Social Reforms – I | Maharashtra State PSC (MPSC): Preparation - MPSC (Maharastra) PDF Download

 Page 1


INTRODUCTION :
The issues connected with emancipation of women are fully
discussed here as the social reformers who showed moral courage to
handle the issues found them too formidable for their generation. Men
like Ranade who could not devote their full time for that work had to
establish Social Conference to attract more men. We have given details
about his work in this lesson and the contribution of other reformers is
dealt with in the next lesson.
EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN :
Society in Western India, as already noted, on the eve of the British
rule in 1818, was “hide-bound” and stagnant. A hundred years of Peshwa
administration had made little significant change in the conditions of
the people. Economically Maharashtra was poorer than bengal. In
Agriculture, industry, trade and commerce also it lagged behind though
there was homogeneity between its rulers and the subjects, the
Maharashtrian society, like its counter parts elsewhere in India, was
Page 2


INTRODUCTION :
The issues connected with emancipation of women are fully
discussed here as the social reformers who showed moral courage to
handle the issues found them too formidable for their generation. Men
like Ranade who could not devote their full time for that work had to
establish Social Conference to attract more men. We have given details
about his work in this lesson and the contribution of other reformers is
dealt with in the next lesson.
EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN :
Society in Western India, as already noted, on the eve of the British
rule in 1818, was “hide-bound” and stagnant. A hundred years of Peshwa
administration had made little significant change in the conditions of
the people. Economically Maharashtra was poorer than bengal. In
Agriculture, industry, trade and commerce also it lagged behind though
there was homogeneity between its rulers and the subjects, the
Maharashtrian society, like its counter parts elsewhere in India, was
caste ridden. People, in general, were tradition - bound and superstitious,
despite the progressive teachings of Saints like Tukaram and Namdeo.
There was little movement in thought, no progress in beliefs and
institutions, including in the developing city of Bombay. Not only the
orthodox people and priests were opposed to any social change, but
also the economically rising section of each caste and groups, who had
prospered in Bombay under the British presence.
The status of women was equally bad. As S. Natarajan has pointed
out, the social customs and laws relating to marriage, family- property,
inheritance. position of widows, etc. were loaded against women.
Women were the most sufferers in the social system because “here as
well as in all societies the rigorous of the conventional community bore
most heavily on Women”.
This plight of women attracted the attention of some European
Christian missionaries and a handful of Western-educated persons
including Brahmins and Parsis. Bombay gave the lead to rest of
Maharashtra. Great social reformers like Mahadeo G. Ranade,
B.M.Malabari, S.S.Bengali, Karsondas Mulji, Jyotiba Phule, Pandita
Ramabai and D. K. Karve  rendered yeoman service to the cause of the
emancipation of women. For instance, Ranade and his Indian National
Social Conference worked steadily (with some success) against such
glaring social evils as child marriage and the  prohibition of widow re-
marriage. As it is possible to discuss in detail all aspects of the
movement for the emancipation of women in the 19th Century. it is
proposed to concentrate on : female education, widow re-marriage and
child-marriage in detail as follows :-
 Female Education
The establishment of the Prarthana Samaj gave the impetus
necessary for reform. It is true, as R.C.Majumdar writes, “In Bombay
Presidency the women led a comparatively freer life as there was no
Purdah, among the Marathas, yet, like their counter parts in other
Presidencies, women in Western India were not encouraged to  receive
education’’. Naturally, some English-educated  young men Iaunched a
determined movement to spread ‘femaIe education through schools in
Bombay and Poona. In this laudable attempt, they were encouraged by
their European professors in Elphinstone Institution in Bombay (1848).
These enthusiastic youngment established the “Students Literary and
Scientific Society.” The Society espoused the cause of female education.
