was tee first social organization teat reached villages and spread
them with new thoughts, new ideals of human dignity, social equality
and workers, so that they might assiniliate his rational ideals and
bring them into effect, he knew well that the upper castes, especially
intolerant and that the conservatives would not easily give up their
not been organized they could not expect to get any political rights.
oriented ideology.
under which the Brahmin priests fleeced them, to teach them their
human rights, and to liberate them from mental and religious slavery.
Much later, after the death of the founder of the Samaj, the goal
was summarized as: (a) all men are the children of one God, who
and castes including Brahmins, Mahars, Mangs etc., and even Jews
upon the Satyashodhak Samaj for some time. However, while receiving
for Jotiba Phule and his organization and he also decided to revive
124
4
the activities of Satyashodhak Samaj.
usedto know from them tilings about time necessity and usefulness
and the royal family. At this juncture Shri Bhaskarrao Jadhav pains-
takingly culled out rare references from various standard Hindu
was somehow carried on though it had lost its momentum. Dr. Santuji
Poona and other places used to attend it. In Vidarbha region its
was also done through Kirtans by Shri Ghanshyam Bhosale and Dabhade-
far is due to the efforts of His Highness and they are all anxiously
n
looking to him for help".
of Satyashodhak Sarnaj with the help of Shri A.B. Latthe and Shri
Jadhav with the help of Annasaheb Latthe and the late Dongare revived
the Satyashodhak movement with the faith that only the philosophy
10
of Satyashodhak Samaj would be useful to the non-Brahmins."
received help from the Malawe brothers of Chikodi, Shri P.S. Shinde
any substantial reason for such change. He was against any change
so strong that all over Maharashtra its workers were filled with
16
enthusiasm. They met thereafter in annual conferences".
third one at Thana in 1913, toe fourth at Saswad in 1914, toe fifth
at Adgaon in 1917, toe eighth in 1918 at Akola and toe nineth ats
tion was passed at this conlurence that the members of the Sainaj
coming from every district of Maharashu a and passed off very well.
his address remarked that the Samaj had been in existence for
require the services of the Brahmins. He also said that the Samaj
should work for the education of the people and that in political
was passed wi ,hing the government success in the War and other
were aimed at toe priestly influence of the Brahmins and were not
M . 23
anti-government.
he stated,
of the Samaj was held till- 1940. It was probably because majority
of the peasant masses had started taking active interest in the elections
was held at Bombay. Shri Keshavrao Vichare presided over it. Shri
134
Bhaskarrao Jadhav had tried with the help of Shri Babaji Mahadhat
was held at Kolhapur. At that time Shri Jadhav was pretty old and
i.e., on 26 June 1950, this great doyen and champion of the Satya-
Propaganda Meetings:
lecture he rediculed the idea that Brahmins, their Mantras and mock
to all. He also stated that they need no longer consider them selves
31
as backward classes or inferior to Brahmins.
File reports,
people. In his two and a half hour long presidential speech Shri
Gamaj and also suggested several ways and means for its spread. 35
meeting Shri Bhaskarrao Jadhav and his colleagues settled the various
local disputes and established amity and unity among the non-Brahmins
of Mahuli.
Other Meetings:
presided over it. Shri Jadhav expressed his views on the Satyashodhak
Samaj. In his talk hestated: "Our .people ... do not know the
the people with it ... the Satyashodhak Samaj has been established
to find out the truth".38
Satyashodhak Samaj. 40
the task they found a big communication gap between the elites and
wrote that the Samaj was making great headway in Kolhapur State
waited on Chhatrapati Shahu and informed him that they were prepared
his influence to stop the Samaj activities in his state. His Highness
Kolhapur without the aid of the Brahmins and that this movement
School. Students from all parts of Maharashtra and even from Baroda
very much useful to the students and the followers of the Samaj.
the original Sanskrit sources and also their meanings and summaries
pressure upon the villagers and asked them not to become members
and some of them lost tiie.fr jobs for the Brahmins happened to be
and with procuring new animals for the paddock, he had also raised
of February 14, 1914, somebody tarred the busts of King Edward VII
and Queen Alexandra in Kolhapur when the police guards were asleep.
