Mahatma Jyotiba Phule

Context:

The Prime Minister  has paid tribute to the great social reformer, thinker, philosopher and writer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule on his birth anniversary. He said that Mahatma Jyotiba Phule remained committed to education of women and their empowerment throughout his life, his devotion to social reforms will be a source of inspiration for coming generations, added the Prime Minister.

Glimps:

• Jyotirao Govindrao Phule (11 April 1827 – 28 November 1890) was an Indian social activist, thinker, anti-caste social reformer and writer from Maharashtra.
• His work extended to many fields, including eradication of untouchability and the caste system and for his efforts in educating women and exploited caste people.
• He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women’s education in India.
• Phule started his first school for girls in 1848 in Pune at Tatyasaheb Bhide’s residence or Bhidewada. 
• He, along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth Seekers) to attain equal rights for people from exploited castes. People from all religions and castes could become a part of this association which worked for the upliftment of the oppressed classes. Phule is regarded as an important figure in the social reform movement in Maharashtra. He was bestowed with honorific Mahātmā title by Maharashtrian social activist Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar in 1888

Early life of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule

• Mahatma Jyotiba Phule was born on 11 April 1827 into a family that belonged to the Mali caste which is considered as Shudra in varna system of Indian castes traditionally occupied as gardeners, vegetable vendors, and florists.
• Phule to attend the local Scottish Mission High School & completed his English schooling in 1847.
• As was customary, he was married young, at the age of 13, to a girl of his own community, chosen by his father.
• The turning point in his life was in 1848, when he attended the wedding of a Brahmin friend. Phule participated in the customary marriage procession, but was later rebuked and insulted by his friend’s parents for doing that. They told him that he being from a Shudra caste should have had the sense to keep away from that ceremony. This incident profoundly affected Phule on the injustice of the caste system.

Social Movements

In 1848, an incident sparked off Jyotiba’s quest against the social injustice of caste discrimination and incited a social revolution in the Indian society. Jyotirao was invited to attend the wedding of one of his friends who belonged to an upper cast Brahmin family. But at the wedding the relatives of the bridegroom insulted and abused Jyotiba when they came to know about his origins. Jyotirao left the ceremony and made up his mind to challenge the prevailing caste-system and social restrictions. He made it his life’s work to hammer away tirelessly at the helms of social majoritarian domination and aimed at emancipation of all human beings that were subjected to this social deprivation.

After reading Thomas Paine’s famous book ‘The Rights of Man’, Jyotirao was greatly influenced by his ideas. He believed that enlightenment of the women and lower caste people was the only solution to combat the social evils.

Efforts Towards Women Education

Jyotiba’s quest for providing women and girls with right to education was supported by his wife Savitribai Phule. One of the few literate women of the time, Savitribai was taught to read and write by her husband Jyotirao. 

In 1851, Jyotiba established a girls’ school and asked his wife to teach the girls in the school. Later, he opened two more schools for the girls and an indigenous school for the lower castes, especially for the Mahars and Mangs. 

Jyotiba realised the pathetic conditions of widows and established an ashram for young widows and eventually became advocate of the idea of Widow Remarriage. 

Around his time, society was a patriarchal and the position of women was especially abysmal. Female infanticide was a common occurrence and so was child marriage, with children sometimes being married to men much older. These women often became widows before they even hit puberty and were left without any family support. Jyotiba was pained by their plight and established an orphanage in 1854 to shelter these unfortunate souls from perishing at the society’s cruel hands.

Efforts Towards Elimination of Caste Discrimination

Jyotirao attacked the orthodox Brahmins and other upper castes and termed them as “hypocrites”. He campaigned against the authoritarianism of the upper caste people and urged the “peasants” and “proletariat” to defy the restrictions imposed upon them. 

He opened his home to people from all castes and backgrounds. He was a believer in gender equality and he exemplified his beliefs by involving his wife in all his social reform activities. He believed that religious icons like Rama are implemented by the Brahmin as a means for subjugating the lower caste.