The lead was taken by the members of the Gujarati Dnyan Prasarak,
Mandali. Parsi reformers  like Dadabhai Naoroji, realized that only
support from the leading businessmen (Shetias) of the community would
Page 3


INTRODUCTION :
The issues connected with emancipation of women are fully
discussed here as the social reformers who showed moral courage to
handle the issues found them too formidable for their generation. Men
like Ranade who could not devote their full time for that work had to
establish Social Conference to attract more men. We have given details
about his work in this lesson and the contribution of other reformers is
dealt with in the next lesson.
EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN :
Society in Western India, as already noted, on the eve of the British
rule in 1818, was “hide-bound” and stagnant. A hundred years of Peshwa
administration had made little significant change in the conditions of
the people. Economically Maharashtra was poorer than bengal. In
Agriculture, industry, trade and commerce also it lagged behind though
there was homogeneity between its rulers and the subjects, the
Maharashtrian society, like its counter parts elsewhere in India, was
caste ridden. People, in general, were tradition - bound and superstitious,
despite the progressive teachings of Saints like Tukaram and Namdeo.
There was little movement in thought, no progress in beliefs and
institutions, including in the developing city of Bombay. Not only the
orthodox people and priests were opposed to any social change, but
also the economically rising section of each caste and groups, who had
prospered in Bombay under the British presence.
The status of women was equally bad. As S. Natarajan has pointed
out, the social customs and laws relating to marriage, family- property,
inheritance. position of widows, etc. were loaded against women.
Women were the most sufferers in the social system because “here as
well as in all societies the rigorous of the conventional community bore
most heavily on Women”.
This plight of women attracted the attention of some European
Christian missionaries and a handful of Western-educated persons
including Brahmins and Parsis. Bombay gave the lead to rest of
Maharashtra. Great social reformers like Mahadeo G. Ranade,
B.M.Malabari, S.S.Bengali, Karsondas Mulji, Jyotiba Phule, Pandita
Ramabai and D. K. Karve  rendered yeoman service to the cause of the
emancipation of women. For instance, Ranade and his Indian National
Social Conference worked steadily (with some success) against such
glaring social evils as child marriage and the  prohibition of widow re-
marriage. As it is possible to discuss in detail all aspects of the
movement for the emancipation of women in the 19th Century. it is
proposed to concentrate on : female education, widow re-marriage and
child-marriage in detail as follows :-
 Female Education
The establishment of the Prarthana Samaj gave the impetus
necessary for reform. It is true, as R.C.Majumdar writes, “In Bombay
Presidency the women led a comparatively freer life as there was no
Purdah, among the Marathas, yet, like their counter parts in other
Presidencies, women in Western India were not encouraged to  receive
education’’. Naturally, some English-educated  young men Iaunched a
determined movement to spread ‘femaIe education through schools in
Bombay and Poona. In this laudable attempt, they were encouraged by
their European professors in Elphinstone Institution in Bombay (1848).
These enthusiastic youngment established the “Students Literary and
Scientific Society.” The Society espoused the cause of female education.
The lead was taken by the members of the Gujarati Dnyan Prasarak,
Mandali. Parsi reformers  like Dadabhai Naoroji, realized that only
support from the leading businessmen (Shetias) of the community would
provide the money and the pupils with which they could start schools for
girls. F.C.Banaji and the Cama family showed the way by giving
education to their daughters and money to the schools  despite
opposition from Orthodox Parsis. By 1852 there were four schools with
371  pupils. In 1857, S.S.Bengali and his friends started the magazine
‘Stri Bodh’.
The initial success of the Parsi schools led to the establishment of
similar schools by the Marathi and Gujarathi Hindus in 1849 with the
financial support of businessmen such as Jagannath Shankarset. The
Parsi and Gujarathi girls’ schools were able to get financial support from
the businessmen (shetias) of their communities. However the Marathi
Schools were starved of funds because of Maharashtrian Hindu
Community possessed no really affluent Shetias, apart from Jagannath
Shankarset. Hence, their schools were supported by monthly
contributions from EIphinistonians like Bhau Daji, Thus, a beginning
though creacky had been made in female education.
