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

 Page 1


 INTRODUCTION :
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden
Gopalbaba, V. R. Shinde and Shahu Maharaj worked  against caste-
system.  They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, illiteracy
from Society.  Through they were attached to different organizations,
they achieved their goal to some extent.
MAHATMA JYOTIRAO PHULE (1827-1890) :
Mahatma Phule occupies a unique position among the social
reformers of Maharashtra. Born in 1827 in a  gardener (mali) caste, he
suffered from social and economic disadvantages. While as a student
Social	Reforms	–	II
Page 2


 INTRODUCTION :
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden
Gopalbaba, V. R. Shinde and Shahu Maharaj worked  against caste-
system.  They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, illiteracy
from Society.  Through they were attached to different organizations,
they achieved their goal to some extent.
MAHATMA JYOTIRAO PHULE (1827-1890) :
Mahatma Phule occupies a unique position among the social
reformers of Maharashtra. Born in 1827 in a  gardener (mali) caste, he
suffered from social and economic disadvantages. While as a student
Social	Reforms	–	II
in the Scotish Mission’s High School, he came in contact with Christian
missionaries and the ideas of Thomas Paine contained in his book,
‘Rights of Man’. After completing his secondary education in 1847
Jyotiba decided not to join government service but to pursue an
independent career.
In 1848 he was brought face to face with the problem of inequalities
of the caste system and the abuses of the predominant Brahmin Caste.
He was invited to the wedding of one of his Brahmin friend but was
prevented by the relatives of the bridegroom from joining the wedding
procession because he belonged to the lower mali caste. After this
incident, Jotibarao made up his mind to defy the caste system and serve
for the upliftment of the ‘sudras’ and women, who had been deprived of
all their rights as human beings under this system. He was convinced
that unless these sections of people were educated, their upliftment was
not possible. Hence, with the help of some Brahmin friends he opened
the first non-Christian girls’ school in Poona in 1848, inspite of the
opposition and ‘vicious campaign against him by upper castes. He also
began educating his wife, Savitribai so that she could also participate
in his social work. In 1851, he established the first school for the children
of untouchable and in the next year, he set up the ‘Society for the T eaching
of Knowledge to Mahars, Mangs and other People”.
Phule believed that the caste system introduced distinction
between low and high, and must, therefore, be abandoned. He was of
the firm opinion that divisions among people should be based on their
qualities, not on birth. Curiously, the Marathas. who were considered as
Sudras by the Brahmins, regard the untouchables (ati-shudras) as inferior
to them. But for Phule, who was imbued with the ideas of enlightenment
and liberalism, distinctions based on Caste, was a social evil. Hence
he boldly attacked the stranglehold of the Brahmins on the Maharashtrian
society and castigated them for preventing others from having access
to all avenues of knowledge and influence. Denouncing the Brahmins in
general as ‘Cheats and hypocrites’ he called upon the non-Brahmin
masses to resist their tyranny.
Phule charged Brahmins of misinterpreting Hindu scriptures to suit
their own community and of fabricating falsehoods to dupe the minds of
the ignorant and to fasten firmly on them the chains of bondage and
slavery. He went to the extent of arguing that the Sudras were the sons
of the soil and the Brahmins came from outside and usurped everything
that was possessed by the Sudras. His books Sarvajanik Satyadharma
‘Pustak’ and ‘Gulamgiri’ were biting indictments of the Brahmin
community. He denounced all Brahmin scriptures and their teaching
Page 3


 INTRODUCTION :
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden
Gopalbaba, V. R. Shinde and Shahu Maharaj worked  against caste-
system.  They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, illiteracy
from Society.  Through they were attached to different organizations,
they achieved their goal to some extent.
MAHATMA JYOTIRAO PHULE (1827-1890) :
Mahatma Phule occupies a unique position among the social
reformers of Maharashtra. Born in 1827 in a  gardener (mali) caste, he
suffered from social and economic disadvantages. While as a student
Social	Reforms	–	II
in the Scotish Mission’s High School, he came in contact with Christian
missionaries and the ideas of Thomas Paine contained in his book,
‘Rights of Man’. After completing his secondary education in 1847
Jyotiba decided not to join government service but to pursue an
independent career.
In 1848 he was brought face to face with the problem of inequalities
of the caste system and the abuses of the predominant Brahmin Caste.
