200th birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule
▪ Prime Minister of India announced a year-long series of events to mark the 200th birth anniversary of Jyotiba Phule, celebrating his legacy in social reform, women’s empowerment, and caste equality.
▪ Jyotirao Govindrao Phule was born on 11 April 1827 in Satara, now in Maharashtra.
Contributions in Social Reform & Freedom Movement:
▪ Women’s Education Pioneer
✓ Opened India’s first school for girls (1848) in Pune.
✓ Educated his wife, Savitribai Phule, who became India’s first female teacher.
▪ Caste Equality Champion
✓ Founded Satyashodhak Samaj (1873) to promote social justice, oppose Brahmanical dominance, and unite oppressed communities.
✓ Opened his well to all castes, symbolising social inclusivity.
▪ Abolition of Social Evils
✓ Opposed child marriage and supported widow remarriage.
✓ Established shelters for widows and orphaned children.
▪ Advocate of Rights through Literature
✓ Authored Gulamgiri (Slavery, 1873) drawing parallels between caste oppression in India and racial slavery in America.
▪ Influence on Later Leaders
✓ Inspired B.R. Ambedkar and several anti-caste and social justice movements in India.
Sri Aurobindo
▪ Prime Minister of India paid tribute to Sri Aurobindo on his birth anniversary (15 August 1872), highlighting his role as a philosopher, spiritual leader, and freedom fighter who linked nation-building with spiritual evolution.
▪ Contribution to Freedom Movement:
✓ Radical Nationalism – First Indian leader to demand complete independence through his paper Bande Mataram.
✓ Revolutionary Role – Member of Anushilan Samiti and involved in armed resistance against
British rule.
✓ Alipore Bomb Case (1908) – Arrested but acquitted and transformed spiritually during
imprisonment.
✓ Advocated direct action over moderate politics.
▪ Literary Contributions:
✓ Philosophical Works – The Life Divine, the Synthesis of Yoga, Essays on the Gita.
✓ Poetry and Epics – Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol.
✓ Political and Cultural Writings – The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity.