In 1848, Jyotiba Phule’ established a private school for girls
education at Poona. An Association of India Youngment also started
girls Schools in Bombay and in some other parts of the Deccan Division
of  the Bombay Presidency. The Prejudices against female education
were fast disappearing and “there will be no more difficulty found in
establishing female schools than there is in those for boys”, wrote Capt.
Lester, then Acting Educational Inspector of the Deccan Division.
In the second half of the 19th century female education received
considerable attention of the Government of India. The Education
Commission of 1882-83 made a number of recommendation regarding
the education of girls.
As for higher education for women, there was no separate
institution either in Bombay or at Poona. Nevertheless, premier Colleges
like the Elphinstone College, Wilson College and St.Xavier’s College
in Bombay, the Fergusson College at Poona and the Wellingdon College
at Sangli always kept their doors open for female education. Reformers
like M.G.Ranade, D.K.Karve and P. Pandita Ramabai also made
significant contribution to female education in Maharashtra.
G.K.Gokhale’s ‘Servants of India Society’ generated very powerful forces
for the advancement of female education.
Before we conclude, it is necessary to note the remarks of Bipin
Chandra Pal, made in 1881 : “Bombay was socially far ahead of Bengal
... Female education and the freedom of social intercourse and
movement of respectable Maharatha ladies  was a new and inspiring
experience which I had in Bombay.” But as S.D.Javdekar has pointed
Page 4


INTRODUCTION :
The issues connected with emancipation of women are fully
discussed here as the social reformers who showed moral courage to
handle the issues found them too formidable for their generation. Men
like Ranade who could not devote their full time for that work had to
establish Social Conference to attract more men. We have given details
about his work in this lesson and the contribution of other reformers is
dealt with in the next lesson.
EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN :
Society in Western India, as already noted, on the eve of the British
rule in 1818, was “hide-bound” and stagnant. A hundred years of Peshwa
administration had made little significant change in the conditions of
the people. Economically Maharashtra was poorer than bengal. In
Agriculture, industry, trade and commerce also it lagged behind though
there was homogeneity between its rulers and the subjects, the
Maharashtrian society, like its counter parts elsewhere in India, was
caste ridden. People, in general, were tradition - bound and superstitious,
despite the progressive teachings of Saints like Tukaram and Namdeo.
There was little movement in thought, no progress in beliefs and
institutions, including in the developing city of Bombay. Not only the
orthodox people and priests were opposed to any social change, but
also the economically rising section of each caste and groups, who had
prospered in Bombay under the British presence.
The status of women was equally bad. As S. Natarajan has pointed
out, the social customs and laws relating to marriage, family- property,
inheritance. position of widows, etc. were loaded against women.
Women were the most sufferers in the social system because “here as
well as in all societies the rigorous of the conventional community bore
most heavily on Women”.
This plight of women attracted the attention of some European
Christian missionaries and a handful of Western-educated persons
including Brahmins and Parsis. Bombay gave the lead to rest of
Maharashtra. Great social reformers like Mahadeo G. Ranade,
B.M.Malabari, S.S.Bengali, Karsondas Mulji, Jyotiba Phule, Pandita
Ramabai and D. K. Karve  rendered yeoman service to the cause of the
emancipation of women. For instance, Ranade and his Indian National
Social Conference worked steadily (with some success) against such
glaring social evils as child marriage and the  prohibition of widow re-
marriage. As it is possible to discuss in detail all aspects of the
movement for the emancipation of women in the 19th Century. it is
proposed to concentrate on : female education, widow re-marriage and
child-marriage in detail as follows :-
 Female Education
The establishment of the Prarthana Samaj gave the impetus
necessary for reform. It is true, as R.C.Majumdar writes, “In Bombay
Presidency the women led a comparatively freer life as there was no
Purdah, among the Marathas, yet, like their counter parts in other
Presidencies, women in Western India were not encouraged to  receive
education’’. Naturally, some English-educated  young men Iaunched a
determined movement to spread ‘femaIe education through schools in
Bombay and Poona. In this laudable attempt, they were encouraged by
their European professors in Elphinstone Institution in Bombay (1848).
