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Mahatma Jyotirao Phule (1827–1890), a pioneering social reformer and thinker from Maharashtra, was one of the earliest voices to challenge Brahmanical dominance, caste hierarchy, and gender discrimination in colonial India. His ideas significantly influenced the anti-caste and Dalit-Bahujan assertion in post-independence India.

Phule’s Ideological Contributions and Social Reform Legacy

• Radical Critique of Brahmanism and the Caste System: Phule was among the first to publicly reject Brahmanical supremacy and the religious justification of caste.
  For example: In Gulamgiri (1873), Phule argued that Brahmins enslaved the Shudras and Atishudras using religious texts.
• Emphasis on Education for Social Emancipation: Phule saw universal education as the key to breaking caste barriers. In 1848, Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule started the first school for girls and Dalits in Pune.
• Formation of Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth-Seekers’ Society, 1873): This organisation aimed to liberate the oppressed castes from Brahminical rituals and priestly control. Promote rational thinking, inter-caste marriage, widow remarriage, and social equality.
• Gender Equality and Women’s Liberation: Phule was a pioneer in feminist thought within caste reform. Along with Savitribai, worked for women’s education, widow remarriage, and against child marriage and Sati.
• Support for Agricultural Labourers and Peasants: Phule’s book “Shetkaryacha Asud” (The Whipcord of the Peasant, 1881) highlighted rural caste and class exploitation.

Challenges to Phule’s Legacy in Contemporary India

• Revival of Caste-Based Hierarchies and Social Discrimination: Rising incidents of caste-based violence (e.g. Hathras case, 2020) highlight persistent caste oppression, contradicting Phule’s vision of social equality.
• Tokenism in Representation without Real Empowerment: Symbolic cabinet appointments or reserved seats exist, but without proportional policy influence or grassroots transformation.
• Commercialisation of Education and Reduced Access for Marginalised Groups: Privatisation and rising costs of education marginalise SCs/STs/OBCs, contrary to Phule’s call for universal, state-supported education.
• Underrepresentation in Higher Judiciary, Bureaucracy, and Media: Phule’s call for Bahujan representation is yet to be fulfilled in elite power structures.
  For example: Around 77% Of High Court Judges Appointed Since 2018 Belong To Upper Caste Category (Law Ministry in Parliament).
• Erosion of Welfare-Oriented State Policies: Policies based on privatisation, reduced public spending, and ‘minimum government’ dilute Phule’s model of state-supported upliftment.

Phule’s Legacy in Post-Independence Dalit-Bahujan Assertion

• Ideological Framework for Dalit-Bahujan Unity: This vocabulary became the foundation of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which mobilised Dalits and OBCs politically against upper-caste dominance.
  For example: The BSP’s slogan “Bahujan Hitay, Bahujan Sukhay” echoes Phule’s inclusive ideology.
• Satyashodhak Tradition and Non-Brahmin Movements: Inspired non-Brahmin movements in Maharashtra and Dravidian movements in Tamil Nadu under Periyar (Self-Respect Movement).
• Legacy in Mandal Politics and OBC Assertion: The Mandal Commission (1980) and its implementation in 1990 reflected Phule’s idea of empowering backward castes through reservation.
• Educational Empowerment as a Political Tool: Education became central to Dalit-Bahujan political movements, Ambedkar’s People’s Education Society, Dalit hostels, and scholarship schemes.
• Impact on Panchayati Raj and Local Governance: Dalits and OBCs gained political voice through reservation in panchayats and urban local bodies under the 73rd and 74th Amendments.

Mahatma Phule’s radical critique of caste and Brahmanism, his promotion of education, and his inclusive Bahujan identity politics laid a philosophical and practical groundwork for Dalit-Bahujan movements of the 20th century and beyond. His legacy remains central to India’s continuing struggles for social justice, equality, and dignity in the post-independence era.

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