Tag Archives: Poems by Savitribai Phule

ccc यह जानकर गहरा आश्चर्य होता है कि 18 वीं शताब्दी में भारत की पहली अध्यापिका तथा सामाजिक क्रांति की अग्रदूत सावित्रीबाई फुले एक प्रखर, निर्भीक, चेतना सम्पन्न, तर्कशील, दार्शनिक, स्त्रीवादीख्याति प्राप्त लोकप्रिय कवयित्री, अपनी पूरी प्रतिभा और ताकत के साथ उपस्थित होती है लेकिन किसी की निगाह उन पर जातीभी नहीं? या फिर दूसरे शब्दों में कहूं तो उनके योगदान पर, मौन धारण कर लिया जाता है। सवाल है इस मौन का, अवहेलना और उपेक्षा का क्या कारण है? क्या इसका एकमात्र कारण उनका शूद्र तबके में जन्म लेना और दूसरा स्त्री होना माना जाए?सावित्रीबाई फुले का पूरा जीवन समाज के वंचित तबकों, खासकर स्त्री और दलितों के अधिकारों के लिए संघर्ष और सहयोग में बीता। ज्योतिबा संग सावित्रीबाई फुले ने जब क्रूर ब्राह्मणी पेशवाराज का विरोध करते हुए,लड़कियों के लिए स्कूल खोलने से लेकर तत्कालीन समाज में व्याप्त तमाम दलित-शूद्र-स्त्री विरोधी सामाजिक, नैतिकऔर धार्मिक रूढ़ियों-आडंबरों-अंधविश्वासों के खिलाफ मजबूती से बढ-चढकर डंके की चोट पर जंगलड़ने की ठानी, तब इस जंग में दुश्मन के खिलाफ लडाई का एक मजबूत हथियार बना उनका स्वरचित साहित्य।इसका उन्होंने प्रतिक्रियावादी ताकतों को कड़ा जबाब देने के लिए बहुत खूबसूरती से इस्तेमाल किया। सावित्रीबाई फुले के साहित्य में उनकी कविताएं, पत्र, भाषण, लेख, पुस्तकें आदि शामिल है।

कवयित्री सावित्रीबाई बाई फुले ने अपने जीवन काल में दो काव्य पुस्तकों की रचना की, जिनमें उनका पहलासंग्रह‘काव्य-फुले’ 1854 में तब छपा; जब वे मात्र तेईस वर्ष की ही थी। उनका दूसरा काव्य-संग्रह ‘बावनकशी सुबोधरत्नाकर’ 1891 में आया, जिसको सावित्रीबाई फुले ने अपने जीवनसाथी ज्योतिबा फुले की परिनिर्वाण प्राप्ति के बाद उनकी जीवनी रूप में लिखा था।

Read also – Poems by Savitribai Phule

अठारहवीं और उन्नीसवीं शताब्दी में ब्राह्मणवाद का कट्टरतम रूप अपने चरमोत्कर्ष पर था। उस समय सवर्ण हिन्दू समाज और उसके ठेकेदारों द्वारा शूद्र, दलितों और स्त्रियों पर किए जा रहे अत्याचार-उत्पीड़न-शोषण की कोई सीमा नहीं थी। बाबा साहेब ने उस समय की हालत का वर्णन अपनी पुस्तक ‘एनिहिलेशन ऑफ कास्ट’ में करते हुए कहा है-‘पेशेवाओं के शासनकाल में, महाराष्ट्र में, इन अछूतों को उस सड़क पर चलने की आज्ञा नही थी, जिस पर कोई सवर्ण हिन्दू चल रहा हो। इनके लिए आदेश था कि अपनी कलाई में या गले में काला धागा बांधे, ताकि हिन्दू इन्हें भूल से भी ना छू लें। पेशवाओं की राजधानी पूना में तो इन अछूतों के लिए यह आदेश था कि ये कमर में झाडू बांधकर चलें, ताकि इनके पैरों के चिह्न झाडू से मिट जाएं और कोई हिन्दू इनके पद चिन्हों पर पैर रखकर अपवित्र न हो जाएं।अछूत अपने गले में हांडी बाँधकर चले और जब थूकना हो तो उसी में थूकें, भूमि पर पड़ें हुए अछूत के थूक पर किसी हिन्दू का पैर पड़ जाने से वह अपवित्र हो जाएगा’।

ऐसी विपरित परिस्थितियों में सावित्री बाई फुले का जन्म 3 जनवरी 1931 को महाराष्ट्र के सतारा जिला के एक छोटे से ग्राम नायगांव में हुआ। मात्र 9 साल की उम्र में ग्यारह साल के ज्योतिबाके संग ब्याह दी गई। केवल सत्रह वर्ष की उम्र में ही सावित्रीबाई ने बच्चियों के एक स्कूल की अध्यापिका और प्रधानाचार्या दोनों की भूमिका को सवर्ण समाज के द्वारा उत्पन्न अड़चनों से लड़ते हुए बडी ही लगन, विश्वास और सहजता से निभाया। समता, बंधुत्व, मैत्री और न्यायपूर्ण समाज की ल़डाई के लिए, सामाजिक क्रांति को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए सावित्राबाई फुले ने साहित्य की रचना की। आज भी यह बात बहुत कम लोग जानते है कि वे एक सजग, तर्कशील, भावप्रवण, जुझारू औरक्रांतिकारी कवियित्री थी। मात्र 23 साल की उम्र में उनका पहला काव्य संग्रह काव्य-फुले आ गया था, जिसमें उन्होंने धर्म, धर्मशास्त्र, धार्मिक पाखंडों और कुरीतियों के खिलाफ जम कर लिखा। औरतों की सामाजिक स्थिति पर कविताएं लिखी और उनकी बुरी स्थिति के लिए जिम्मेदार धर्म, जाति, ब्राह्मणवाद और पितृसत्ता पर कड़ा प्रहार किया। अपनी एक कविता में वे दलितों औऱ बहुजनों को समाज में बैठीअज्ञानता को पहचान कर, उसे पकड़कर कुचल- कुचल कर मारने के लिए कहती है क्योंकि यह अज्ञानता यानी अशिक्षा ही दलित बहुजन और स्त्री समाज की दुश्मन है। जिससे जानबूझकर सोची समझी साजिश के तहत वंचित समूह को दूर रखा गया है।