These enthusiastic youngment established the “Students Literary and
Scientific Society.” The Society espoused the cause of female education.
The lead was taken by the members of the Gujarati Dnyan Prasarak,
Mandali. Parsi reformers  like Dadabhai Naoroji, realized that only
support from the leading businessmen (Shetias) of the community would
provide the money and the pupils with which they could start schools for
girls. F.C.Banaji and the Cama family showed the way by giving
education to their daughters and money to the schools  despite
opposition from Orthodox Parsis. By 1852 there were four schools with
371  pupils. In 1857, S.S.Bengali and his friends started the magazine
‘Stri Bodh’.
The initial success of the Parsi schools led to the establishment of
similar schools by the Marathi and Gujarathi Hindus in 1849 with the
financial support of businessmen such as Jagannath Shankarset. The
Parsi and Gujarathi girls’ schools were able to get financial support from
the businessmen (shetias) of their communities. However the Marathi
Schools were starved of funds because of Maharashtrian Hindu
Community possessed no really affluent Shetias, apart from Jagannath
Shankarset. Hence, their schools were supported by monthly
contributions from EIphinistonians like Bhau Daji, Thus, a beginning
though creacky had been made in female education.
In 1848, Jyotiba Phule’ established a private school for girls
education at Poona. An Association of India Youngment also started
girls Schools in Bombay and in some other parts of the Deccan Division
of  the Bombay Presidency. The Prejudices against female education
were fast disappearing and “there will be no more difficulty found in
establishing female schools than there is in those for boys”, wrote Capt.
Lester, then Acting Educational Inspector of the Deccan Division.
In the second half of the 19th century female education received
considerable attention of the Government of India. The Education
Commission of 1882-83 made a number of recommendation regarding
the education of girls.
As for higher education for women, there was no separate
institution either in Bombay or at Poona. Nevertheless, premier Colleges
like the Elphinstone College, Wilson College and St.Xavier’s College
in Bombay, the Fergusson College at Poona and the Wellingdon College
at Sangli always kept their doors open for female education. Reformers
like M.G.Ranade, D.K.Karve and P. Pandita Ramabai also made
significant contribution to female education in Maharashtra.
G.K.Gokhale’s ‘Servants of India Society’ generated very powerful forces
for the advancement of female education.
Before we conclude, it is necessary to note the remarks of Bipin
Chandra Pal, made in 1881 : “Bombay was socially far ahead of Bengal
... Female education and the freedom of social intercourse and
movement of respectable Maharatha ladies  was a new and inspiring
experience which I had in Bombay.” But as S.D.Javdekar has pointed
out, in Poona and other interior places among even educated persons,
belonging to the Sardar and Brahmin castes, one could find nothing but
orthodoxy and ‘‘darkness’’. This is evident from articles published in
‘Prabhakar’. Social reformers like Ranade, Agarkar and Phule, and
institutions like the Sarvajanik Sabha had to carry a relentless struggle
to clear the cobwebs of antiquated, anachronistic social customs and
traditions, relating especially to women, though in those days poona
was considered itself the real intellectual and political capital of the
Bombay Presidency.
 Widow Re-marriage
Tne Hindu Joint family was accompanied by property laws which
were devised to emphasize the family, rather than the individuals as a
unit. Inheritance was either withheld from women or greatly modified
against their interest. The Hindu system of marriage ensured that property
remained within the family. The worst affected were the Hindu widows.
