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Vitthal Ramji Shinde | |
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| Born | Vitthal Ramji Shinde (1873-04-23)23 April 1873 |
| Died | 2 January 1944(1944-01-02) (aged 70) |
| Education | Fergusson College (BA) |
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Vitthal Ramji Shinde (23 April 1873 – 2 January 1944) was an Indian social reformer, writer, and scholar. He is known for his work in combatinguntouchability and advocating for religious and social reform duringdirect Crown rule.[1] Shinde was associated with the liberal reformist tradition in India, and contributed to the early discourse oncaste andDalit rights.[2][3][4][5]
Shinde was born on 23 April 1873 in theprincely state ofJamkhandi, now inKarnataka, into aMaratha family.[6] His early childhood was influenced by a family environment that was tolerant of different ideologies and belief systems; his family friends and acquaintances came from various social backgrounds.[citation needed]
His early spiritual awakening came from his reading ofSant Tukaram,Sant Eknath, andSant Ramdas ofMaharashtra, while his intellectual awakening was influenced by the writings of thinkers likeJohn Stuart Mill,Herbert Spencer,Max Müller,Mahadev Govind Ranade, andR. G. Bhandarkar.[citation needed]
In 1898, Shinde earned a Bachelor of Arts degree fromFergusson College,Pune. He began law studies in Mumbai to pursue his Bachelor's of Laws, but discontinued them.[citation needed] In that year, he joined thePrarthana Samaj, where he was influenced by figures such asJustice Mahadev Govind Ranade andRamakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar. In 1901, with the financial support ofMaharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III ofBaroda State, he went toManchester College, Oxford, to study comparative religion.[7]
After returning to India in 1903, Shinde resumed his work with the Prarthana Samaj and became active in efforts to address caste-based discrimination.[8] He focused on education and social welfare initiatives for thedepressed classes. In 1905, he opened a night school for Dalit and untouchable children in Pune.[citation needed] The following year, on 16 October 1906, in Mumbai, he founded the Depressed Classes Mission in Bombay.[9]
In subsequent years, he established theMurali Pratibandhak Sabha [Murali Prohibition Council] in 1910, and convened theAsprushyata Nivaran Parishad [Untouchability Eradication Council] in 1912.[citation needed] In 1917, Shinde played a role in passing a resolution at theIndian National Congress condemning the practice of untouchability.[citation needed]
Between 1918 and 1920, he was involved in organizing conferences on untouchability, chaired by leaders includingMahatma Gandhi andSayajirao Gaekwad III.[citation needed] He also presented evidence before theSouthborough Franchise Committee in 1919, advocating for political representation of marginalized castes. In 1923, he resigned from the executive of the Depressed Classes Mission due to internal disagreements, but he remained associated with its objectives.[citation needed]
In 1930, Shinde participated in theCivil Disobedience Movement and was imprisoned for six months inYerwada Central Jail.[1]
During the 1920 Bombay Presidency Council elections, which he contested fromPune, he published a Marathi-language article titledBahujan Paksh in Baroda'sJagruti Patra [India's Untouchability Question].[1] The article served as a political statement and outlined the objectives of the Bahujan Samaj Paksha, a party aimed at representing socially and economically disadvantaged groups in Indian society.[10]
In 1933, Shinde publishedBhartiya Asprushyatecha Prashna ("India's Untouchability Question"), addressing issues on the caste system, religious orthodoxy, and social discrimination. He criticized idol worship, ritualism, hereditary priesthood, and practices that, in his view, obstructed social equality.[citation needed] He emphasized a direct relationship between individuals and the divine, without the need for intermediaries[11].[citation needed]
Shinde established the Depressed Classes Mission. The mission's purpose was to elevate the social and spiritual condition of the Depressed Classes, such as the Mahars, Chamars, and Namasudras.[3][12]
To accomplish this, the society worked to:
Vitthal Ramji Shinde died on 2 January 1944, at the age of 70.[13]
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