Jyotirao Phule's Social activism

Social activism

He was assisted in his work by his wife, Savitribai Phule, and together they started the second school for girls in India in 1848, for which he was forced to leave his home. He initiated widow-remarriage and started a home for upper caste widows in 1854, as well as a home for new-born infants to prevent female infanticide. Phule tried to eliminate the stigma of social Untouchability surrounding the lower castes by opening his house and the use of his water-well to the members of the lower castes.

He formed the Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) on September 24, 1873, a group whose main aim was to liberate the social Shudra and Untouchables castes from exploitation and oppression.

Phule was a member of the Pune municipality from 1876 to 1882.

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Jyotirao Phule's Connection with women activists

Connection with women activists

Some of India’s first modern feminists were closely associated with Phule, including his wife Savitribai Phule; Pandita Ramabai, a Brahmin woman. 

Panditia Ramabai who was leading advocate for the rights and welfare for the women in India; Tarabai Shinde, the non-Brahmin author of a fiery tract on gender inequality which was largely ignored at the time but has recently become well-known; and Muktabai, a fourteen-year-old pupil in Phule’s school, whose essay on the social oppression of the Mang and Mahar castes is also now famous.

he started “Shiv Jayanti”(Birth day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj)first time in India. He also discovered the “Samadhi” of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Raigad Fort which had disappeared in creepers and climbers. He wrote “Shivajicha powada” an epic poem.

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Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Followers

Followers

Krantisurya Phule has many followers. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, the first minister of law of
Republic India and the architect of Indian Constitution was inspired by his noble work towards humanity.

Noted freedom fighter and Gandhian Leader like Mukundrao Bhujbal Patil who is Ex. President of Bombay Pradesh Congress Committee was the one who tried to bring the work done by Jyotirao Phule, into a limelight. There are many followers of the work done by him, one among those is Hon.

Minister Of Maharashtra Chhagan Bhujbal founder of Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, an organisation works for social upliftment of dalits and OBCs. 

Telugu actor Chiranjeevi, who started a political party and stated that he is very much inspired by the work done by Phule especially creating social harmony.

M.S.Chandramohan,writer,he is very much insired by the work done by Phule especially creating social education system.


V.G.R Naragoni is a OBC leader in andhra pradesh got inspired by Phule and followed him and conduct deep research on Phule movements and wrote several books on Phule like “BahujanaVudhyama Radha Saradhulu.

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Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Quotes

Quotes

Vidyevina mati geli; mativina neeti geli; neetivina gati geli; gativina vitta gele;
vittavina shudra khachale; itke anartha eka avidyene kele.

विद्येविना मती गेली | मतीविना नीति गेली | नीतीविना गती गेली | गतीविना वित्त गेले | वित्ताविना शुद्र खचले | इतके अनर्थ एका अविद्येने केले!

(Lack of education leads to lack of wisdom, which leads to lack of morals, which leads to lack of progress, which leads to lack of money, which leads to the oppression of the lower classes. See what state of the society one lack of education can cause!)

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Krantisurya Jyotirao Phule

Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule

Rashtrapita Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (April 11, 1827 — November 28, 1890), also known as Mahatma Jotiba Phule was anactivist, thinker, social reformer, writer, philosopher, theologist, scholar, editor andrevolutionary from Maharashtra, India in the nineteenth century. Jotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule were pioneers of women’s education in India. His remarkable influence was apparent in fields like education, agriculture, caste system, women and widow upliftment and removal of untouchability. He is most known for his efforts to educate women and the lower castes as well as the masses. He, after educating his wife, opened a school for girls in India in August 1848. This was the second girls’ school in India. Peary Charan Sarkar, a former student of Hindu College, Calcutta and a member of “Young Bengal” set up the first free school for girls in 1847 in Barasat, a suburb of Calcutta (later the school was named Kalikrishna Girls’ High School).