Among Hindus marriage was considered as a Sacrament and
therefore could not be dissolved by divorce or death, especially of the
husband. Though the system was applied rigidly only to the higher caste,
there existed a tendency among the lower castes to imitate the higher
castes; prohibition of widow re-marriage was one such imitation. The
British Law Courts, during their early days, applied the Hindu Civil Code,
as interpreted by Hindu Pandits indiscriminately to Hindus of all castes.
According to Hindu Shastras, men were authorised to take more than
one wife if they could not get a male progeny from the existing marriage.
However, in the course of time, a Hindu male was permitted to take a
second or more wives, even if he had male children.
But there was no legal protection for women against the arbitrary
action of their husbands in marrying other women. Moreover, they could
not re-marry, even when a woman’s husband was dead. Any man who
married a widow or an already married woman was held of bigamy, and
it was punishable offence. The only way to escape from this arbitrary
and cruel custom was through conversion to Islam or Christianity. It was
against this evil that enlightened Western-educated social reformers
raised their banner of revolt as was being done by the Brahmo Samaj in
Bengal.
In Bombay, young Elphinistonians, including Dadabhai Naoroji,
Dadoba Pandurang, Jambhekar, Karsondas Mulji, Baba Padamji and
the militant, Hindu, Vishnubuva Brahmachari advocated widow re-
marriage. In Poona, reformers like “Lokhitawadi” Gopal Hari Deshmukh,
Vishnu Shastri Pandit and M.G. Ranade intensified the movement. The
reformers cited the authority on the Vedas for widow re-marriage.
Page 5


INTRODUCTION :
The issues connected with emancipation of women are fully
discussed here as the social reformers who showed moral courage to
handle the issues found them too formidable for their generation. Men
like Ranade who could not devote their full time for that work had to
establish Social Conference to attract more men. We have given details
about his work in this lesson and the contribution of other reformers is
dealt with in the next lesson.
EMANCIPATION OF WOMEN :
Society in Western India, as already noted, on the eve of the British
rule in 1818, was “hide-bound” and stagnant. A hundred years of Peshwa
administration had made little significant change in the conditions of
the people. Economically Maharashtra was poorer than bengal. In
Agriculture, industry, trade and commerce also it lagged behind though
there was homogeneity between its rulers and the subjects, the
Maharashtrian society, like its counter parts elsewhere in India, was
caste ridden. People, in general, were tradition - bound and superstitious,
despite the progressive teachings of Saints like Tukaram and Namdeo.
There was little movement in thought, no progress in beliefs and
institutions, including in the developing city of Bombay. Not only the
orthodox people and priests were opposed to any social change, but
also the economically rising section of each caste and groups, who had
prospered in Bombay under the British presence.
The status of women was equally bad. As S. Natarajan has pointed
out, the social customs and laws relating to marriage, family- property,
inheritance. position of widows, etc. were loaded against women.
Women were the most sufferers in the social system because “here as
well as in all societies the rigorous of the conventional community bore
most heavily on Women”.
This plight of women attracted the attention of some European
Christian missionaries and a handful of Western-educated persons
including Brahmins and Parsis. Bombay gave the lead to rest of
Maharashtra. Great social reformers like Mahadeo G. Ranade,
B.M.Malabari, S.S.Bengali, Karsondas Mulji, Jyotiba Phule, Pandita
Ramabai and D. K. Karve  rendered yeoman service to the cause of the
emancipation of women. For instance, Ranade and his Indian National
Social Conference worked steadily (with some success) against such
glaring social evils as child marriage and the  prohibition of widow re-
marriage. As it is possible to discuss in detail all aspects of the
movement for the emancipation of women in the 19th Century. it is
proposed to concentrate on : female education, widow re-marriage and
child-marriage in detail as follows :-
 Female Education
The establishment of the Prarthana Samaj gave the impetus
necessary for reform. It is true, as R.C.Majumdar writes, “In Bombay
Presidency the women led a comparatively freer life as there was no
Purdah, among the Marathas, yet, like their counter parts in other
Presidencies, women in Western India were not encouraged to  receive
education’’. Naturally, some English-educated  young men Iaunched a
determined movement to spread ‘femaIe education through schools in
Bombay and Poona. In this laudable attempt, they were encouraged by
their European professors in Elphinstone Institution in Bombay (1848).
