It is apt that Mahatma Jotirao Phule should be considered foremost in founding the Satyashodak Samaj. He was an agent at a Pune branch of a European metal casting company. His metal cast shop was located at house number 527 in Old Ganj Peth. I was residing at house number 56 in Vetal Peth, and his shop was only 200 feet away from my place. I would pass by his shop often. His attendant Rama would be selling the metal casts to customers, while Jotirao would be seated at the loft. If someone came to meet him, his attendant would inquire about their name and then convey it to him. Once he gave permission, the visitor could go upstairs.
Once I was passing by his shop on my way to school. I noticed that he was surrounded by a crowd. I could see it from the road but it didn’t strike me as unusual. Whenever I passed by his shop, I would see a host of people seated around him. This made me curious about why people were coming to meet him. I decided to ask him someday.
One day, on a Sunday evening, I went to see him. I greeted him from a distance, and he asked me to come closer. Once I sat down, he asked me my name, where I resided, which school I went to, what I was studying, etc. I told him all about myself. Incidentally, I told him that I lived at Deorao Thosar’s place. At that time, Deorao was posted in Satara as a Police Inspector. When Jotirao asked how Deorao was related to me, I told him that Deorao was my father-in-law. Jotirao then told me that he was well-acquainted with him. However, as it was my first encounter with him, I couldn’t gather the courage to ask him the reason for people gathering there everyday. After talking about mundane things, I got up to take my leave and that is when he said, “Visit whenever you have free time.” After that meeting, whenever I got free from my studies, I started visiting him. Many people who I wasn’t familiar with would visit him sporadically. Whenever I was with him, he would introduce the gentleman who came to meet him and would also introduce me to them, explaining who I was related to and how.
Respected individuals such as Sakharampant Paranjape, Annasaheb Bhandarkar, Gopalrao Hari Deshmukh, Sadashivrao Gavande, Wamanrao Paranjape, Haribhau Chiplunkar, Lakshman Hari Shinde, Hanmantrao Sane, Rambhau Bari, Ganpatrao Kotkar, Jaya Karadi Lingu, Rajanna Lingu, Gangaram Bhau Mhaske, Dr. Shivapa Rajanna, Dr. Shivapa Narasu, Dr. Vishram Ramji Ghole, Rao Bahadur Balkrishna Devral, D. K, Bhau Sitaram Naik, Deorao Thosar, Ramshet Uravane, Vithoba Guthal, Babaji Manaji, Yashvantrao Kavale, Vinayakrao Babaji, Dnyangiri Baba (a person who stayed at Kabir PanthiMath in Nana Peth), Kushaba Mali, Dhondiram Kumbhar Gavandi, Ramchandrrao and Krishnarao Bhalekar, Gyanoba Zagade Mistri, and many more people would come there at different times. I would make it a point to visit Jotirao in my spare time.
Jotirao had started a school for the Mahars and Mangs. School teachers were then called ‘Pantoji’, and these Pantojis were addressed as ‘Tatya’. That’s why people started calling Jotirao Tatya. His wife’s name was Savitribai. There was a boy named Shantaram with them, who was the son of a Brahmin widow. Savitribai cared for Shantaram as a son. Unfortunately, he died within a few days. She raised another child, Yashvant, born to a widow, who eventually married Sasane’s daughter.
The people mentioned above, including respected Dnyangiri Baba, Ramshet Uravane, Vithoba Guthal, Kushaba Mali, Gyanoba Zagade Mistri, and Dhondiram Gavandi, would gather at Jotirao’s place from seven to nine every evening. Dnyangiri Baba would read the chapter ‘Bipramati’ from Sant Kabir’s bookBeejak. Since the Bipramati chapter was written in the Brij language, Dnyangiri Baba would explain it in Marathi to the gathered audience. It described the selfish nature and behaviour of a Brahmin colourfully.
How the Brahmin class dominated non-Brahmin Hindus in the name of religion and how they wrote bogus books with selfish motives, making all non-Brahmin Hindus their intellectual slaves — Jotirao had realized ahead of time. He conveyed to people how these books had diminished the true insight of the Almighty God. Bipramati further confirmed the domination, selfishness and self-centred nature of the Brahmin, provoking discussions of establishing a society under the leadership of Jotirao amongst those gathered there. In a few days, it was decided to name this society ‘Satyashodhak Samaj’. ‘Sat’ means Truth, ‘Shodhak’ means Seeker, and ‘Samaj’ means Society. This society was established at house number 527 in Old Ganj Peth, under the presidency of Mahatma Jotirao Phule on 24th September 1873.
Principles of Satya Samaj:
- All humans are children of one God, who is the caretaker of all.
