Renuka Ray, Gandhian social activist, whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year. A Telegraph picture

Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi released a new edition of the memoirs of Renuka Ray, politician and Gandhian social activist, whose centenary is being celebrated this year, at Raj Bhavan on Friday. Born into a leading Brahmo family, she was a Gandhian all her life, though not necessarily an uncritical one.

Ray had been nominated to the All India Women?s Conference as an independent member to discuss possible legal changes in the laws pertaining to women. An interesting section of the book entitled My Reminiscences: Social Development during the Gandhian Era and After, published by Stree, is her discussion on the impact of the Partition on the eastern region when she was the minister for rehabilitation and relief of West Bengal from 1952 to 1957.

Mandira Sen of Stree, who had assisted Ray in penning this book between 1978-79, working step by step, four to five hours every day with her, says familiarity bred more respect for Ray, who fought for consumer rights as well.

The governor, at his first book launch since he took over recently, admitted with guileless charm that he was daunted by the prospect of sitting in the throne in the Council Chamber of Raj Bhavan. He then spoke of the close association of his family with Ray, and referred to her confrontation with Ram Manohar Lohia while rising in defence of Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister, to illustrate her feisty spirit.

Ray had also asserted that the defence industry must never be privatised. In our ?asymmetrical times?, we need more of her kind, he stressed.