He was invited to the wedding of one of his Brahmin friend but was
prevented by the relatives of the bridegroom from joining the wedding
procession because he belonged to the lower mali caste. After this
incident, Jotibarao made up his mind to defy the caste system and serve
for the upliftment of the ‘sudras’ and women, who had been deprived of
all their rights as human beings under this system. He was convinced
that unless these sections of people were educated, their upliftment was
not possible. Hence, with the help of some Brahmin friends he opened
the first non-Christian girls’ school in Poona in 1848, inspite of the
opposition and ‘vicious campaign against him by upper castes. He also
began educating his wife, Savitribai so that she could also participate
in his social work. In 1851, he established the first school for the children
of untouchable and in the next year, he set up the ‘Society for the T eaching
of Knowledge to Mahars, Mangs and other People”.
Phule believed that the caste system introduced distinction
between low and high, and must, therefore, be abandoned. He was of
the firm opinion that divisions among people should be based on their
qualities, not on birth. Curiously, the Marathas. who were considered as
Sudras by the Brahmins, regard the untouchables (ati-shudras) as inferior
to them. But for Phule, who was imbued with the ideas of enlightenment
and liberalism, distinctions based on Caste, was a social evil. Hence
he boldly attacked the stranglehold of the Brahmins on the Maharashtrian
society and castigated them for preventing others from having access
to all avenues of knowledge and influence. Denouncing the Brahmins in
general as ‘Cheats and hypocrites’ he called upon the non-Brahmin
masses to resist their tyranny.
Phule charged Brahmins of misinterpreting Hindu scriptures to suit
their own community and of fabricating falsehoods to dupe the minds of
the ignorant and to fasten firmly on them the chains of bondage and
slavery. He went to the extent of arguing that the Sudras were the sons
of the soil and the Brahmins came from outside and usurped everything
that was possessed by the Sudras. His books Sarvajanik Satyadharma
‘Pustak’ and ‘Gulamgiri’ were biting indictments of the Brahmin
community. He denounced all Brahmin scriptures and their teaching
which had condemned the Shudras as the slaves of Brahmins. He
declared that all those including foreigners, who treated him as equal,
were his brothers.
The Satya Shodhak Samaj
Until the Indian “Revolt” against the British in 1857, Jyotirao Phule
was in favour of the British social legislation and hoped for a quicker
social change. But after 1857 the British adopted the policy of cautious
social neutrality and did little in the direction of social reform by
legislation. Most social reformers cared little for the poor peasants and
artisans. This made him think in terms of establishing an association
that would articulate the grievances of the neglected section of the
Maharashtrians, create awareness among them and induce  them to
fight for justice and equality. By 1873, the idea of establishing an
independent organisation to work for the emancipation of the “Shudras”
from what he called, “slavery” of the Brahmins and to destroy religious
and social bondage of the lower castes, crystalised in his mind.
Accordingly, on 24th September, 1873, Phule and his associates
established the “Satya Shodak Samaj” (Society of Seekers of Truth).
The main objectives of the Samaj were to liberate the Sudras and Ati-
sudras from social and religious bondage and to prevent their
exploitation by the Brahmins. All members of the Samaj were required
to treat all human beings as “children of God and worship the Creator
without the help of any mediator”. Membership of the Sarnaj was open
to all irrespective of caste and creed. However, every member had to
take a pledge to loyalty to the British Empire. A “Satya-shodhaka” was
to be a seeker of truth whose reference was the human person and
concern for truth, and not the traditional values, Phule refused to regard
the Vedas to be sacrosanct. He opposed the custom of worshipping
before idols (idolatry) and denounced the Chaturvarnya (The four varnas).
In social and religious matters, Phule wanted both men and women
to be given equal rights; he regarded it a sin to discriminate between
human beings on the basis of sex. He stressed the unity of all human
beings and envisaged a society based on liberty, equality and fraternity.
He was opposed to religious, begotry and aggressive nationalism
because both destroy the unity of humankind and therefore inimical to
progress·
Early in 1874 Phule started a branch of the Samaj in Bombay and
three years later a weekly journal, ‘Din Bandhu’, was founded to spread
its message. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, a close associate of Phule
and an active trade union leader, became the editor of the paper. He
Page 4


 INTRODUCTION :
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden
Gopalbaba, V. R. Shinde and Shahu Maharaj worked  against caste-
system.  They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, illiteracy
from Society.  Through they were attached to different organizations,
they achieved their goal to some extent.
