Social Reformers And Their Contrubution.docx

REVOLUTIONARIES OF INDIAN FREEDOM AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION Any society consists of diverse and different types of persons; persons with different religions, different castes, different colors, different gender and different faiths etc. And it is expected that they all should live in harmony and without discrimination; ideal situation is when there is equality, freedom and brotherhood among all sections of society. However, human society all over the world shows that various types of exploitative practices are prevalent there; these practices originated due to human greed for power, authority and superiority; such as so-called higher caste people would exploit so-called lower caste persons; a white would exploit a black; males would like to dominate females; believer of one religion would downgrade other religions etc. These discriminatory and exploitative practices take the form of social evils in the long run and become a scar on the face of any civilized society. Every country, in its history, has had numerous bright individuals who would live and work for the progress and upliftment of the downtrodden persons in the society; and due to their efforts, it became possible to abolish several extreme social evils such as racism, sati pratha etc. In this Article we will study the life and works of various great social reformers of India; alongside we will also try to understand what is a social evil is; its causes and who is a social reformer etc. Social reformer Who is a social reformer? A person who is concerned about the humanity and mankind above anything else; a person who wants to change the existing state of things for the better; a person who has an enlightened thought process; a person who cannot stand the sufferings of the weaker section of people; and above all a person who believes in the duty bestowed upon him to leave the earth behind him as a better place than it was. In fact a social reformer is an ordinary human being who wants to serve the cause of humanity in extraordinary ways. India is fortunate to have, in its long history, many extraordinary human beings who devoted all their lives for the betterment of the society and for the upliftment of the downtrodden. A few among them are: Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Anne Besant, Mother Teresa, Vinoba Behave etc. We

will look into the life and works of these extraordinary men and women and will appreciate their efforts in the making of today’s India. Social Reformers of India

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

Raja Ram Mohan Roy

At the beginning of 19th century, India was plagued by various social evils such as Sati pratha, Caste system, Religious superstitions etc. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was the first person who recognized these inhuman practices and decided to fight against the same. He is considered as the architect of Indian Renaissance and father of modern India. Ram Mohan Roy was born on 22 May 1772 in Radhanagar, Hugli district of Bengal. His father was Ramakant Roy and mother Trivani Devi; father was at a very good position in the court of the then Nawab of Bengal. He got his education at Patna and Varanasi. He also worked in the East India Company from 1803 to 1814. Belonging to a traditional Brahmin family, Roy was married off at a very young age and before attaining the age of ten he was married trice. He died of meningitis in Bristol, England on 27 September, 1833. Work and Reforms: Raja Ram Mohan Roy was very open minded and was of very questioning brains. He was very much influenced by western progressive thoughts. He was also well versed in the

teachings of various religions. He was influenced by monotheism of Islam, Mysticism of Sufi philosophy, Ethics and morals of Christianity and Vedanta philosophy of Upanishad. His main focus was towards the evils which had surrounded the Hindu society of the times, such as: 

He criticized idol worship of Hindus and tried to prove his point through the verses of Vedas.

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But the main contribution for which Raja Ram Mohan Roy is still remembered was his relentless efforts in abolishing the practice of Sati Pratha. Ram Mohan Roy got involved in fighting against it when his elder brother died and his sisterin-law was made a Sati. He began a movement to abolish this barbaric custom and for that purpose he persuaded the British Government to pass an Act abolishing Sati Pratha; the Bengal Sati Regulation Act, 1829 was passed by Lord William Bentinck, the then Governor General of Bengal.

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On August 20, 1828, Raja Ram Mohan Roy established the Brahma Samaj, which later became the Brahmo Samaj, an organization and a movement with the objectives of promoting monotheism, criticizing idol worshiping; opposing wide spread Brahmanism and uplifting the pitiful condition of women etc. Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda Vivekananda, born to Vishwanath Datta and Bhuveneshwari Devi in Calcutta on 12 January 1863 was an extraordinary man. His childhood name was Narendranath Dutta. From early childhood Narendra was a very bright student; his memory and reading capabilities were exceptional; Narendra was a voracious reader.

A brilliant student, he was interested in wide range of subjects such as philosophy, Biology, Art, Culture, Music, Social studies etc. Especially he was interested in philosophy and religious texts; he keenly read the works of western philosophers and thinkers such as Kant, Hegal, John Stuart Mill, Auguste Comte, Spenoza, Herbert Spencer and Charles Darwin etc. He was also well-versed with all philosophical and religious texts of Hinduism be it Upanishads, Vedas or Ramayana and Mahabharata. All these readings made him a very inquisitive person. His quest for truth and knowledge took him to Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa and Narendranath transformed into Vivekananda. Social Reforms: Though Vivekananda had not initiated any particular social reform but his speeches and writings were full of messages against all kinds of social and religious evils. 

His main focus was on removing the weakness of India’s youth of the time, both physical as well as mental. And to gain strength he suggested physical exercise or attaining of knowledge. For him strength is life and weakness is death; for all the problems of India whether social or political the solution is self-respect in India’s culture and philosophy.

