Phule: A Constant Gardener of Social Revolution

11th April 2025, marked the 196th birth anniversary of Jyotirao Phule

Early Life and Personal Awakening

• Jyotiba Phule was born on April 11, 1827, into the Mali caste, a group traditionally involved in gardening and flower work. 
• In 1848, he was invited to a Brahmin friend’s wedding. During the ceremony, some of the groom’s relatives insulted him for belonging to a so-called “lower” caste. This incident deeply affected Phule. He left the wedding and decided to stand against the caste system and social injustice.
• Around this time, he visited a girls’ school in Ahmednagar, run by Cynthia Farrar, a Christian missionary. He also read Thomas Paine’s Age of Reason, a book that criticized religious orthodoxy, which inspired Phule’s own thoughts about Hindu traditions.

Education and Empowerment

• Founding India’s First Girls’ School: In the same year, 1848, Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule opened the first school for girls in India. He was only 21 years old at the time.
• Opened up More Schools: Over the next few years, they established 18 more schools, and by 1855, they also opened night schools in Pune for workers, farmers, and working women.
• Challenges: However, their work was not accepted by everyone. Many orthodox people opposed these efforts to educate lower castes and women.

Working with the British

• Phule disagreed with popular nationalists like Vishnu Shashtri Chiplunkar and Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who resisted British rule. 
• While they saw the British as invaders, Phule chose to work with them to improve the condition of lower castes and women. 
• Despite his disagreements, he showed generosity by helping to release Tilak and Gopal Ganesh Agarkar from jail.

Satyashodhak Samaj

• In 1873, Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth-Seekers). This group aimed to fight caste discrimination and promote equality. 
• It was created as an alternative to upper-caste dominated reform movements like the Brahmo Samaj, Prarthana Samaj, and Arya Samaj.

Views on the 1857 Revolt

• Phule did not support the 1857 revolt by Indian soldiers (sepoys). Unlike others who saw it as a fight for freedom, Phule believed it would bring back the oppressive rule of the Peshwas, which would harm Dalits and lower castes.

Condemnation of Caste Oppression

• In his book Gulamgiri (Slavery), Phule compared the condition of Shudras and Atishudras in India to the African slaves in America.
• He wrote that Brahmins had created a cruel system that kept lower castes in suffering for centuries. He believed only those who have experienced slavery can understand the pain and the joy of being free.
• He stated, “Only slaves can understand what it is to be a slave and what joy it is to be delivered from the chains of slavery. Now the only difference between them and the slaves in America is that whereas the blacks were captured and sold as slaves, the shudras and atishudras were conquered and enslaved by the bhats and brahmans.”

Importance of Education for All

• Phule strongly supported compulsory education for children from lower castes.
• In his statement to the Education Commission, he suggested giving scholarships and prizes to poor families so they would send their children to school. 
• He believed primary education should be mandatory at least up to age 12.

Religious Freedom and Criticism of Orthodoxy

• In his book Satsar (The Essence of Truth), Phule supported Pandita Ramabai’s right to convert to Christianity, making him one of the few non-Christians to do so.
• He used a dialogue between a Brahmin and a Shudra to argue for religious freedom and criticized blind faith.

Reforms for Farmers and Rural Development

• In his work Shetkaryanche Asud (Farmer’s Whip), Phule proposed practical reforms:
  • Educate farmers so they can use modern agricultural tools
  • Stop cow slaughter to protect farming needs
  • Encourage the use of goats and sheep for meat
  • Use soldiers in the construction of dams and water management projects
  • Construct small dams and bunds in a way that the water would seep into the ground
  • Allow villagers to use river silt and pastures for farming
  • Reform the Forest Department, which restricted farmers unfairly

Belief in Universal Humanity

• Phule questioned the idea that any one religion or scripture contains the complete truth. In his book Sarvajanik Satya Dharma Pustak, he argued that all scriptures were edited by biased people and led to division and conflict among human beings.

• He believed that:
  • All people were created by the same Creator
  • All humans are equal
  • No human group is “sacred” by birth
  • Nature does not recognize caste or religious superiority
• Opposition to Polygamy and Gender Inequality: Phule also criticized polygamy, where men had multiple wives. He asked whether men would accept the idea of women having multiple husbands and used this to show the unfair standards set by religion and society.
• Caste Is a Human Creation: Phule strongly believed that the caste system is man-made. He mocked the belief that God created the castes, asking why animals do not have castes if that were true. This highlighted the irrational nature of caste-based discrimination.

Conclusion

Jyotiba Phule remains an inspiring figure in India’s history. His life was dedicated to fighting caste discrimination, promoting education, and standing up for human rights. Despite facing opposition and danger, he never gave up on his dream of a just and equal society.