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| First Woman Teacher Of India Mata SAVITRI BAI PHULE | | (On the Eve of her 185th Birthday Falling on 3rd January 2016) | | Hem Raj Phonsa
The first women known in the Indian history which lived and died for the social upliftment of down trodden was born on 3rd of January 1831 in Naya Ganj , Tehsil Khandala ,District Satara of Maharashtra. Her name was Savitribai. Her father's name was Khado Ji Nevse Patil. At the time of her birth , no body could realize that the small ray of light which had descended on the earth in the form of Savitribai shall become a torch bearer for many, who were suppressed, illiterate, ill fed , ill clothed and a lightening for suppressors, oppressors inflicting tyranny on millions of their own country and religion ,in the name of caste and sex.
At the tender age of 9 years in 1840, she was married to a great social revolutionary Jyotirao Phule, who was then only 13 years. The union of two small lights later emerged as a big Light House for millions of their fellow countrymen and pulled them out of their ignorance, illiteracy and ill treatment meted out to them by upper caste Hindus. They jointly taught the down trodden people of India to live with spine erect & with dignity
The Education to Savitribhai was imparted at home by her husband, who had passed his Secondary Education Examination in 1847 from Scottish Mission High School Poona, but had decided not to accept any job under the government. On reading Paine's famous book "The Rights of Man" revolutionized the young mind of Jyotirao Phule and he in turn influenced the tender mind of Savitribhai, who also took oath to help her husband for Social Revolution even at the cost of her life and comforts.
They jointly opened the very first Girl's School in 1848 against the vicious campaign launched by orthodox upper caste Hindus for such an act of the Phule couple, as education to girls was coded as unlawful in the laws of orthodox Hindus, although they claimed to possess the most knowledgeable books called "VEDAS" but practically treating Shudras & women worse than animals. No upper caste Hindu teacher came forward to teach in this newly opened Girl's School in which untouchables girls , besides other Hindu Girl's were also admitted. Therefore, Savitribai was appointed as Headmistress of this school on IST January 1848 by Jyotirao Phule. This school was run from the house of a Brahmin in Budhwara Peth, with majority of Brahmin girl students. The orthodox Brahmins raised a great hue & cry against carrying on women education including those of Shudra girls, which stood banned by the Hindu scripture. As soon as Savitribai came out from her house to go to school, people would throw on her cow dung and mud spoiling here dress, which she washed at the school and at her residence. But ill treatment meted out to her by upper caste Hindus did not deter her from her strong convictions and she carried on with the noble cause for the social change. She, instead , opened another school on 15th May 1848 in untouchable's colony and was run by her widowed sister -in-law (husband's sister) Smt. Suganabai. On this again the reactionaries, raised objections and threatened Govinda Rao (Jyotirao's father ) with dire consequences if he failed to dissociate himself from the activities of his son & daughter-in-law. So he asked the couple to leave his home as both of them refused to give up their missionary endeavor. Both shifted to a Muslim Mian Usman Sheikh's house. Smt. Fatima Sister of Mian Sheikh known as first Muslim women teacher of 18th century, who started educating Dalit children in this school opened by a Dalit couple. This was an extremely difficult task during those days of Brahmin domination in government and social circles, but Savitribai did it by dint of her courage, determination, intelligence and her commitment to the cause of Dalit upliftment by spread of Education and empowerment.
Jyotirao Phule blamed the British Government for spending profusely a large portion of the state revenue on the education of the higher castes, which resulted in monopoly of all higher offices under the
Government by the Brahmins. The dedicated couple wanted to break this monopoly so as to prepare the down trodden masses for struggle of having equal rights as human beings in their own motherland.