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He was against religious dogmas and superstitions; in his speeches and lectures he continuously argued against prevailing social evils.He was more confident about women’s ability to change the fortune of India; he proclaimed that with the help of 50 women he can transform India into a modern forward looking nation.

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However his real contribution to India was to revive the true meaning of Hinduism; he propagated the real philosophy and culture of India to the world at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893; through his lectures and speeches all over the world proved that Hindu religion is no inferior to anyone; at

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He inculcated, in the youth of the country, a sense of proud and worth so that they could face the world with confidence.

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He was fiercely against any kind of social evil perpetuated by religious logic and dogmas and was of the view that Hindu belief in untouchability must change if the nation is to progress. Further, his fiery speeches and lectures gave a momentum to the national movement for Independence and his life and teachings are still a source of inspiration for the youth of the country. Swami Vivekananda died on 4 July 1902 while in meditation at Belur Math, Bengal, India.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Swami Dayananda Saraswati Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s childhood name was Moolshankar; he was born on 12 January 1824 at Maurvi, Gujarat. He left home at the age of 21 and he kept wandering in the company of one Dandi Swami Poornananda who gave Moolshankar the name Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Social Reforms: Swami Dayananda was the great believer in the teachings of Vedas; he gave the slogan: ‘Return to Vedas’. He criticized Hindu religious texts such as Puranas for perpetuating Idol worship and other superstitions. He tried to revive true Hindu philosophy and belief and argued against all wrong things being propagated in the name of Hinduism. He aggressively attacked social evils like Caste System by birth but he argued that it should be on the basis of occupation and work. He supported and advocated women’s right to education and their equal social status. Also, Swami Dayananda started campaign against Untouchability, Child Marriage etc. He supported inter-caste marriages and widow remarriages; supported Sudras and women’s right to read Vedas and to attain high education.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati established ‘Arya Samaj’ in the year 1875 to propagate his ideas. Its objective was to revive and reform Hindu religion; establishment of Vedic religion in its true form again; to unify India socially, religiously and politically and to stop western cultural effects on Indian culture and civilization. However apart from all the good deeds of Arya Samaj, it also became controversial for its ‘Shuddhi Movement’ under which such persons were allowed to return back to Hinduism who had converted to other religions. But Swami Ji contribution in removing social evils of India and especially of Hinduism is very significant; it gave sense of pride to Indians, as said by Annie Besant for him that Swami Ji was the only one who proclaimed: ‘India is For Indians’.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was one of the most remarkable social reformers of 19th century. He was born on 26 September 1820 in Paschim Midnapur District of Bengal to Thakurdas Bandhopadhyaya and Bhagwati Devi. His early childhood was spent in poverty without much of the basic necessities. But Vidyasagar was a brilliant student; he used to study under street lamps because at home there were no lamps. By performing exceptionally at schools and colleges he received various scholarships; also he used to do part-time teaching jobs to support his studies and family. At Sanskrit College, Calcutta he studied Literature, Sanskrit Grammar, Law and Astronomy etc.

Vidyasagar was a very courageous social reformer and he never hesitated to challenge the prevailing social evils. Social Reforms: 

His main contribution was towards the uplifting the status of the women; he was a great supporter of widow remarriages; in those times the condition of widows among Hindus was very pathetic, Vidyasagar worked persistently to elevate their position. For the purpose, he persuaded the British government to make a law legalizing widow remarriages; thus the Widow Remarriage Act, 1856 was passed which gave rights to widows to marry again and child born out of such marriages were also considered to be legal.

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He also argued against polygamy and child marriage and said that there is no sanction in Hindu religious texts for these practices.

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Further, in the field of education his contribution was immense; he refined and made accessible Bengali language to the common people by simplifying it in his famous book, Barno-Porichay (introduction to the letter), the book is still considered as a classic in Bengali language.

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Vidyasagar was famous for his kind-heartedness; he was always there to help poor people in distress, people on the streets and poor children.

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Vidyasagar ji continued the reform process started by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and remained active with Brahmo Samaj activities. He died on 29 July 1891 in Calcutta.

Jyotiba Phule

Jyotiba Phule Jyotirao Govindrao Phule was born on 11 April 1827 in Satara, Maharashtra in a family of vegetable vendors. He could not complete his education due to family’s poor condition but later completed it with the help of a few persons who had recognized his potential. Jyotirao was married at the age of 12 with Savitribai Phule. His life changed when he was insulted by one of his Brahmin friend and then he realized the caste divide and discrimination present in the society. This event proved a turning point in his life. He began to realize and observe various types of social evils being practiced in the society and decided to fight against them. A book by the writer Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man, gave him further push to start a movement against prevailing social evils such as caste system, untochability, women’s pathetic condition, poor condition of peasants etc. Works and Social Reforms: 

His first and foremost work was in the field of women’s education; and his first disciple was his wife herself who always shared his dreams and supported him all through life.