MAHATMA JYOTIRAO PHULE (1827-1890) :
Mahatma Phule occupies a unique position among the social
reformers of Maharashtra. Born in 1827 in a  gardener (mali) caste, he
suffered from social and economic disadvantages. While as a student
Social	Reforms	–	II
in the Scotish Mission’s High School, he came in contact with Christian
missionaries and the ideas of Thomas Paine contained in his book,
‘Rights of Man’. After completing his secondary education in 1847
Jyotiba decided not to join government service but to pursue an
independent career.
In 1848 he was brought face to face with the problem of inequalities
of the caste system and the abuses of the predominant Brahmin Caste.
He was invited to the wedding of one of his Brahmin friend but was
prevented by the relatives of the bridegroom from joining the wedding
procession because he belonged to the lower mali caste. After this
incident, Jotibarao made up his mind to defy the caste system and serve
for the upliftment of the ‘sudras’ and women, who had been deprived of
all their rights as human beings under this system. He was convinced
that unless these sections of people were educated, their upliftment was
not possible. Hence, with the help of some Brahmin friends he opened
the first non-Christian girls’ school in Poona in 1848, inspite of the
opposition and ‘vicious campaign against him by upper castes. He also
began educating his wife, Savitribai so that she could also participate
in his social work. In 1851, he established the first school for the children
of untouchable and in the next year, he set up the ‘Society for the T eaching
of Knowledge to Mahars, Mangs and other People”.
Phule believed that the caste system introduced distinction
between low and high, and must, therefore, be abandoned. He was of
the firm opinion that divisions among people should be based on their
qualities, not on birth. Curiously, the Marathas. who were considered as
Sudras by the Brahmins, regard the untouchables (ati-shudras) as inferior
to them. But for Phule, who was imbued with the ideas of enlightenment
and liberalism, distinctions based on Caste, was a social evil. Hence
he boldly attacked the stranglehold of the Brahmins on the Maharashtrian
society and castigated them for preventing others from having access
to all avenues of knowledge and influence. Denouncing the Brahmins in
general as ‘Cheats and hypocrites’ he called upon the non-Brahmin
masses to resist their tyranny.
Phule charged Brahmins of misinterpreting Hindu scriptures to suit
their own community and of fabricating falsehoods to dupe the minds of
the ignorant and to fasten firmly on them the chains of bondage and
slavery. He went to the extent of arguing that the Sudras were the sons
of the soil and the Brahmins came from outside and usurped everything
that was possessed by the Sudras. His books Sarvajanik Satyadharma
‘Pustak’ and ‘Gulamgiri’ were biting indictments of the Brahmin
community. He denounced all Brahmin scriptures and their teaching
which had condemned the Shudras as the slaves of Brahmins. He
declared that all those including foreigners, who treated him as equal,
were his brothers.
The Satya Shodhak Samaj
Until the Indian “Revolt” against the British in 1857, Jyotirao Phule
was in favour of the British social legislation and hoped for a quicker
social change. But after 1857 the British adopted the policy of cautious
social neutrality and did little in the direction of social reform by
legislation. Most social reformers cared little for the poor peasants and
artisans. This made him think in terms of establishing an association
that would articulate the grievances of the neglected section of the
Maharashtrians, create awareness among them and induce  them to
fight for justice and equality. By 1873, the idea of establishing an
independent organisation to work for the emancipation of the “Shudras”
from what he called, “slavery” of the Brahmins and to destroy religious
and social bondage of the lower castes, crystalised in his mind.
Accordingly, on 24th September, 1873, Phule and his associates
established the “Satya Shodak Samaj” (Society of Seekers of Truth).
The main objectives of the Samaj were to liberate the Sudras and Ati-
sudras from social and religious bondage and to prevent their
exploitation by the Brahmins. All members of the Samaj were required
to treat all human beings as “children of God and worship the Creator
without the help of any mediator”. Membership of the Sarnaj was open
to all irrespective of caste and creed. However, every member had to
take a pledge to loyalty to the British Empire. A “Satya-shodhaka” was
to be a seeker of truth whose reference was the human person and
concern for truth, and not the traditional values, Phule refused to regard
the Vedas to be sacrosanct. He opposed the custom of worshipping
before idols (idolatry) and denounced the Chaturvarnya (The four varnas).