Then widow re-marriages were banned and the child marriages were very common among the Brahmins and other upper castes in the Hindu Society. Many women got windowed in their young age and not all of them could live in a manner in which orthodox people expected them to live. Some of the helpless widows resorted to abortion or left their illegitimate children to their fate by leaving them on the streets Out of pity for them Jyotirao Phule established on orphanage, possibly first such Institution funded by a Hindu. The Phule couple gave protection to pregnant widows and assured them that this orphanage would take care of their children and Savitribai Shouldered the responsibility of managing the orphanage. It was this orphanage where a Brahmin widow named Kashibai gave birth to a boy in 1873 and the Phule couple adopted new born as their son and heir giving him name as Yashuwant who was given education to become a doctor During 1876-77 famine she feed and cared about 200 children.
Savitribai was not only an educationist but a great philanthropist, social revolutionary, writer and poet. Perhaps she was the first Indian woman revolutionary who worked against all odds for the emancipation of week and downtrodden women & children. Her poetry book first published in 1854 was titled as "KABYE PHULE" In one of her poems she makes out that the British succeeded in establishing their rule in India due to denial of Educational opportunities by the Aryans to the original inhabitants of India. During various invasions the 85% of the population were made mute spectators when our motherland was occupied forcibly by the foreign invaders, for which nobody else but Brahmins were responsible. When she was told by her brother to follow the path shown by Bhats (Brahmins) she rebuked him by telling that she was following the just path being followed by her husband and she couldnot be blind follower of Brahmins like her brother. She also tauntingly said to him, "Go and love the cow and the goat and offer milk to snakes on Nagpanchmi,, even then the Brahmins shall turn you out of Puja Sathal branding you as untouchables. This shows her strong will power, when actually she was very piosed lady having her heart filled with love for all.
After the death of her husband in November 1890, she successfully managed for 7 years the affairs of "SATYA SHODAK-SAMAJ" established by her husband to look after the needs of unfortunate children.
During the spread of Cholera in Maharashtra in 1897 she opened a number of helping centers for all sufferers in rural and urban areas. She used to carry patients personally to the clinic of her son Yashuwant, who cured hundreds of them free of cost.
While carrying personally a cholera ridden Mahar boy to the clinic of her son and to get him admitted there, she got infected from the Mahar boy and she died of cholera on the 10th of March 1897.
We salute the iron lady who tried to strike and break the shackles of religious progeny, caste and dynasty to establish social order of Universal Brotherhood. She was first Indian women leader, who worked for the upliftment & dignity of women & children and was a staunch opponent of orthodox laws and Untouchability. She was mother to orphans and helpless and a teacher to illiterates and solace to ill & suffering masses. She deserved to be honored as "Mother of Women Education in India"
She is even now a source of inspiration for establishing a rule based on equality, justice and fraternity. Let us draw inspiration from her life& works and re-dedicate ourselves for the service of down trodden and Dalits besides those sections of society who are deprived of equal opportunities of life.
Reverend Mata Savitribai Phuley was the first woman in the Indian History who lived, worked & died for the sole aim of social upliftment of the downtrodden peoples. She was born to Shrimati & Sh. Khandoo Ji Nevse Patil on 3rd of January 1831 in N IndayaGam, Tehsil Khandala District Satara Maharastra. At the time of her birth no body could imagine that the small ray of light which has descended on the earth in the form of little child named Savitrybai shall one day become a torch bearer for many, who were suppressed, illiterates, ill fed, ill clothed and a lightening for suppressors, oppressors inflicting tyranny on millions of their countrymen in the name of religion, caste, sex but belonging to the same Hindu religion to which the suppressors belonged
At the tender age of 9 years in 1840 she was married to a great social revolutionary Joti rao Phule ( Awarded title of MAHATAMA on 19 May 1888 by Rao Bahadur Bandekar in a largely attended meeting which included Late Justice Ranaday, Dr. Bhandarkar, Tuka Ram Tatiya, Lackaday ,Dooley, Bholekar & many other ) ., who was then 13 years old.. The union of these two small lights later emerged as a big Light House for millions of their fellow men & pulled them out of their ignorance, illiteracy & ill treatment meted to them by the upper caste Hindus Viz. Brahmins.