The orthodox Brahmins of the society were furious at the activities of Jyotirao. They blamed him for vitiating the norms and regulations of the society. Many accused him of acting on behalf of the Christian Missionaries. But Jyotirao was firm and decided to continue the movement. Interestingly, Jyotirao was supported by some Brahmin friends who extended their support to make the movement successful.

Satya Shodhak Samaj

In 1873, Jyotiba Phule formed the Satya Shodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth). He undertook a systematic deconstruction of existing beliefs and history, only to reconstruct an equality promoting version. Jyotirao vehemently condemned the Vedas, the ancient holy scriptures of the Hindus. He traced the history of Brahmanism through several other ancient texts and held the Brahmins responsible for framing the exploitative and inhuman laws in order to maintain their social superiority by suppressing the “shudras” and “atishudras” in the society. The purpose of the Satya Shodhak Samaj was to decontaminate the society from caste discrimination and liberate the oppressed lower-caste people from the stigmas inflicted by the Brahmins. Jyotirao Phule was the first person to coin the term ‘Dalits’ to apply to all people considered lower caste and untouchables by the Brahmins. Membership to the Samaj was open to all irrespective of caste and class. Some written records suggest that they even welcomed participation of Jews as members of the Samaj and by 1876 the ‘Satya Shodhak Samaj’ boasted of 316 members. In 1868, Jyotirao decided to construct a common bathing tank outside his house to exhibit his embracing attitude towards all human beings and wished to dine with everyone, regardless of their caste.

Death

Jyotiba Phule devoted his entire life for the liberation of untouchables from the exploitation of Brahmins. Apart from being a social activist and reformer, he was also a businessman. He was also a cultivator and contractor for the Municipal Corporation. He served as Commissioner of the Poona Municipality between 1876 and 1883. 

Jyotiba suffered a stroke in 1888 and was rendered paralyzed. On 28 November, 1890, the great social reformer, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, passed away.

Legacy

Perhaps the biggest legacy of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule is the thought behind his perpetual fight against social stigma that are enormously relevant still. In the nineteenth century, people were used to accepting these discriminatory practices as social norm that needed to be enforced without question but Jyotiba sought to change this discrimination based on caste, class and colour. He was the harbinger of unheard ideas for social reforms. He started awareness campaigns that ultimately inspired the likes of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, stalwarts who undertook major initiatives against caste discrimination later.

Some of Mahatma Phule’s published works

Phule’s akhandas were organically linked to the abhangs of Marathi Varkari saint Tukaram. Among his notable published works are:

• Tritiya Ratna, 1855
• Brahmananche Kasab, 1869
• Powada : Chatrapati Shivajiraje Bhosle Yancha, [English: Life Of Shivaji, In Poetical Metre], June 1869
• Powada: Vidyakhatyatil Brahman Pantoji, June 1869
• Manav Mahammand (Muhammad) (Abhang)
• Gulamgiri, 1873
• Shetkarayacha Aasud (Cultivator’s Whipcord), July 1881
• Satsar Ank 1, June 1885
• Satsar Ank 2 June 1885
• Ishara, October 1885
• Gramjoshya sambhandi jahir kabhar, (1886)
• Satyashodhak Samajokt Mangalashtakasah Sarva Puja-vidhi, 1887
• Sarvajanik Satya Dharma Poostak, April 1889
• Sarvajanic Satya Dharmapustak, 1891
• Akhandadi Kavyarachana
• Asprashyanchi Kaifiyat

Deenbandhu:

• Deenbandhu was a weekly Marathi-language newspaper first published in Pune, British India in 1877.
• It was the first newspaper in India to cater explicitly to the labouring people.[2] The weekly articulated the grievances of the peasants and workers.
• Deenbandhu was founded by Krishnarao Pandurang Bhalekar (1850-1910) and served as an outlet for Jotirao Phule’s Satyashodhak Samaj.