Many political parties in India garland a turbaned man on April 11th and claim that they will follow the views of Jyotiba Phule. However, I doubt whether these parties truly understand the philosophical ideology of Jyotiba Phule or if they are simply trying to attract OBC and SC/ST voters.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the maker of Modern India, considered Jyotiba Phule as one of his three gurus, along with Buddha and Kabir Das. Despite this, due to the upper-caste elite-bourgeois media, Jyotiba Phule is often portrayed as just a local social reformer or sometimes being ignored as well.
Brief Biography of Jyotiba Phule-
Jyotirao Phule, born on April 11, 1827, in Pune, was originally named Jyotirao, but ‘ba’ was added as an affectionate suffix. He was born to Govind Rao and Chimna Bai, who belonged to the Mali caste, known for working as flower and vegetable growers. According to the Varna Caste System, they were considered Shudras. At the age of 13, Jyotirao married Savitribai, who was nine years old.
Jyotirao showed intelligence in his studies, excelling in subjects from Vedanta to grammar. However, due to societal pressure and fear of his exceptional performance, his father withdrew him from primary education on the advice of a Brahmin clerk. Jyotirao was then sent to work on farms, but he continued his reading habit in his free time. Recognizing his intelligence and passion for learning, Urdu teacher Gaffar Baig and Christian gentleman Liggit advised Govind Rao to allow Jyotirao to pursue further studies. As a result, Jyotirao completed his education at Scottish Mission High School, becoming eligible to teach school students. Jyotiba Phule was civil contractor and later turned to be municipal commissioner of Pune.
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The turning point in Jyotirao’s life came when he was insulted at his Brahmin friend’s marriage procession. He was severely scolded by family members for participating in the procession. This incident made Jyotirao acutely aware of his alienation within the caste system, a feeling he realized was shared by a large segment of society. He immersed himself in reading, including Thomas Paine’s “Rights of Man,” which significantly influenced his thinking, along with ideas from American democracy, the French Revolution, African-American slavery, and various global issues. Jyotirao considered himself a universal human being and emphasized Universal Humanism in his work.
Women Education and Upliftment- Every religion in the Indian Subcontinent discriminated against women in various ways, encompassing customs and scriptures. Following the arrival of the East India Company, significant reforms were implemented, providing considerable relief. However, education remained largely limited to the royal, affluent, or upper-caste women, while the common people or Bahujans faced significant barriers to education. The reform movement initiated from Jyotirao Phule’s home, where he began educating his wife, Savitri Bai Phule and his Muslim friend, Sister Fatima Sheik, who both became the first Indian Lady Teacher and the first Indian Muslim Lady teacher. Then they started teaching others.
On May 15, 1848, the Phule couple established the first girls’ school, despite facing strong resistance from orthodox groups who would hurl cow dung and stones at them. To shield herself from these attacks, Savitri Bai Phule carried a separate saree in her bag, which she would drape around herself to teach, reserving another saree for other occasions. She endured these insults with a smile until one tormentor crossed the line, which prompted her to respond with a resounding slap, causing some tormentors to back off.
In 1851, Phule opened two more schools for girls and was honored by the Board of Education in 1852. He also initiated a night school in 1852, which the government reported as being well-run with excellent staff, and where girls enjoyed their learning. Jyotirao Phule further advocated for free education, scientific education, career-oriented teaching, and other reforms in India through a document submitted to the Hunter Commission. By 1858, Jyotirao Phule began expanding his reforms, which included opening a home to protect victims of infanticide and uplift women. This shelter provided protection for women subjected to rape and their children. One notable case was the first child of a Brahmin rape victim, named Yashwant, who was adopted by the Phule couple and later became a doctor. The Widow Remarriage movement started in Maharashtra in 1860, spearheaded by Jyotirao Phule.