The education to Savitry Bhai was imparted at home & her name was registered among the first six students in the first ever school opened in Pune for girls by Jotirao Phule on 1st January 1848. Jotirao Phule had passed his Secondary Examination in 1847 from Scotish Mission High School Poona, but had vowed not to accept any job under the government. The reading of Paine's famous book "The Rights of Men. "revolutionized the young mind of Jyotirao Phule& he in turn influenced the tender mind of Savitry Bhai, who also took oath to render full help to her husband in carrying on the Social Revolution even at the cost of her personnel life comforts . She carried this solemn promise through out her life.
So the couple opened the first ever Girls School in Poona in 1848 against the vicious campaign launched by Orthodox Upper Caste Hindus as education to women was an act against established Law of Hindus. The Brahmins claimed to possess the world's most knowledge treasurers as Vedas, but treated the low caste Hindus & women even worst than animals. The School was opened in the Havaily of Sh. Tatiya Sahib Bhindey, who was also a Brahmin& a social revolutionary as he even did not charge any rent for the school building. With a great difficulty & continues persuasions by Phule couple , only six girls got admission in the school which included four from Brahmins, one Maratha & one shepherd (Gadaria) castes. As no teacher from the Brahmins came to teach in this school, so a kind hearted Shrimati Sagunabai Kheersagar took the responsibility of running this school. Later on Savitribai Phule was appointed the first Headmistress of the school.
The great hue & cry raised by orthodox Hindus did not deter her from her set goal of imparting education to girls from all castes, although she had to change her sari three times, as orthodox Hindus would spoil her sari by throwing mud & animal dung on her way to school& back home. On falling to stop the Phule couple from running the school, the orthodox Hindus succeeded in influencing the Mali community elders to press Sh. Govindrao father of Jyotirao Phule to turnout his erring son from his house, if, Jyotirao does not close his school opened for girls or else he (Govindarao) shall be turned out of their caste.
This also did not effect the couple to fall in line with the orthodox peoples, so to carrying on with the Just Cause undertaken, Jyotirao Phule quitted his father's house.
Savitabai gladly accompanied her husband without any mark of distress on her face. They shifted to a Muslim Main- Usman- Sheikh's house, whose sister Shrimati Fatima became the first Muslim women teacher in 18 century in a school opened by Phule couple.
After successfully running the school against all odds, on 15 May , 1848 Savitribhai Phule opened another school in the colony of untouchables under the charge / management of Smt. Durganabhai, her sister in law ( Jyotirao's sister ). This was an extremely difficult task during those days of Brahmin domination in government & social circles. But the Phule couple remained steadfast as a rock to their committed task of educating Dalits & women due to their determination, intelligence& self made commitment to the cause of Dalit upliftment. In a period of four years the Phule couple opened 18 schools for educating the Dalits, for whom education was prohibited for centuries by the Orthodox Brahmins. On 21st March, 1852 Major Candy a school inspector while examining the students of school opened by Jyotirao Phule proclaimed with joy, "These students are even better than many reading in higher classes in Vishram Bagh High school. Their hand writing is good as well as their pronunciation."
Meanwhile Jyotirao Phule blamed the British Government for spending huge amount from state revenue on education of the Higher Castes, which resulted in monopoly of all higher offices under the government by the Brahmins. The dedicated couple wanted to break this Brahminical monopoly & to prepare the downtrodden to struggle of regain equal rights as humans in their motherland.
Besides propagating/ enforcing untouchability, opposing girl child education, child marriage , re -marring of widows, enforcing Devdasi system( giving away girl child to temple priests ), the Brahmins advocated Sati ( Burning alive of a widows with the dead bodies of their husbands). But the Phule couple opposed all these with tooth & nail.. As many women got widowed in their young age and some of them could not live in the manner established by orthodox Brahmins. Some of the delinquent widows resorted to abortion and left their illegitimate children on the streets at the mercy of God. Out of pity for them Jyotirao Phule established an orphanage for them , possibly the first such institution , to look after pregnant widows & care for their children. Savitribai Phule shouldered the responsibilities of management of this orphanage.
