Jyotiba Phule: Pioneer of India’s Social Awakening

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Jyotiba Phule on his birth anniversary falling on April 11.

Jyotiba Phule, born on April 11, 1827, was a trailblazing thinker, educator, and social reformer who revolutionized 19th-century Indian society through his fight against caste oppression and gender inequality.
His lifelong mission was to build a more just and equal society, which he pursued through education, activism, and institution-building, even in the face of harsh orthodoxy and resistance.

Phule’s transformative journey began in 1848 after facing caste-based humiliation at a Brahmin friend’s wedding.
This pivotal moment ignited his resolve to combat social discrimination. Inspired by missionary Cynthia Farrar and rationalist thinkers like Thomas Paine, Phule, along with his wife Savitribai Phule, founded India’s first school for girls that same year.
By the age of 24, he had opened 18 such schools and several night schools for workers and underprivileged children.

In 1873, Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Truth-Seekers), which served as a counterforce to upper-caste-dominated reformist movements like Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj.
His writings, including the influential Gulamgiri (Slavery), equated the condition of India’s lower castes with that of African-American slaves, denouncing Brahminical oppression as a tool of systemic subjugation.

Phule championed compulsory primary education for all, especially the poor.
In a statement to the Education Commission, he advocated scholarships and incentives to ensure school attendance, particularly for rural children who were often kept away to assist with farming.
His vision was to empower the lower castes economically and intellectually to dismantle caste-based barriers.

Although critical of religious orthodoxy, Phule maintained a nuanced view of faith.
He respected Christianity and Islam for their emphasis on equality but leaned toward a rationalist and humanist philosophy.
His final work, Sarvajanik Satya Dharma Pustak, rejected dogma and called for a universal, inclusive approach to spirituality, questioning the sanctity of caste-based divisions.

In Shetkaryanche Asud (Farmer’s Whip), Phule advocated for administrative support to farmers, proposing innovative solutions like:
- Employing soldiers in civil works such as building small dams and bunds
- Releasing pasture lands from forest departments back to villagers
- Importing cattle for meat to prevent depletion of farming livestock
These ideas reflected his belief that agricultural reform was crucial to breaking the poverty cycle and ensuring food security.

Phule’s defense of Pandita Ramabai’s religious conversion and his sharp critique of polygamy showcased his progressive stance on women’s rights.
He argued for gender equality with the same intensity as caste reform, challenging double standards in religious texts and patriarchal practices.

Jyotiba Phule’s impact resonates even today.
His relentless questioning of oppressive systems, pioneering work in education, and establishment of inclusive social institutions have inspired generations of social activists.
His legacy continues to shape the discourse around caste, education, and social justice in India.