The real culprits were not found. Immediately after the tar-incident
tiie two factions in Kolhapur Darbar were stirred. The one that
this affair. So, the first effect of the tar-incident upon the Satyashodhak
Samaj was that its leaders A.B. Latlhe, Bhaskarrao Jadhav and
They declared that they would not associate themselves with the
work of the Samaj. For some time there was a lull in their activities.
However, it did not mean that they had permanently severed their
filak worked for the Brahmins and also added that non-Brahmins
added that Rs. 25,000 would be required for the purpose and that
Installation of Kshatrajagadguru:
Shahu did the obeisance most solemnly and others like A.B. Latthe,
asked him to leave the Darbar. He did so instantly. After the Darbar
of Satyashodhak Samaj.
toe permanent president of toe society wMch was helping the backward
social, cultural and religious. After Baburao Jagtap read the annual
denied toe authority of SMvaji and added that none need show any
145
regard at all for Shivaji. Upon this the meeting lost its peace and
decorum and they hauled Cole down. Kashinath Thakoji Jadhav and
several men like Kalhhor and Baburao Jedhe were badly injured.
others under Sections 123 and 147 of the Indian Penal Code for
persons and ruled that a ruling prince was not within the jurisdictions
V.R. Shinde had argued at the meeting was historically true. They
opined that the ruler of a state had the sole power to settle even
the Satyashodhak Samaj. During the period between 1917 and 1920
Work as a Pleader:
of transport were very limited. The motor service was very rare
and available only in a few taluka places. For the purpose of political
villages and taluka places of tide district. He did it with the help
when tiie Prasad was being distributed to toe Brahmin and toe non-
149
from which the Prasad was cooked came from the non-Brahmins,
they were not allowed to sit with the Brahmin devotees. Hence the
article he pointed out that the inquiry constituted to look into the
and suggested that tne Brahmins and the non-Brahmins should make
Non-Cooperation Movement:
tional methods and not in violating laws. In this cosntext Shri Jadhav
in Poona and for this purpose provision of Rs. 20,000 being made. A
debate went on over this motion for some weeks, however it could
In this context the editor of The Time a of India also wrote an article
entitled, 1 The Phuley Fiasco ' and asked Shri Bliaskarrao Jadhav
Not only this, but the paper also shrewdly wrote an article which
note to the editor of this leading daily. However, itdid not publish
it. His explanation was not about Shri Jedhe but about the perverted
writings in Majoor. The Bombay chronicle also tried to hold Shri Jadhav
152
responsible for the writings in Majoor. Shri Jahav had regard for
opined,
the villages of this district. In this context Shri P.P. Gokhale observed:
but the other non-Marathas too. In this context he himself has stated,
working for the backward people. It was never and is not his parochial
155
70
outlook to do the welfare only of the Maratha society.
Newspaper Ar Sides:
in 1927.
Satyashodhak movement. 76
on a large scale. It was also mentioned there that the date anc
Propaganda Tours:
Jedhe and Shri Javalkar. In April 1927 the trio - Jadhav, Jedhi
82
and Javalkar - collectively toured Maharashtra. As an effect of thei
and learnt lathi exercises; but it could not be said that heads o
Samaj had become more apparent in Satara then in any other district
Shri Jadhav had deep regards for the life and work ol
be held to
propagate the philosophy of the
86
Samaj among the people.
Phule. However, the department could not provide him the relevan
and Shri Keshavrao Jedhr-. sari Jadhav prod’. ! over the inaugura
. «, ary. 89
Samaj. The idea came into reality in 1928 with the beginning (
the Executive Council of the Samaj was constituted for the nex
ed the post
of president of Satyashodhak Samaj and handed it ovei
to Shri Mukundrao Patil. 92 thus, for a long period he shoulderet
he stated,
rao Jadhav and his associates could not accomplish the task.
towards Shri Bhaskarrao Jadhav and Shri Mukundrao Patil for theii
long services to the Samaj was also adopted. This resolution No.