In social and religious matters, Phule wanted both men and women
to be given equal rights; he regarded it a sin to discriminate between
human beings on the basis of sex. He stressed the unity of all human
beings and envisaged a society based on liberty, equality and fraternity.
He was opposed to religious, begotry and aggressive nationalism
because both destroy the unity of humankind and therefore inimical to
progress·
Early in 1874 Phule started a branch of the Samaj in Bombay and
three years later a weekly journal, ‘Din Bandhu’, was founded to spread
its message. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, a close associate of Phule
and an active trade union leader, became the editor of the paper. He
used its columns to air the grievances of mill workers and to suggest
measures to alleviate them.
Phule used his position as a nominated member of the Poona
Municipality to help the famine stricken areas of Maharashtra (1877).
The ‘Victoria Orphanage’ was founded under the auspices of the
Satyashodhak Samaj. Through the pages of ‘Din Bandhu’ the leaders
of the Satyashodhak Samaj articulated the grievances of the peasants
and workers. In fact, Jyotirao and his colleagues like Lokhande were
the pioneers in organising peasants and workers and attempting to
redress their grievances.
The ideology of the Satyashodhak Samaj was virtually anti-
Brahmanical. Brahmin orthodoxy reacted strongly against it. They found
an effective “knight errant” in the fiery journalist, Vishnushastri Chiplunkar,
and his journal, ‘Nibandhmala’. He derisively described Phule as “a
Shudra Religious T eacher, Shudra Founder of a Religion, a Shudra world
Teacher, merely banking at Brahmins of all his writings”. However,
Phule’s, movement remained outside the formal domain of politics. Its
potential was not realised until the 1880s when Phule mounted strong
attacks against leaders of the Brahmo Samaj, the Prarthana Samaj, the
Sarvajanik Sabha and the Indian National Congress for their failure to
take concrete measures to improve the lot of the masses. He felt that
these organisations were dominated by the Brahmins and therefore
were not truly representative in character. However, he was equally
fearless in his criticism, of the Government. For instance, he protested
vigorously against Lytton’s restrictions on the Indian Vernacular Press
and disapproved of the proposed public reception to the Viceroy by the
Poona Municipality.
The, anti-Brahminism of the Satyashodhak Samaj was directed,
not against individual Brahmins but against the system that permitted
Brahmin preponderance in socio-religious matters. Phule’s personal
relations with Brahmin reformers and with Justice Ranade in particular,
remained good. He participated in their activities. Moreover, so radical
was he in his championship of justice and Brahmins but also to the
‘Sahannavakuli Marathas’ – the ‘Marathas belonging to the ninety-six
aristocratic families, the Maratha aristocracy. He accused them of
exploiting the kunbi peasant. According to Mathew Lederle, “Jyotirao
Phule worked equally for the Sudra and Ati-Shudra revealed a surprising
broadness of vision at a time when caste distinctions prevailed not only
between Brahmins and non-Brahmins, but with not less rigidity between
the Maratha Sudras and the untouchable Atisudras. The forces of the
caste system were so strong that Phule’s ideal of equality for all failed to
Page 5


 INTRODUCTION :
Mahatma Phule was the pioneer of upliftment of the downtrodden
Gopalbaba, V. R. Shinde and Shahu Maharaj worked  against caste-
system.  They wanted to eradicate inequalities, superstitions, illiteracy
from Society.  Through they were attached to different organizations,
they achieved their goal to some extent.
MAHATMA JYOTIRAO PHULE (1827-1890) :
Mahatma Phule occupies a unique position among the social
reformers of Maharashtra. Born in 1827 in a  gardener (mali) caste, he
suffered from social and economic disadvantages. While as a student
Social	Reforms	–	II
in the Scotish Mission’s High School, he came in contact with Christian
missionaries and the ideas of Thomas Paine contained in his book,
‘Rights of Man’. After completing his secondary education in 1847
Jyotiba decided not to join government service but to pursue an
independent career.
In 1848 he was brought face to face with the problem of inequalities
of the caste system and the abuses of the predominant Brahmin Caste.