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To fulfill his ideals and aspirations of creating a just and equitable society, in 1848, Jyotiba opened a school for girls; it was a first girls’ school ever in the country. His wife Savitribai taught there as a teacher. But for trying to educate girls, a highly unthinkable act at that time, Jyotiba was forced to leave his home. However such threats and pressures by the society would not deter him from doing his work and he kept creating awareness among people about social evils.

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In 1851, he started a bigger and better school for girls which became very popular; there was no discrimination on the lines of religion, caste or creed and everyone was welcomed to study there.

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Jyotiba was also against child-marriages and was a great supporter of widow remarriage; he was very sympathetic to the cause of distressed women and opened a home for such poor and exploited women where they could be taken care off.

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Jyotiba was also actively involved in the emancipation of so-called lower castes and especially the Untouchables; in fact he was perhaps the first person who gave untouchables the name Dalit as signifying someone who is broken, depressed or exploited and is outside the so-called Varna system.

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For uplifting the so-called lower caste people and untouchables, on 24 September 1873, he formed the Satyashodhak Samaj (the Society of Truth Seekers); the main objective of the Samaj was to create a just and equitable social order free of discrimination on the basis of

caste, religion or gender. Satyashodhak Samaj was also opposed to religious dogmas and superstitions such as idolatry, need for priests and irrational rituals etc. Thus, Jyotiba Phule devoted his whole life for the weaker and depressed section of society; in his thinking and works he was well ahead of his times.

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar

Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Popularly known as Babasaheb, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, a military cantonment town of the then Central Province of India. His father, Ramji Maloji Sakpal was a Subedar in army and his mother Bhimabai Sakpal was a house wife. Babasaheb belonged to a so-called lower caste Mahar who were treated as untouchables; he had faced and seen several types of social discriminations since childhood. But his father being an army officer was able to arrange good education for his children despite several resistances from the society. Ambedkar was treated as untouchable in the school along with other dalit children; they were not allowed to sit with other so-called higher caste children, neither were they allowed to drink water from common water vessel. Ambedkar was very meritorious in studies and after completing his early education in Bombay moved to United States for post-graduation and research; did his post-graduation

and Phd from Columbia University, New York City. He further studied at London School of Economics and completed masters and doctorate from there as well. Work and Social Reforms: Thus, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, in spite of several odds got the best of education from very good institutions of the world because of his talent and merit only. He also received a degree in Law. 

His major contribution in eradicating social evils was fighting for the rights of the untouchables and so-called lower caste people. At the time of preparation of the Government of India Act, 1919, he advocated for the separate electorates for untouchables and other lower caste people. He demanded reservation for such communities.

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Ambedkar started several publications such as Mook Nayak, a weekly; Bahiskrit Bharat, a periodical to create awareness and to fight for the rights of untouchables and lower-castes.

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He founded Bahishkrit Hitakarni Sabha on 20 July 1924 at Bombay with the objective of creating socio-political awareness among untouchables and also for making Government sensitive towards their issues; he called upon the dalits and untouchables to “Educate, Agitate and Organize” for their rightful place in the society.

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He started to launch public movements against discriminations faced by untouchables such as opening the public water resources for untouchables, burning of Manusmriti, an ancient Hindu text which gives sanction to caste-system and for the rights of lower caste people to enter into Hindu temples.

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In 1932, after the Third Round Table Conference in Britain in which Dr Ambedkar participated, the British announced the infamous Communal Award according to which there was a provision of separate electorate in British India for different communities; thus, Untouchables were also considered as a separate electorate; it meant that for the election to the seats reserved for the untouchables only persons who could vote were untouchables. The scheme was vehemently opposed by Gandhiji and other Congress leaders as being communal and divisive in nature which would divide Hindus into two separate groups. But Dr Ambedkar was in its favour as he was of the view that by having separate electorate more and more number of legislatures of ‘Depressed Class’ would be elected.

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After long and tedious discussions between Ambedkar and Congress leaders, Poona Pact was reached on 25 September 1932 according to which the system of separate electorate was abolished but reservation of seats for Depressed Class remained the same; hence, now untouchables would not be separate from Hindus but seats would be reserved for them. It was

a major step in recognizing the political rights of untouchables within the fold of Hindu society. 

On similar lines, the Constitution of India in 1950 gave benefits of reservation to Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes who were earlier referred to as ‘Depressed Classes’.

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Dr Amedkar’s biggest contribution in the making of modern India was his momentous effort as the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee; the most important feature of the Constitution of India is its special focus on socio-political and economic justice and equality; he forcefully advocated for the rights of women and SCs, STs and OBCs; special provisions were added for their upliftment and for eradicating various discriminations faced by them.

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Later in his life, Dr Ambedkar converted to Buddhism after getting fed-up with caste system, superstitions, rituals and discriminatory practices of Hinduism. Therefore, all through his life, socially as well as politically, Babasaheb kept fighting against prevailing social evils of our country; his contribution towards making the downtrodden people acquire self-respect and their rightful place is immeasurable. He was truly one of the greatest personalities to be born in India; Babasaheb died on 6 December 1956 in Delhi after prolonged illness due to diabetes.