He strongly opposed child marriage, citing its detrimental effects on women’s health and the high mortality rates among women and children. Phule supported Behramji Malabari, a Parsi poet advocating for women’s rights and the abolition of child marriage. In 1891, the Age of Consent law was passed, but it faced opposition from Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who held a socially conservative Brahminical mindset and opposed government interference in customs. However, Phule argued that child marriage was not just a family matter but a social issue requiring government intervention. He suggested implementing these rules in princely states.
Jyotirao Phule critiqued patriarchy and emphasized equality and consent between men and women.
Critic of Caste Discrimination and Varnaashram Dharma-
In the Maratha Region, after the fall of the Bhosale Shudra kings, the Chitpavan Brahmin Peshwas took over government affairs. Casteism escalated to the point where lower castes were required to tie brooms to their legs and pots to their necks. These practices persisted until they were abolished, but the stench of casteism lingered.
In 1848, Jyotirao Phule established a school for untouchables, and in 1886, he opened a water tank for bathing near his house. He wrote one of his famous books, “Gulamgiri (Slavery),” which exposed how upper castes monopolized government posts in the British Empire. He also presented his version of the Aryan Invasion theory, highlighting how the Puranas depicted the original inhabitants as Asuras or demons and Aryans as gods or saviors. He drew parallels between casteism and slavery in the USA. Phule expressed gratitude towards the British and Christian missionaries for uplifting many lower castes and providing them with education and job opportunities. He wrote another book, Ishara (Warning), which exposed the cruelty of Peshwas towards farmers and Shudras. Jyotiba Phule not only exposed the cruelty of casteism but also proposed reforms both at the individual and government levels. He suggested that individuals should educate themselves and seek employment in reputable institutions to empower themselves and maintain self-respect. He also advocated for the government to encourage Shudras and Dalits to attain better positions without facing humiliation. The mentioned books are translated titles in English which exposed casteism and warned about consequences such as Cleverness of Bramhins, Cause of the Untouchables, Existence of Goodness, A book of true religion for all and Third Eye.
Worker Rights- Worker rights were important to Jyotiba Phule, as evidenced in his books “Cultivator Whip Cord” and “Ishara.” He highlighted the dangers of regressive taxation and the exploitation of proletarian labour, which only served to enrich the Zamindars and Peshwas. Despite their hard work, farmers received no benefits, as upper-caste bureaucrats purposefully ignored their complaints, and the government neglected the poor. Phule proposed several reforms for farmers, including rainwater preservation, cattle breeding, dissemination of scientific knowledge, and responsible use of resources such as cattle and timber to prevent wastage. He supported unions, collaborating with Narayan Lokhande, the father of trade unions, and condemned liquor addiction among workers.
Satyasodhak Samaj- This is known as the Truth Seeking Society for Dalits, Shudras, and Women, established on September 24, 1874, known for its efforts in removing caste and religious exploitation, as well as slavery. The society is based on principles of liberty, humanism, rational thinking, equality, and human wellbeing. It opposes idolatry, customs, the caste system, priests and their power, and emphasizes a universal rational religion. Jyotiba Phule proposed principles and wrote the Universal Religion of Truth, which promotes equality, human rights, rationalism, freedom, belief in one god, and rejects discrimination, feelings of inferiority towards others, superstitions, and religious scriptures.
Conclusion– As Christopher Hitchens mentioned, the inspiration for liberty and equality in the USA came from Thomas Paine, with Thomas Jefferson and other American founding fathers being influenced by him. Similarly, Jyotiba Phule is an inspiration for Modern India and paved the way for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, and others who furthered his reforms and contributed to the cognitive revolution of many Indians. Yuval Noah Harari, author of “Sapiens,” noted that while the USA gained independence in 1776, equality laws were not established until 1964. In contrast, India established its principles of equality and secularity in its very first year as a republic in 1950. Jyotiba Phule is regarded as the pioneer of Modern India’s social reform. Thus, Jyotiba is real Mahatma of India.