One day an expectant mother a Brahmin widow named Kashibai, who was living in the house of one Kesho Pant Sindhi, was trying to commit suicide. Jyotirao Phule noticed this & took her to his house. During pregnancy she was nourished well by Savitribai Phule. Kashibai gave birth to a boy in the orphanage.
The boy was named Yashowant; he was brought up with due love & affection by Phule couple, educated him as a doctor & later adopted him as their legitimate heir, as the Phule couple was childless. During the famine of 1876-77 Savitribai Phule fed & cared about 2000 children.
Savitribai Phule was not only an educationist, social revolutionary, a philanthropist, but a writer & poet. Her first poetry book titled as "KABYE PHULE" was published in 1854. In one of her poems she makes out that the British succeeded in establishing their rule in India by conspiring with Aryans in denying education opportunities to the original inhabitants of India She continues that during various invasions, we the 85% of the Indian population were made mute spectators, when our motherland was forcibly occupied by foreigners for which nobody else but Brahmins were responsible. She was perhaps first Indian women revolutionary who worked against all odds for the emancipation of weak, downtrodden, women, widows, Dalits, children etc.
Savitribai Phule was once suggested by her brother to follow the path shown by Bhats (Brahmins) , but she at once refuted this by saying that she follows the just path shown by her husband . She tauntingly said to her brother "Go and love the cow & goat and offer milk to snakes on Nagpanchmi; even then the Brahmins shall turn you out of Pooja Sathal, branding you as untouchable." This shown her strong will power & conviction, when she was actually very poised lady filled with love for all & hate for none. She supported her husband with all her might to see that he succeeds in works like re-marring of widows, girl child & dalit education, opening of village wells to all including untouchables, giving due share to Dalits in Govt services run through government revenue, organizing the workers & farmers against injustice , exploitation , establishment of SATYA SHODHIK SAMAJ & opposing child marriage, polygommy, opening wine shops, avoiding un-necessary wasteful expenditure on marriages, carrying on ceremonies for the deads etc.
After the death of her husband (on 28th November 1889 at 2.20 am) she successfully managed for seven years (1891-1897 ) the affairs of " SATYA SHODHIK SAMAJ ," established by her husband on 24th September 1873 , to look after effectively the needs of unfortunate Shudras , Ati Shudras & to unite them to fight against their exploitation by the Brahmins.
In 1897 cholera spread in Maharastra & she opened a number of helping centers for the sufferers in urban & rural areas. She carried personally cholera patients to the clinic of her foster son Yashowant, who cured hundreds of them free of cost. While carrying a cholera suffering Mahar boy to her son's clinic she got effected by the deadly disease & she died of cholera on 10th of March 1897, despite all efforts put by her son Doctor Yashowant.
We salute Mata Savitribai Phule, the iron lady ,first ever women social reformer, who striked hard to break the sickles of religious progeny, caste, dynasty to establish social order based on principle of
Humanity & Universal Brotherhood. She was the first Indian woman leader who worked for the upliftment& dignity of women & children. She was staunch opponent of orthodox laws, superstition & untouchability. She was mother to helpless orphans, teacher to illiterates, balm to wounded & solace to ill, weak & suffering masses.
She is even now a source of inspiration for establishing society based on equality, justice,& fraternity Let us draw inspirations from works of Mata Savitribai Phule to rededicate ourselves for the service of weak, oppressed, downtroddens, Dalits & all those sections of our society who are deprived of equal opportunities in life, based on the orthodox principles of caste, creed, sex, colour , religion ,economic status place of birth etc. The true reverence to Mata Savitribai Phule shall to help continue burning the torch of light ignited by her during her life time. |
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