--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mata savitribai
Phuley and Indian Women Education . Enlarged and updated
(Remembering
The First Woman Educationist Of India on her on her 189th Birth Day
Falling on 3-1-2019)
Indian
cultural history boasts of having
females as goddesses, saints, warriors and poets. In the modern times we may boast about being
the largest democracy in the world and likely hood of being a worldly super power
in near future. But the truth is that female oppression is distinctively
visible in India till this day, Woman may come from any caste but her place in the social
hierocracy is still low as compared with their male counterparts. Constitution
and Highest law court of the land might say anything but in practice rule of
religious codes and priests reign high. The
women belonging to the lower strata and low caste are doubly disadvantaged for one
being a woman and second belonging to disadvantaged castes. Women belonging to
the lower class face problems and discrimination due to high percentage of
illiteracy among the people and also due to the very orthodox religion that
they follow. The discrimination faced by these women is mainly the effect of
unjust ancient laws and customs passed down from generation to generation. Due
to the lack of education among the lower castes, these unjust laws and customs
were/ are never challenged but widely accepted. One of the evil practices even
followed secretly despite declaring it a punishable crime is female foeticide.
Female infants were killed in womb and not allowed to see sun light. It is believed that girls are a liability for
the family. They would cost the family money in the end because of dowry
demands. Likewise, the family may feel that they are only rearing girls for
someone else, as the girls will eventually become part of the groom's household
forgetting that some else’s girl will be
their bride.
A woman is not fit to be independence so said
Manusmiriti (9:3).
Education to untouchables and all women in
Hindu religion was denied or banned. Lack of education in women and untouchable ( now called Dalits )made room to other suppressive controls like
untouchability,ignoring right to own property, right to protect one’s property
,sati, Deva-dasse, dowery, foeticide, life of dignity, slavery, atrocities, and
such like inhuman treatment to majority of population by upper caste Hindus
particularly Prohit or Brahmin Caste. Only
the upper caste and caste supported rules
roasted the cake for themselves only. India lost its freedom for centuries as
only a microscopic minority male khashtriyas( about 6% of total
population) were assigned the job of the defense of the country. Only a hand full
invaders came looted India , killed many
and ran away with heavy booty including our women folk. With the establishment of the British East India
Company Rule, it paid no heed towards
education in India till 1813. In 1813, for the first time, the Company arranged
some funds for promoting education in India. The medium of education was
English. By the year 1855, there were only 1474 educational institutions that
were run or aided by the government for the population of 200 million. Only
67,569 student were getting education from these intuitions. Since majority
teachers in these schools were Brahmins, they refused to educate the Dalit and
women students even in the govt. aided
schools .Even upper caste parents disapproved their wards getting education in
Institutions where Dalit students were
admitted. There were about 1628
Christian missionary schools with about 64,000 students in them. Since the
Wood’s Dispatch of 1854 by 1882, the government took some important steps for
higher education, but primary education was almost neglected. In the economical
year of 1881-82, out of 70,00,000 rupees spent by government on education, only
16,77,000 were spent on primary education. With this unfortunate background it
was extremely difficult to think of educating women and Dalits.
Bravo to a golden hearted first women
known in the Indian history who lived and died for the social upliftment of
down trodden including socially most
hated and exploited creature “Woman” .
Her name was Savitribai who was born on 3rd of January 1831 in Naya Ganj , Tehsil
Khandala ,District Satara of Maharashtra. Her father’s name was Khado Ji Nevse
Patil . At the time of her birth, nobody 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 and oppressors inflicting tyranny in the name
of caste and sex, on millions belonging to their own country and religion . At the tender age of 9 years in 1840,
she was married to a great social revolutionary Jyotirao Phule, who was then 13
years old. So Savitribai obtained her
new name as Savitribai Phuley.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 in the name of religion. They jointly fought for the down trodden people of India to live
with dignity keeping spine erect. Jyotirao Phule, later affectionately called Mahatma
Jyotirao Phule proclaimed that ILLITERACY THE ILL OF ALL ILLS CAUSES LACK OF
INTELLECT, WHICH IN TURN CAUSES LACK OF MORAL, WHICH RESULTS IN STAGNATION,
PROMOTING FURTHER LOSS OF RICHES AND FORTUNE WHICH CAUSED FALL OF SHUDRAS. So
ban of education to Shudras and women in Brahminical literature caused their
all round degradation, so he gave preference to impart education to Shudras and
women for their over all upliftment. 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 and 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 on 1st January, 1848
against the vicious campaign launched by orthodox upper caste Hindus for such
an act of the Phule couple. Education to Shudras and girls( Girls from all
castes) 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 2
untouchables girls, besides4 Hindu Girl’s were admitted. Therefore, Savitribai
was appointed as Headmistress of this school on I st January 1848 by
Jyotirao Phule. This school was run from the house of a Brahmin in Budhwara
Peth, with majority of 4 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 religious norms. 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 on return. However 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 it 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 Govinda Rao 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 19th
century, started educating Dalit
children in this school. 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 and woman upliftment
through spread of Education She
thought this to be the only road to their 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. On the insistence of Jyotirao Phule ,Lord Rippon appointed an
education commission under the chairmanship of William Hunter. Sir Charls Wood the President of the Board of Control of the English
East India Company, had an important effect on spreading English learning and
female education in India .When in 1854 he sent a dispatch to Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor-General
of India. Wood suggested
that primary schools must adopt vernacular languages, high schools must adopt
Anglo vernacular language and on college level English medium for education.