He was invited to the wedding of one of his Brahmin friend but was
prevented by the relatives of the bridegroom from joining the wedding
procession because he belonged to the lower mali caste. After this
incident, Jotibarao made up his mind to defy the caste system and serve
for the upliftment of the ‘sudras’ and women, who had been deprived of
all their rights as human beings under this system. He was convinced
that unless these sections of people were educated, their upliftment was
not possible. Hence, with the help of some Brahmin friends he opened
the first non-Christian girls’ school in Poona in 1848, inspite of the
opposition and ‘vicious campaign against him by upper castes. He also
began educating his wife, Savitribai so that she could also participate
in his social work. In 1851, he established the first school for the children
of untouchable and in the next year, he set up the ‘Society for the T eaching
of Knowledge to Mahars, Mangs and other People”.
Phule believed that the caste system introduced distinction
between low and high, and must, therefore, be abandoned. He was of
the firm opinion that divisions among people should be based on their
qualities, not on birth. Curiously, the Marathas. who were considered as
Sudras by the Brahmins, regard the untouchables (ati-shudras) as inferior
to them. But for Phule, who was imbued with the ideas of enlightenment
and liberalism, distinctions based on Caste, was a social evil. Hence
he boldly attacked the stranglehold of the Brahmins on the Maharashtrian
society and castigated them for preventing others from having access
to all avenues of knowledge and influence. Denouncing the Brahmins in
general as ‘Cheats and hypocrites’ he called upon the non-Brahmin
masses to resist their tyranny.
Phule charged Brahmins of misinterpreting Hindu scriptures to suit
their own community and of fabricating falsehoods to dupe the minds of
the ignorant and to fasten firmly on them the chains of bondage and
slavery. He went to the extent of arguing that the Sudras were the sons
of the soil and the Brahmins came from outside and usurped everything
that was possessed by the Sudras. His books Sarvajanik Satyadharma
‘Pustak’ and ‘Gulamgiri’ were biting indictments of the Brahmin
community. He denounced all Brahmin scriptures and their teaching
which had condemned the Shudras as the slaves of Brahmins. He
declared that all those including foreigners, who treated him as equal,
were his brothers.
The Satya Shodhak Samaj
Until the Indian “Revolt” against the British in 1857, Jyotirao Phule
was in favour of the British social legislation and hoped for a quicker
social change. But after 1857 the British adopted the policy of cautious
social neutrality and did little in the direction of social reform by
legislation. Most social reformers cared little for the poor peasants and
artisans. This made him think in terms of establishing an association
that would articulate the grievances of the neglected section of the
Maharashtrians, create awareness among them and induce  them to
fight for justice and equality. By 1873, the idea of establishing an
independent organisation to work for the emancipation of the “Shudras”
from what he called, “slavery” of the Brahmins and to destroy religious
and social bondage of the lower castes, crystalised in his mind.
Accordingly, on 24th September, 1873, Phule and his associates
established the “Satya Shodak Samaj” (Society of Seekers of Truth).
The main objectives of the Samaj were to liberate the Sudras and Ati-
sudras from social and religious bondage and to prevent their
exploitation by the Brahmins. All members of the Samaj were required
to treat all human beings as “children of God and worship the Creator
without the help of any mediator”. Membership of the Sarnaj was open
to all irrespective of caste and creed. However, every member had to
take a pledge to loyalty to the British Empire. A “Satya-shodhaka” was
to be a seeker of truth whose reference was the human person and
concern for truth, and not the traditional values, Phule refused to regard
the Vedas to be sacrosanct. He opposed the custom of worshipping
before idols (idolatry) and denounced the Chaturvarnya (The four varnas).
In social and religious matters, Phule wanted both men and women
to be given equal rights; he regarded it a sin to discriminate between
human beings on the basis of sex. He stressed the unity of all human
beings and envisaged a society based on liberty, equality and fraternity.
He was opposed to religious, begotry and aggressive nationalism
because both destroy the unity of humankind and therefore inimical to
progress·
Early in 1874 Phule started a branch of the Samaj in Bombay and
three years later a weekly journal, ‘Din Bandhu’, was founded to spread
its message. Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, a close associate of Phule
and an active trade union leader, became the editor of the paper. He
used its columns to air the grievances of mill workers and to suggest
measures to alleviate them.
Phule used his position as a nominated member of the Poona
Municipality to help the famine stricken areas of Maharashtra (1877).
The ‘Victoria Orphanage’ was founded under the auspices of the
Satyashodhak Samaj. Through the pages of ‘Din Bandhu’ the leaders
of the Satyashodhak Samaj articulated the grievances of the peasants
and workers. In fact, Jyotirao and his colleagues like Lokhande were
the pioneers in organising peasants and workers and attempting to
redress their grievances.