- As a child doesn’t need a mediator to plead to the mother or please the father, similarly, to please God, a devotee doesn’t need middlemen (agent) like priests or pastors.
- Whoever accepts these principles is a Samajian.
Every Samajian should take the following oath: “All humans are children of one God. My relationship with them is one of fraternity — I will always try to realise this and abide by it. I won’t need a mediator to offer my devotion, pray, or worship God; similarly I won’t need a mediator to perform any religious rituals. I will try my best to convince others of the same. I will not rest until I educate myself, and my sons and daughters. I will be loyal to the ruler. I pledge to the omniscient, Almighty God in the form of truth that God should bestow strength upon me to fulfil this pious goal and make this birth meaningful.”
In 1911, these principles were approved at a summit organized at Baliwala Theater in Bhavani Peth.
To demonstrate courage in following the rule of performing rituals without a mediator (agent), Jotirao first performed the ritual of ‘Tulshiche Lagna’ (wedding of a Tulsi plant) without a priest at his home on the 12th day of Kartik month 1873 of the Hindu calendar. Jotirao himself acted as the priest. Mangalashtak (ritualistic hymns), prepared by Jotirao, were recited by those gathered themselves. Respected Ramshet Uravane, Vitthalrao Guthal, Dnyangiri Baba, Kushaba Mali, Pandit Dhondiram Namdeo Gawandi Kumbhar, myself, people living nearby, women, boys, and girls participated in the wedding ceremony at his home at house number 395, Ganj Peth. After this wedding, people went to Respected Ramshet Urawane’s house in Bhavani Peth for another Tulsi wedding, and then to Kushaba Mali’s place. By then, it was late at night, and I had to go to school the next day, so I took leave from Jotirao and returned home. People were calling Jotirao to perform Tulsi weddings. As I returned home, people continued to perform weddings.
Jotirao maintained a register for the Satyashodhak Samaj. The names and signatures of people who had taken a ‘tali’ pledge (the traditional way to take a pledge by collectively lifting a plate full of items used to worship God) according to Satyashodhak Samaj’s principles were entered in that register. He carried all items required for ‘tali’ in a bag, including half pieces of dry coconut, turmeric, vermilion, pieces of jaggery, betel nuts, coriander seeds, and vida leaves (edible leaves). They would invoke the names of gods like Jotiba, Khandoba and Bahiroba while lifting the plate, loudly calling upon these deities to bless them by saying ‘Bahirobacha chaangbhale’ and ‘Yelkot’. After Jotirao, the register was kept by Yashvantrao, his son. After Yashvantrao, it’s unclear who managed the register, and despite investigations, unfortunately, it could not be traced.
To popularise the Satyashodhak Samaj after its formation, Jotirao wrapped a bamboo stick with a khadi cloth that was dyed yellow as a flag of Truth, similar to the recent practice of ‘Jotiba’s pole’ that was paraded around the city. He tied a turban to the end of the flag, with the turban’s ends fluttering in the wind. Red, yellow, and black-coloured powders were put on it, and garlands of flowers, lemon, coconut, and coconut leaves were tied to it. A large mob participated in the flag’s procession, which not only went across Pune city but also nearby villages and hamlets.
Jotirao appointed Ganpatrao Shimpi as his clerk, who was assigned the task of writing a manuscript copy of the book Gulamgiri. After the book’s publication and the Samaj’s establishment, articles for and against the Samaj were published in weekly and monthly magazines like Satyadipika and Lokakalyanecchu. Lacking a medium to counter the opposing views, Jotirao decided to start a printing press. He travelled to Mumbai, Baroda and other places. After returning to Pune, Jotirao informed us, “Our Samaj has acquired a printing press with the help of respected Ramayya Aayyavaru and Venku Balaji of Mumbai. But I’m worried about where we can put it and where we can install it.” The moment he uttered these words, Respected Ramshet Uravane offered to clear his wada in Meeth Ganj Peth near Nagzari Nala to place and install the printing press (it’s been renamed to Municipal Committee no.755 recently). Jotirao first started publishing the Dinbandhu newspaper from this press, and it was run by Ramchandrarao and Krishnarao Bhalekar under Jotirao’s supervision. However, due to his many responsibilities, Jotirao handed over the press and newspaper to the Bhalekar brothers under certain conditions. The Dinbandhu newspaper eventually stopped due to various reasons, and the printing press also closed due to a lack of business. The types were getting rusted and wasted, so it was heard that it was handed over to Dr. Vishram Ramji Ghole to keep them active.