This is known as Wood's despatch. Vocational and women's education were
stressed upon. One of the most favourable step taken by the british for well
being of Indian orthodox society. Besides other things Woods impressed that at
least one government
school be opened in every District
and the
government should always support education for women.
This
happened for the first time in India to pave way for Education to all. This commission reiterated the key points of
the Wood’s Dispatch, though it suggested paying more attention of primary
education and education to backward classes. This memorial document to Hunter Commission by Mahatma Phule was a
document of immense importance to understand the educational developments in
Modern India. In this document, Phule argues that the theory adopted by
government that education should go down from the upper classes of society to
the masses is nothing but a “utopian” idea. He further goes on to ask for a
single example of the truth of this theory. To quote him, the higher classes
have “kept their knowledge to themselves, as a personal gift, not be soiled by
contact of the ignorant vulgar.” He claims that the educational system has
become a monopoly of the higher classes and “if the welfare of the Ryot is at
heart, it is the duty of the Government
to check a host of abuses, it behooves them to narrow this monopoly day by day
so as to allow spouting of the other castes to get into the public services.”
Mahatama Phuley made strong demand in memorandum submitted to Hunter Commission
in 1882 for free & compulsory education to all. This plea was later accepted
on the instance of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and he even incorporated this ideal in the
Constitution of Free India as the “The father of Indian Constitution”.
Widow re-marriage was banned then
and the child marriages were very common among the Hindus including Brahmins. Many Hindu widows resorted to Sati (burning of
the bride with the dead body of their husbands) in full public view .The
efforts of good hearted Raja Ram Mohan Rai ( 1774-1833) had failed to make any
dent on the mind of orthodox Hindus
to stop this inhuman treatment to
helpless women and child.. 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 especially when in majority their youth was exploited by
their family and relatives males . 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 Phule Couple established on orphanage, possibly
first such Institution founded and funded by a Hindu ( Phuley Couple was a
Hindu couple belonging to Saini sub caste now OBC in many states of India). The
Phule couple gave protection to pregnant widows and assured them that this
orphanage would take care of their children and Savitribai Phule Shouldered the
responsibility of managing the orphanage. It was in this orphanage where a
Brahmin young but helpless widow named Kashi Bai gave birth to a boy in 1873
and the Phule couple adopted new born as their son and heir giving him name as
Yashuwant. Yashuwant was imparted education by Phuley Couple to become a
qualified doctor. During 1876-77 famine Savitribai Phuley fed and cared about
200 children with the help of her doctor son free of cost. She was a great
source of strength to her husband.
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 Dalits, week , 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 94% of the
population was made mute spectator as non but Khatriyas only were authorized to
keep arms for their personal and country
defense .. When their motherland was occupied forcibly by the foreign invaders,
for which nobody else but Brahmins and caste system were responsible.
When Savitribai Phuley 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 could not 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 conviction and will power, when actually she was very poised
lady having her heart filled with love for all.After the death of her husband
in November 1890, she successfully managed for seven 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 Cholera 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 worked hard to 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 including Untouchability.
She was mother to helpless orphans, a teacher to illiterates and solace to ill
and suffering masses. She deserved to be honored as “Mother of Women Education
in India” other women who lent helping hand to
savitribai Phuley were Pandita Ramabai, a Brahmin woman. Panditia
Ramabai who was leading advocate for the rights and welfare for the women in
India; Tarabai Shinde, the non-Brahmin author of a
fiery tract on gender inequality which was largely ignored at the time but has
recently become well-known; and Muktabai, a fourteen-year-old pupil in Phule's
school, whose essay on the social oppression of the Mang
and Mahar castes is also now famous.
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. The
earlier the trend of determining dignity of a person on his/her sex is changed to follow constitutional rule the
better will be for the well being of
India including Indian women.
Words:-2745
Dated:- 17-12-2019
Er. HEM RAJ PHONSA
Retd. Executive Engineer
References:-
(i)
The Nagmay Sanskriti Ujjain
(MP) Dated 8-7-1997.
(ii)
Slavery By Mahatma Jotirao Phule (Vol I) Translated by Prof.P.G. Patil
Education Deptt. Govt of Maharastra Bombay 1991
iii)Jotibha Phule (Hindi) By Durga
Prasad Shukal NCERT April 1991
iv) Dr Ambedkar & His
Mission By Danajay Keer
v) Shoshit Samaj Ke Krantikari Pravertak (
Hindi) by C.S. Bhandari Publishars: Samyak Prakashan 32/3 Club Road Pashim Puri N Delhi
