Phule’s 188th birth anniversary mother of feminism who cared for upliftment of Dalits
New Delhi , Dec 03 (HS): Today is the 189th birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to her on this occasion. PM Modi saluted her for what she did for education, women empowerment. Savitribai Phule was born into a Dalit family, but her goal was to ensure that no one is discriminated against and everyone gets an opportunity to pursue education.
Savitribai Phule was India’s first female teacher, poet, a social worker whose goal was to educate girls. Savitribai was born on 3 January 1831 in a Dalit family in Maharashtra. At the age of just nine, she was married to the revolutionary Jyotiba Phule, at that time Jyotiba Phule was only 13 years old.
In 19th century, there were evils in the society such as untouchability ,Sati ,child marriage. Savitribai’s life was very difficult. Working for the upliftment of Dalit women, raising voice against untouchability, she also faced opposition from a large section. When she went to school, her opponents would stone her. Many times dirt was thrown at her. to humiliate her .Savitribai used to carry a sari in her bag and after reaching school changed the soiled sari. 160 years ago.
when girls ‘education was considered a curse, she started a new initiative across the country by opening the first girls’ school in Maharashtra’s cultural capital Pune.
As her husband was a revolutionary and a social worker, Savitribai also dedicated her life and started serving others. Along with her husband, she opened 18 schools for girls, going on to become India’s first woman teacher and headmistress. Both her first and 18th schools came up in Maharashtra’s Pune. In her honor, the University of Pune was renamed as Savitribai Phule University in 2014.
On 28 January 1853, she established a child rehabilitation centre and performed a widow remarriage . She pioneered the cause of women and after the death of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule in 1890, Savitribai choose to complete his unfinished tasks of her late husband, Savitribai died on 10 March 1897 while serving poor affected by plague.