These enthusiastic youngment established the “Students Literary and
Scientific Society.” The Society espoused the cause of female education.
The lead was taken by the members of the Gujarati Dnyan Prasarak,
Mandali. Parsi reformers  like Dadabhai Naoroji, realized that only
support from the leading businessmen (Shetias) of the community would
provide the money and the pupils with which they could start schools for
girls. F.C.Banaji and the Cama family showed the way by giving
education to their daughters and money to the schools  despite
opposition from Orthodox Parsis. By 1852 there were four schools with
371  pupils. In 1857, S.S.Bengali and his friends started the magazine
‘Stri Bodh’.
The initial success of the Parsi schools led to the establishment of
similar schools by the Marathi and Gujarathi Hindus in 1849 with the
financial support of businessmen such as Jagannath Shankarset. The
Parsi and Gujarathi girls’ schools were able to get financial support from
the businessmen (shetias) of their communities. However the Marathi
Schools were starved of funds because of Maharashtrian Hindu
Community possessed no really affluent Shetias, apart from Jagannath
Shankarset. Hence, their schools were supported by monthly
contributions from EIphinistonians like Bhau Daji, Thus, a beginning
though creacky had been made in female education.
In 1848, Jyotiba Phule’ established a private school for girls
education at Poona. An Association of India Youngment also started
girls Schools in Bombay and in some other parts of the Deccan Division
of  the Bombay Presidency. The Prejudices against female education
were fast disappearing and “there will be no more difficulty found in
establishing female schools than there is in those for boys”, wrote Capt.
Lester, then Acting Educational Inspector of the Deccan Division.
In the second half of the 19th century female education received
considerable attention of the Government of India. The Education
Commission of 1882-83 made a number of recommendation regarding
the education of girls.
As for higher education for women, there was no separate
institution either in Bombay or at Poona. Nevertheless, premier Colleges
like the Elphinstone College, Wilson College and St.Xavier’s College
in Bombay, the Fergusson College at Poona and the Wellingdon College
at Sangli always kept their doors open for female education. Reformers
like M.G.Ranade, D.K.Karve and P. Pandita Ramabai also made
significant contribution to female education in Maharashtra.
G.K.Gokhale’s ‘Servants of India Society’ generated very powerful forces
for the advancement of female education.
Before we conclude, it is necessary to note the remarks of Bipin
Chandra Pal, made in 1881 : “Bombay was socially far ahead of Bengal
... Female education and the freedom of social intercourse and
movement of respectable Maharatha ladies  was a new and inspiring
experience which I had in Bombay.” But as S.D.Javdekar has pointed
out, in Poona and other interior places among even educated persons,
belonging to the Sardar and Brahmin castes, one could find nothing but
orthodoxy and ‘‘darkness’’. This is evident from articles published in
‘Prabhakar’. Social reformers like Ranade, Agarkar and Phule, and
institutions like the Sarvajanik Sabha had to carry a relentless struggle
to clear the cobwebs of antiquated, anachronistic social customs and
traditions, relating especially to women, though in those days poona
was considered itself the real intellectual and political capital of the
Bombay Presidency.
 Widow Re-marriage
Tne Hindu Joint family was accompanied by property laws which
were devised to emphasize the family, rather than the individuals as a
unit. Inheritance was either withheld from women or greatly modified
against their interest. The Hindu system of marriage ensured that property
remained within the family. The worst affected were the Hindu widows.
