On this day, 1 January, in 1848, Mahatama Jotiba Phule and Savritimai Phule, started their first school at Bhindewada in Pune. On that day, thousand year old Brahminical Hegemony over education was crushed. On that day Mahatama Phule couple sowed the seeds of education for Shudras, Ati-Shudras (SC/ST/OBCs) and Women, which covers more than 90% of population.
In no time, Phule couple’s education movement raised and spread widely. By 1851, three years later, they were running three schools and later two educational trust promoting education for Women and Depressed and Backward classes. Schools opened by Phule couple rejected traditional brahminical education of Shastras and Vedas and replaced it with Science, mathematics and social studies.
Mahatma Phule couple’s sole aim was to form a truth seeking society (Satya Shodhak Samaj). Which could only be formed foremostly by education. They believed that once oppressed masses gets education and seeks truth, they can fight for their rights and justice—Independently
“Go, Get Education
Be self-reliant, be industrious
Work-gather wisdom and riches.
All gets lost without knowledge
We become animal without wisdom,
Sit idle no more, go, get education
End misery of the oppressed and forsaken,
You’ve got a golden chance to learn
So learn and break the chains of caste.
Throw away the Brahman’s scriptures fast.res fast.”
– Savitrimai phule
“Lack of education leads to lack of wisdom. which leads to lack of morals. which leads to lack of progress. which leads to lack of money. which leads to the oppression of the lower classes. See what state of the society one lack of education can phule!”
Jotiba phule
Ritesh jyotii is BA mass media student and is active on social media as riteshjyotii