a race. It was due to his efforts that the Bombay Provincial Government
Kunabi, (4) Kunbis of Central India and Warhad, (5) Gosavi, (6J
Gurav, (7) Jandedhanagar, (8) Kokani Kunabi, (9) Kumbhar, (10) Koli,
(11) Mali, (12) Mavali, (13) Lamani, (14) Gavali, (15) Koshti,
(16) Lohar, (17) Prabhu, (18) Shimpi, (19) Suryawanshi, (20) Sutar,
(21) Sali, (22) Tamboli, (23) Ihakur, (24) Wyapari Vanjari, (25) Sonar,
(26) Agari, (27) Mumbai Telgu, (28) Dhanagar, (29) Gabit, (30) Kasar,
(31) Hitawade, (32) Lingayat, (33) Lodhi, (34) Teli, (35) Nhavi,
165
96
(36) Rajput, (37) Kumarpant, and (38) Devali.
of the word Maratha, then in the near future Shri Bhaskarrao Jadha
was not a caste and the politics done in its interest would be ephemera
Sir Strafford Cripps and get the separate constituency for (he Marathas
Satyashodhak Jalasas:
Dr, A.V. Mathew wrote, "The 'Tamasha' or Jalsa has been a time
Jadhav and Sir R.V. Sabnis gave a new form to Tamasha whici
Jalasa Va Tyanche Karya' K.B. Babar wrote, "The main work expecte
faced by the society. They dealt with the spread of education, dominatio
bad effects of dowry, the touts between the god and the devotees
(marriage between old bridegroom and quite young girl), the Hindu
lectures as the effect of one Jalasa on the people was more tha;
from it and turned tamasha into a Jalasa. Due to his efforts Satyashodha
upon the tamasha and its artists. They had prejudices against boti
the effective means of the Jalasa into their own hands to maki
the Jalasa activity. By doing this Shri Jadhav proved that the foil-
of Ward wadi were from the Poona district; Dhanda Patil of Nasik
and Ganapatrao Data More were from Nasik district; Baburao Ghatage,
two in the districts of Nasik and Sholapur, and one each in Poona,
of Jalasas in Kolhapur.
accepted for jalasa. The Jalasa had also accepted Gana, Goulana,
Lawani, Vaga etc., from Tamasha. It had also accepted male and
The jalasa was imbued with the idea of constructive social reforma
books on jalasas people could see and even read them. Books such
They also played the role of a guiding lamp which exposed to them
171
104
those things which tried to trample down their human values.
has been purposely written for the jalasa. It has been written in
peasant class".
Path, observed,
the non-Brahmins.
and decried them with the object of destroying their religious influence
114
among the Hindus.
174
lias been marvellous. The then jalasas have laid down the foundation
11
of the revolution of present times."
poetic style. They tore up fee deceptive masks of fee orthodox oppressors.
They made the common toiling people aware of their degrading social
position and natural rights and also quickened among them sense
of self-respect.
removed the inertia of the rural masses and sowed into their minds
his long stay in Delhi, the activities of the Satyashodhak Samaj regarding
Evaluation:
tried to preserve and conserve truth and weed out injustice from
the society.
different.
could not be solved. He had his own views about the transformation.
Hence Dr. Y.D. Phadake has observed that Shri Bhaskarrao Jadhav
118
gave a new turn to the Satyashodhak Samaj.
the movement, one of the staunch workers of the Samaj from Satara
Advocate R.G. Rane has stated,
Bhaskarrao Jadhav in his welcomes speech at the 15th All India Satya-
stated,
and that way to weed out their outdated beliefs and prejudices.
And in this respect Shri Bhaskarrao Jadhav did herculean task.
179
Evaluation of Work:
agitator he ably led the movement till 1930 and gave to it much
4 Ibid., p. 39.
5 Idem.
Preface, p. 29).
p. 290.
pp. 143-44.
22 Ibid., p. 12.
23 Ibid., p. 13.
1940, p. I.
27 Ibid., p. 2.
28 Ibid., p. 3.
32 Ibid, p.1.4
33 Idem.
34 Idem.
182
40 Ibid., p. 40.
pp. 14-15.
64 Idem.
70 Mem.
p. 33.
1940, p. 4.
96 Muinbai Prantik Yudhasamitichya Pahilya Sabhecha AhwaL,
7 October, 1941.
p. 479.
104 Idem.
pp. 13-14.
p. 5.