The ideology of the Satyashodhak Samaj was virtually anti-
Brahmanical. Brahmin orthodoxy reacted strongly against it. They found
an effective “knight errant” in the fiery journalist, Vishnushastri Chiplunkar,
and his journal, ‘Nibandhmala’. He derisively described Phule as “a
Shudra Religious T eacher, Shudra Founder of a Religion, a Shudra world
Teacher, merely banking at Brahmins of all his writings”. However,
Phule’s, movement remained outside the formal domain of politics. Its
potential was not realised until the 1880s when Phule mounted strong
attacks against leaders of the Brahmo Samaj, the Prarthana Samaj, the
Sarvajanik Sabha and the Indian National Congress for their failure to
take concrete measures to improve the lot of the masses. He felt that
these organisations were dominated by the Brahmins and therefore
were not truly representative in character. However, he was equally
fearless in his criticism, of the Government. For instance, he protested
vigorously against Lytton’s restrictions on the Indian Vernacular Press
and disapproved of the proposed public reception to the Viceroy by the
Poona Municipality.
The, anti-Brahminism of the Satyashodhak Samaj was directed,
not against individual Brahmins but against the system that permitted
Brahmin preponderance in socio-religious matters. Phule’s personal
relations with Brahmin reformers and with Justice Ranade in particular,
remained good. He participated in their activities. Moreover, so radical
was he in his championship of justice and Brahmins but also to the
‘Sahannavakuli Marathas’ – the ‘Marathas belonging to the ninety-six
aristocratic families, the Maratha aristocracy. He accused them of
exploiting the kunbi peasant. According to Mathew Lederle, “Jyotirao
Phule worked equally for the Sudra and Ati-Shudra revealed a surprising
broadness of vision at a time when caste distinctions prevailed not only
between Brahmins and non-Brahmins, but with not less rigidity between
the Maratha Sudras and the untouchable Atisudras. The forces of the
caste system were so strong that Phule’s ideal of equality for all failed to
prevail even in the Satyashodhak Samaj”. “If human being are all
creatures of the same Divine Being, why should one caste deem itself
superior to others ?” Asked Phule.
As a social and religious organisation, the Satyashodhak Samaj,
according to Gail Omvedt, “bears comparison with other, more famous
samajas: the Brahmo Samaj and Prarthana Samaj, with which it shares
a secular and rationalistic approach, and the Arya Samaj with which it
shared a mass basis”. But it was non-elite in character and was limited
to Marathi-speaking areas. Its radicalism resulted in a general hostility
of the elite, including most of the educated non-Brahmin elite.
Unlike his contemporary reformers - Jambhekar Dadoba
Pandurang, Lokhitavadi, Bhandarkar, Ranade, Vishnushastri Pandit and
Agarkar, Jyotirao Phule was no intellectuai; nor were his writings and
theories as profound as theirs. But his work was the anguished cry of
the suppressed classes trying to emancipate from bondage of centuries
and from the tyranny of upper castes. His main work was to rouse the
exploited and suppressed masses and lead them in an organised
resistance to the unreasonable claims of the Brahmins. By emphasising
individual dignity and equality in social and religious matters, he
attempted to bring solidarity to the Hindu social organisation which was
fragmented into groups of caste. Herein lies his greatness.
Ironically, when he died on 28th November 1890; this great
champion of the low castes and downtrodden, was a much
misunderstood man; he was accused of fermenting hatred between the
Brahmins and non-brahmins. But no attempt was made to consider his
scathing criticism of the prevailing society in a broad perspective. Even
later generations were slow to understand-and appreciate the
significance of his steady and courageous advocacy of social equality
and individual dignity. Nevertheless, recent studies of his work have
convinced many scholars that Mahatma Jyotirao Govindrao Phule
(Jyotiba Phule) was a pioneer in many fields.  He stands out among his
contemporaries’ as one who never wavered in his quest for truth and
justice
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule was the first Indian to proclaim in modern
India the dawn of the new age for the common man, the Indian woman.
Jyotirao was the first Indian to start a school for the untouchables and a
girl’s school in Maharashtra. According to Dhananjay Keer, Phule
believed in honesty working for his Iivelihood. He was almost the first
public man in modern India to devote his time to serving the masses”,
By his emphasis on Truth,Equality and Humanism, this great son of