During the summer months, Jotirao, Annasaheb Bhandarkar, Vithoba Guthal and others would leave the city for morning walks from six to eight. They visited places like Parvati, Lalbaug, Gultekadi, Mali-Munjari, Zagadyachi Wadi, and more. During the May vacations, I would join them on these walks. It was during these outings that they taught me the art of wielding a lathi, using the dandpatta (a flexible, belt-like sword), handling the patta and gadga (wooden dumbbells) as well as mastering opponent-crossing techniques, strategic combat moves, firearm handling, discipline and target practice. Much of this training in martial arts and valor came from my neighbor, Lahuji Mang. After our sessions, before heading back to our homes, we would always decide where to meet the next day for our collective physical practice.
Once, Jotirao couldn’t come to the place we had decided the previous day. Friends waited for him for a long time, but he didn’t turn up, so they carried on with the walk as usual. We went to his shop to inquire about his absence. He told us that Lalshankar Umashankar Yadnik had visited him along with a few others from Mumbai to visit the Widow Maternity Home because they wanted to start a similar home in Pandharpur. They were very happy to see the hard work put in by his wife to keep the home clean and the children well-cared for. They had given her a sari and blouse piece with a gold border, and clothes for the children, which he showed to us. Jotirao saw them off in the morning, which is why he couldn’t come for the walk.
Jotirao would say that he studied English at the Missionary School of Mr. Murray Mitchell at Phadke Wada in Pune.[1]John Murray Mitchell (1815 – 1904) was a Scottish missionary and orientalist.
Jotirao delivered lectures not only in Pune but also outside the city. Dhondiram, Vithoba Guthal, Gyanoba Zagade, and others would accompany him. I went with him to Vangani on Ram Navami (Ram’s birth anniversary) after the formation of Satyashodhak Samaj. We stayed at the home of Respected Bal Patil and Bhau Patil Shelar of the GIP (Great Indian Peninsular) Railway. Jotirao delivered a lecture in Vangani, where he highlighted how Brahmins had intellectually enslaved non-Brahmins, asserting their caste superiority. After the lecture, the attendees, about 250 people, shared a meal and accompanied us to the Vangani station. Once the train arrived, we departed for Pune.
As a member of the Pune City Municipal Committee, Jotirao was actively involved in public work. The Committee had passed a resolution to build a small tank near Zagade Wadi on Satara Road to store filtered water for Pune’s citizens. Jotirao regularly inspected the construction when it was underway, in his capacity as a member of the Committee. The work was subpar, and the bottom of the tank lacked the necessary lime mixture to be able to collect water and avoid its spillage; when Jotirao pointed out that these misgivings would amount to wastage of the committee’s funds and people would be unable to get the filtered water, his complaints fell on deaf ears, and were dismissed by the majority of the committee, and the construction continued as is till the end and the filter was installed. When water was released into the tank, not only did it fail to collect it, but water also seeped out of it, rendering it useless. And then, Pune City’s residents did not receive the filtered water as Pune Camp’s (Cantonment) used to. Jotirao approached all public work with this level of integrity and scrutiny.
Jotirao had knowledge of mesmerism. On one occasion, he, along with Tukaram Tatya Padval, Vasudevrao Navrange (a metal cast agent from Mumbai) and me visited Dehu on Phalgun Dwitiya — the 17th day of the last month in the Hindu calendar (March–April) — to see Shrimant Narayan Baba, the head of the princely state and Jotirao’s brother-in-law, who was suffering from a severe stomach ache. His condition was quite distressing. At Tukaram Tatya’s suggestion, Jotirao asked him to try using mesmerism to ease Baba’s pain. However, Jotirao insisted, ‘You do it.’ Tatya then asked Baba to lie on his back and began moving his hands over his body — first from head to toe, then in reverse. Baba gradually drifted into sleep, and the treatment ended there. We then left to witness the procession of Sant Tukaram. Upon our return, when asked about his condition, Baba said he was feeling much better. As our train’s departure time approached, we took leave of Shrimant Narayan Baba and made our way to Shelarwadi Railway Station. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Jotirao indeed had an understanding of mesmerism.
Jotirao had prepared a tomb for himself at his house. He would repeatedly express the wish of his mortal remains to be buried in the tomb by the Samajians and senior friends after his death. He did not wish to be cremated. Unfortunately, that wish was not honoured, and his remains were not placed in the tomb he prepared. The reason for this deviation remains unknown.
(Tukaram Hanumantrao Pinjan’s memory has been translated by Sanyogita Dhamdhere, edited by Ninad Pawar and Rucha Satoor, and peer-reviewed by Suraj Thube.)
Notes
| ↑1 | John Murray Mitchell (1815 – 1904) was a Scottish missionary and orientalist. |
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