to break down now and then. She never gave any attention to her health as she was always busy nursing a revolution. Post 70 years of age, Madame Cama became very ill and suffered much due to a paralytic stroke. She wanted to return to India and she did so by agreeing not to pursue her seditionist activities. Madame Cama finally returned to India in the company of Sir Cowasji Jehangir. She bequeathed part of her wealth to the Avabai Petit Orphanage for Girls and Rs.54,000 which was equal to $157,000 or 39,300 Pound Sterling was donated to her family's fire temple. She contributed a part of her fortune to the Framjee Nusserwanjee Agiary at Mazgaon in South Mumbai. The great patriot passed away at around the age of 75 years in Mumbai during the August of 1936. She lived for and loved India at all times. She spent 34 years of her life at Europe in order to espouse the cause of India's independence.
A grateful India continues to remember Madame Cama. The Union Government released a special stamp in her honour during the year 1962 as part of her centenary celebrations and a Coast Guard vessel was named after her in the year 1997. The Governments at the Centre and the States have named a number of places in her honour at Mumbai and elsewhere. Madame Cama and her sacrifices will forever be held in reverence by the people of her beloved India.