The India Prime Minister, in his Independence Day address, announced 200th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

• On April 11, 2025, India observed the 198th birth anniversary of social reformer Jyotiba Phule, widely commemorated as Jyotiba Phule Jayanti.

About Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (1827–1890)

• Early Life and Education:
  • Full Name: Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (popularly known as Mahatma Jyotiba Phule)
  • Born: 11 April 1827, Pune, Maharashtra, in the Mali (gardener) caste
  • Marriage: Married Savitribai Phule in 1840 (he was 13), who later became India’s first female teacher and his lifelong partner in social reform
  • Education: Studied at Scottish Mission High School, Pune; graduated in 1847
  • Influences: Exposed to Western thinkers like Thomas Paine (The Rights of Man) and John Stuart Mill
  • Turning Point (1848): Experienced caste discrimination at a Brahmin friend’s wedding, awakening him to systemic injustice
• Ideology and Vision:
  • Equality and Justice: Advocated a society free from caste and gender discrimination
  • Rationalism: Rejected blind faith, Brahmanical orthodoxy, and superstition
  • Social Justice: Emphasized dignity of all humans, regardless of caste or gender
  • Religious Pluralism: Defended rights of individuals (for example, Pandita Ramabai’s conversion to Christianity)
  • Title of Mahatma: Conferred on 11 May 1888 by social activist Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar
• Major Social Contributions:
  • Educational Reforms:
    • First Girls’ School (1848): With Savitribai, founded India’s first school for girls in Pune
    • Schools for Dalits and Backward Castes: Expanded access to education for marginalized groups
    • Night Schools (1855): Opened for workers, farmers, and working women
    • Advocated universal, compulsory, and practical education as the weapon against caste oppression
  • Women’s Empowerment:
    • Championed girls’ education and widow remarriage
    • Established anti-infanticide centers and orphanages
    • Encouraged economic and social independence of women
  • Caste and Social Reform:
    • Strong critic of Brahmanical dominance and untouchability
    • Founded Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth-Seekers) in 1873
      • Promoted equality, rationalism, and inter-caste marriages
      • Trained non-Brahmin priests to challenge religious monopoly
    • Opposed nationalist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar, aligning with British reforms to uplift Dalits and women
    • Critique of 1857 Revolt: Saw it as an attempt by upper castes to restore Brahminical rule
  • Agricultural and Economic Reforms:
    • Authored Shetkaryacha Asud (Farmer’s Whip, 1881): Critiqued exploitation of peasants by Brahmin and British bureaucrats
    • Advocated for dams, bunds, and agricultural education
    • Suggested use of military labor for rural development
    • Linked agrarian reform with social justice for Shudra peasants
  • Labor and Public Advocacy:
    • Opposed the filtration theory in education; gave evidence to the Hunter Commission (1882)
    • Served as Municipal Member in Pune, advocating for water supply, sanitation, and worker rights
    • Supported labor movements: with Narayan Meghaji Lokhande, helped form the Bombay Millhands Association (India’s first workers’ association)
• Major Literary Contributions:
  • Gulamgiri (Slavery, 1873): Dedicated to African-American freedom fighters; compared caste oppression in India to American slavery
  • Shetkaryacha Asud (Farmer’s Whip, 1881): On agrarian distress and reforms
  • Sarvajanik Satya Dharma Pustak: His philosophical testament; advocated universal humanism and rationalism
  • Satsar (The Essence of Truth): Dialogue from defending religious freedom; defended Pandita Ramabai
  • Manav Mahammand (Muhammad the Man): A poetic tribute praising Prophet Muhammad as a liberator
  • Other Works:
    • Tritiya Ratna (1855) – A play on caste oppression
    • Powada: Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha (1869) – A ballad honoring Shivaji
    • Trutyache Bhashan – Reflecting his reformist thought
• Associated Organizations and Media:
  • Satyashodhak Samaj (1873): Instrumental in anti-caste and rationalist movements
  • Din Bandhu Newspaper (1877): Platform for oppressed voices, closely linked with Satyashodhak Samaj
  • Supported by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj and later inspired leaders like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
• Legacy:
  • Revered as the Father of the Indian Social Revolution
  • First leader to use the term Dalit for oppressed castes
  • Along with Savitribai, laid the foundation of women’s education and anti-caste movements in India.
  • His ideas of rationalism, universal humanism, and social justice continue to inspire India’s constitutional ethos.

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