Speaking to reporters at Phule Wada in Pune on the occasion of Mahatma Phule’s birth anniversary, Udayanraje Bhosale, who hails from the royal Satara lineage and is a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, made the controversial claim while paying tribute to the social reformer's legacy
Udayanraje Bhosale. File pic
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Udayanraje Bhosale has stirred a debate after stating that it was Satara ruler Pratapsinh Bhosale who established the first school for women in India, and that social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule followed in his footsteps in advocating women’s education.
Speaking to reporters at Phule Wada in Pune on the occasion of Mahatma Phule’s birth anniversary, Bhosale, who hails from the royal Satara lineage and is a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, made the controversial claim while paying tribute to Phule’s legacy.
“If you examine it closely, Mahatma Phule embodied the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, particularly in promoting communal harmony and social equality. He was a forward-thinker and economist who dedicated his entire wealth to the upliftment of society,” Bhosale said, according to PTI.
He went on to assert that Thorale (senior) Pratapsinh Bhosale had set up a women’s school within his palace in Satara, long before Mahatma Phule’s widely acknowledged initiative. “From one viewpoint, Mahatma Phule emulated Pratapsinh Bhosale in promoting education for women,” he stated.
Udayanraje Bhosale further claimed that even Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, had received his primary education at the same palace in Satara.
His remarks drew swift criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Congress, who accused him of “distorting history”.
Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal condemned the statement, calling it “mischievous” and misleading. “It is unfortunate that attempts are being made to rewrite history. The contributions of Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule to the cause of women’s education are monumental and well-recorded. It was Jyotiba Phule who even rediscovered Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s samadhi at Raigad Fort, at a time when it was deliberately being concealed,” Sapkal told reporters, according to news agency PTI.
Mahatma Jyotirao Phule was a renowned Indian social activist, reformer, and writer from Maharashtra. Born on April 11, 1827, in Satara, Maharashtra, he's best known for his tireless efforts to eradicate the caste system, promote women's education, and empower the oppressed.
He along with his followers, formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (Society of Seekers of Truth) to attain equal rights for peasants and people from lower castes.
Phule is regarded as an important figure in Maharashtra's social reform movement. He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India.
(With inputs from PTI)
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