Among Hindus marriage was considered as a Sacrament and
therefore could not be dissolved by divorce or death, especially of the
husband. Though the system was applied rigidly only to the higher caste,
there existed a tendency among the lower castes to imitate the higher
castes; prohibition of widow re-marriage was one such imitation. The
British Law Courts, during their early days, applied the Hindu Civil Code,
as interpreted by Hindu Pandits indiscriminately to Hindus of all castes.
According to Hindu Shastras, men were authorised to take more than
one wife if they could not get a male progeny from the existing marriage.
However, in the course of time, a Hindu male was permitted to take a
second or more wives, even if he had male children.
But there was no legal protection for women against the arbitrary
action of their husbands in marrying other women. Moreover, they could
not re-marry, even when a woman’s husband was dead. Any man who
married a widow or an already married woman was held of bigamy, and
it was punishable offence. The only way to escape from this arbitrary
and cruel custom was through conversion to Islam or Christianity. It was
against this evil that enlightened Western-educated social reformers
raised their banner of revolt as was being done by the Brahmo Samaj in
Bengal.
In Bombay, young Elphinistonians, including Dadabhai Naoroji,
Dadoba Pandurang, Jambhekar, Karsondas Mulji, Baba Padamji and
the militant, Hindu, Vishnubuva Brahmachari advocated widow re-
marriage. In Poona, reformers like “Lokhitawadi” Gopal Hari Deshmukh,
Vishnu Shastri Pandit and M.G. Ranade intensified the movement. The
reformers cited the authority on the Vedas for widow re-marriage.
Journals like the ‘Indu Prakash’ were wedded to the advocacy of widow
remarriage. The reformers founded, in 1866, the Hindu Widow Marriage
Association (Vidhwa Vivahottejak Mandal). The object of the Association
was limited i.e. re-marriage of widows of the high caste according to
the authority of the Hindu Dharma Shastras.
Opposition to widow re-marriage also increased. A number of
inhabitants of Poona submitted two petitions to the Government
opposing the Widow Marriage Legislation of 1856. A Society for the
Protection of the Hindu Dharma was established. The Shastris, Pandits
and other orthodox views ganged up against the movement for widow
re-marriage. But the initiative rested with the reformers. Vishnu Shastri
not only translated Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar’s writings on the subject
into Marathi and published in the ‘Indu Prakash’ but also brain stormed
the principal towns of the Deccan on the lecturing tour and initiated a
heated discussion in the Marathi press and meetings. Vishnu Shastri
also challenged the orthodox to a public debate on the question of widow
re-marriage. In the debate that followed in March 1870 in Poona,
Presided over by the ‘Shankaracharya of Karvir and Shankeshwar, the
reformers alleged that the Shankaracharya had tampered with one of
the arbitrators and persuaded him to lie since religion was at stake.
Nevertheless,the Widows Marriage Association claimed a moral
victory – a victory based on the Vedic Authorities for” widow Re-marriage”
and by avoiding any significant reference to Western ideas.
Ironically, the movement witnessed in 1870, an anti-climax. Gopal
Hari Deshmukh performed penance (“prayschitta”) in Ahmedabad and
was re-admitted to his caste. This action by the President of the Window
Marriage Association caused the movement a set back. The movement
suffered a further blow in the death of Vishnu Shastri Pandit in 1876.
Thereafter, for more than a decade the movement remained dormant
although in Bombay, the movement was continued by the Gujarathi
reformers, led by Madhavdas Raghunathdas, and by the Prarthana
Samaj.
Maharshi Dondo Keshav Karve also rendered great service to
the cause of widow re-marriage. He himself set the example by marrying
Godubai, a widow sister of his friend, in 1883, braving hostile criticism
of orthodox Hindus and their journals. With the co- operation of some
friends, including R.G.Bhandarkar, he revived the Widow Marriage
Association. He utilised his vacations for lectures on behalf of the
Association in order to educate the public on widow re-marriage. In
1896, he started the Widow Home Association, inspired by Pandita
Ramabai’s Sharada Sadan. Justice Ranade and Dr.Bhandarkar were