Women's rights activist Kamla Bhasin dies

New Delhi: Eminent women's rights activist, poet and author Kamla Bhasin passed away on Saturday after a battle with cancer. She was 75.

Bhasin, a prominent voice in the women's movement in India and other South Asian countries, breathed her last at a city hospital.

"Kamla Bhasin, our dear friend, passed away around 3am today 25th Sept. This is a big setback for the women's movement in India and the South Asian region. She celebrated life whatever the adversity. Kamla you will always live in our hearts. In Sisterhood, which is in deep grief," Activist Kavita Srivastava said on Twitter.

The chant of 'Azaadi' which echoed across protest sites in the country is said to have been popularised by Bhasin as a feminist slogan against patriarchy.

Netizens took to Twitter to condole Bhasin's demise.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia tweeted, "Deeply saddened by the demise of #KamlaBhasin ji. She was a stalwart of the women's movement in India.