Bhai Madhavrao Bagal | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1895-05-28)28 May 1895 |
| Died | 6 March 1986(1986-03-06) (aged 90) Kolhapur, India |
| Occupations | Painter, writer, independence activist and politician |
| Known for | Freedom fighter, social reformer, political activist, politician,Satyashodhak,Gandhian, Writer, Orator, Painter |
Madhavrao Khanderao Bagal (28 May 1895 – 6 March 1986), also calledBhai Madhavrao Bagal, was a noted writer, artist, journalist, social reformer, political activist, orator and freedom fighter fromKolhapur.[1][2]
He was born on 28 May 1895[3] inKolhapur to Khanderao Bagal.[4]
His father Khanderao Bagal was a renowned pleader,tehsildar and also a social reformer. Khanderao was a leader ofSatyashodhak Samaj[5] and editor of a newspaper named "Hunter" and hence was also known as "Hunterkar".[6]
He received his early education at theRajaram High School, Kolhapur and later completed painting, modelling and mural decoration courses fromJ. J. School of Art,Bombay.[2][4]
Madhavrao Bagal, created his own style of painting with expressing light and shade through minimal colors. The environment created in his painting is beautiful. He has written two books namely Artists of Kolhapur and Art and Artists that talk about art and artists in Kolhapur.[7]
As a social reformer, he worked for up-liftment ofDalits and advocatedthey be allowed right to visit temple and mingling with other castes.[1] His father was staunchSatyashodhak and Madhavrao followed his footsteps and way back in 1927, he declared that Satyashodhaks should become Socialists.[8] He was instrumental in installation of the first ever bust/statue of emancipator Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
As a political activist he founded Praja Parishad inKolhapur State in 1939[4] and took efforts of awaken farmers of Kolhapur and raise their voice against unjust revenues by way of agitation, in which his chief companion wasRatnappa Kumbhar and others.[9]
In 1941, when local self-government was instituted in erstwhile Princely State of Kolhapur, theKolhapur Municipal Corporation was put under control board of three persons — Madhavrao Bagal,Govindrao Korgaonkar and Ratnappa Kumbhar.
He was among the front runner leaders, who spearheaded the agitation for independence of India and especially merger ofKolhapur State into theUnion of India. He was arrested with several of his compatriots likeRatnappa Kumbhar,Dinakara Desai,Nanasaheb Jagadale, R. D. Minche and others. He joinedIndian National Congress in the mid-1930s, disillusioned by pro-British politics played by older leaders of peasants movement likeBhaskarrao Jadhav, with whom Madhavrao had started agricultural co-operative societies in Kolhapur and adjoining regions.[10] During 1940-47, he was closely working with leaders likeMahatma Gandhi,Vallabhbhai Patel,Jawaharlal Nehru.[11]
He was one of the front-runner leaders from Dhangar ( Maratha )community, who jointly formedPeasants and Workers Party in year 1947 with other former congressman such asKeshavrao Jedhe ofPune, Shankarrao More of Pune, Kakasaheb Wagh ofNasik,Nana Patil ofSatara,Tulsidas Jadhav ofSolapur,Dajiba Desai ofBelgaum, P K Bhapkar and Datta Deshmukh ofAhmadnagar, Vithalrao Hande and others.[12]
He is author of about 30-35 books some of which areKalāvihāra (1966),Bahujanasamājāce śilpakāra (1966),Jīvana saṅgrāma; agara, siṃhāvalokana (1970),Sahavāsāntūna (1970), Bhāī Mādhavarāvajī, nivaḍaka lekhasaṅgraha (1998).[13]
He died on 6 March 1986.[1]
The following institutions have been named after his as memorials:-
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