In September, 1873, Jotirao, along with his followers, formed the Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) with Jotirao with the main objective of liberating the Bahujans, Shudras and Ati-Shudras and protecting them from exploitation and atrocities. For his fight to attain equal rights for peasants and the lower caste and his contributions to the field of education, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of the Social Reform Movement in Maharashtra. Dhananjay Keer, his biographer, notes him as “the father of Indian social revolution”.


Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Early life
Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Quotes 
Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Religion 
Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Beliefs 
Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Followers 
Jyotirao Phule's Social activism 

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Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Religion

Religion

Jotirao Phule was an Indian aboriginal. His akhandas were based on the abhangs of Indian aboriginal saint Tukaram (a Moray Shudra.)

His own hero was Chhatrapati Shivaji. He called Shivaji a “…destroyer of the Brahmins“. He believed that they were a degenerative force like the wild animals.

He was a subscriber to Maharishi Vitthal Ramji Shinde’s magazine, Dnyanodaya. (Maharishi Shinde was a Harijan or “untouchable” and a member of the reformist Prarthana Samaj.)

He did not like the castists of Tamil Nadu using Lord Rama as a symbol of oppression of Aryan conquest.

In year 1873, Jotirao Gavondraw Fule (name as spelled then)- dedicated his book “Slavery” thus:

DEDICATED TO THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES as a token of admiration for their sublime, disinterested and self-sacrificing devotion in the cause of Negro Slavery; and with an earnest desire, that my countrymen may take their noble example as their guide in the emancipation of their Sudra Brethren from the trammels of Brahmin thraldom.

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Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Beliefs

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Rashtrapita Jyotirao Phule's Early life

Early life

Jotirao Govindrao Phule was born in Satara district of Maharastra in a family belonging to Mali Rights of Man (1791), Phule developed a keen sense of social justice, becoming passionate of the Indian Tea system. He argued that education of women and the lower castes was a vital priority in addressing social inequalities.

(Fulmali) caste, caste perceived to be inferior caste by certain sections of the society. His father, Govindrao, was a vegetable vendor. Originally Jotirao’s family, known as Gorhays, came from Katgun, a village in Taluka- Khatav, District- Satara. His grandfather Shetiba Gorhay settled down in Poona. Since Jotirao’s father and two uncles served as florists under the last of the Peshwas, they came to be known as ‘Phules’. (Reference- P.G. Patil, Collected Works of Mahatma Jotirao Phule, Vol-II, published by Education department, Govt. of Maharashtra). His mother died when he was 9 months old. After completing his primary education Jotirao had to leave school and help his father by working on the family’s farm. He was married at the age of 12. His intelligence was recognised by a Muslim and a Christian neighbor, who persuaded his father to allow Jotirao to attend the local Scottish Mission’s High School, which he completed in 1847. The turning point in Jotiba’s life was in year 1848, when he was insulted by family members of his Brahmin friend, a bridegroom for his participation in the marriage procession, an auspicious occasion. Jotiba was suddenly facing the divide created by the caste system. Influenced by Thomas Paine books 

SATYASHODHAK SAMAJ

On 24 September 1873, Jotirao formed ‘Satya Shodhak Samaj’ (Society of Seekers of Truth) with himself as its first president and treasurer. The main objectives of the organisation were to liberate the Shudras and Ati Shudras and to prevent their ‘exploitation’ by the upper caste like Brahmans. Through this Satya Shodhak Samaj, Jotirao refused to regard the Vedas as sacrosanct. He opposedidolatry and denounced the chaturvarnya system (the caste system). Satya Shodhak Samaj propounded the spread of rational thinking and rejected the need for a Brahman priestly class as educational and religious leaders. He was an aboriginal of India and established Satyadharma and never renounced his faith. He was against those Brahmins who were using religion and blind faith of masses for their own monetary gains. But Jyotiba had many Brahmin personal friends and he even adopted a Brahmin boy as his heir. He made a will giving his large property after his death to this Brahmin boy.

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