उसका नाम है अज्ञान
उसे धर दबोचो, मजबूत पकड़कर पीटो
और उसे जीवन से भगा दो

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Tagged as First Lady Teacher of India, Poems by Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule Photos, Savitribai Phule Poetry, Savtribai Phule Mother of Modern Education, Savtribai Phule Poems in Hindi

December 13, 2015 · 1:00 pm

Savitribai Phule: The Mother Of Modern Education

World humanity is going to celebrate 184th Birth Anniversary Celebrations of Savitribai Phule-The liberator of women, Pioneer of Human Rights and the Greatest Humanitarian Revolutionary of the world. We were all shocked when Taliban shot a young girl Malala Yousafzai for defending the right of young girls to education. But if in today’s world girls can walk freely to school without being attacked it is because other young Malalas have braved criticism and struggled for education in their times.Most prominent among them was Savitribai Phule who not only fought for right education for girls but also for the right to dignity for widows,unwed mothers and women with unwanted pregnancies. She was the first female teacher of the first women’s school in India. The world history has witnessed the agricultural revolution,industrial revolution, info revolution, bio revolution which has changed the “material world” of Human society. Human society has also largely been changed by “Western Enlightenment” viz. Scientific and Secular revolutions, French and Russian revolutions. The ‘Eastern world’ on the other hand also contributed to human history by Chinese revolution. All the above developments in the history of human civilisation has changed the “mental and material world” of humankind. But these revolutions could not abolish the human sufferings and end problems of human kind. If by ‘Revolution’ we mean Deconstruction of undesirable principles values and orders and establishment of desirable principles, values and orders, neither of the Enlightenments and revolutions could establish the principles of Equality-Liberty-Fraternity-Justice in reality. Thus, there is a greater revolution beyond this led by Savitribai Phule and her husband Jyotiba Phule, which contributed for the establishments of golden principles of humanity viz. Equality, Liberty, Fraternity and Justice.Women of the Indian society are not aware of the greatness of Savitribai Phule,who dared to pursue the noble profession of teaching in the ‘Dark Age’.The time when women were mere objects to be used,education for women was considered no less than a punishable crime;she dared to speak against the unpardonable boundaries imposed on women in Indian society, she ignited million lives, for which today’s women and everyone should be grateful to her. I have always wondered why the Teachers’ Day in India is not celebrated on the birthday of Savitribai Phule, the lady who started the first school for the downtrodden and was the first woman teacher of India.

Read also – Poems by Savitribai Phule

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EARLY LIFE STRUGGLES OF SAVITRIBAI PHULE

Savitribai was born on 3rd January,1831,in Naigaon of Satara district in Maharashtra. It was a common practice those days to marry a girl at an early age. In spite of her desire to study, she got married to Jyotirao Phule at the age of nine.Jyotirao being a visionary and with a firm belief that every woman must be educated, started teaching his wife at home. His firmness on educating women could be seen in this interview to Dyananodaya on 15th September 1853.He says-“It did occur to me that the improvement that comes about in a child due to the mother is very important and good. So those who are concerned with the happiness and welfare of this country should definitely pay attention to the condition of women and make every effort to impart knowledge to them if they want the country to progress. With this thought, I started the school for girls first. But my caste brethren did not like that I was educating girls and my own father threw us out of the house. Nobody was ready to give space for the school nor did we have money to build it. People were not willing to send their children to school but Lahuji Ragh Raut Mang and Ranba Mahar convinced their caste brethren about the benefits of getting educated”.

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Tagged as Dr Ambedkar Books, First woman teacher, Mahatma Jotiba Phule, Poems by Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule Photos, Savitribai Phule teachers day

March 10, 2015 · 7:51 am

10 March in Dalit History – Death anniversary of ‘First Lady’ Teacher of India: Savitribai Phule

Check also – Few poems by Savitribai Phule

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Filed under Dr B R Ambedkar, Equal Rights, Today in Dalit History, Today in History

Tagged as dalit women, dalit-bahujan, Death Anniversary, First Teacher of India, Mahatma Jotiba Phule, Poems by Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule Photos, Savitribai Phule Quotes, Teachers day

March 9, 2015 · 3:59 pm

Book Review of “A Forgotten Liberator : The Life and Struggle of Savitribai Phule”

“A Forgotten Liberator : The Life and Struggle of Savitribai Phule”, is the first endeavour in English to spotlight upon one of the supreme names who fought against the totalitarianism of caste and other social evils in India. The book brought out by “Mountain Peak Publishers” on the life of Savitribai Phule (1831-1897) is a collection of essays written by six authors, those account the life struggle of marginalized and lower class women.

ISBN 978-81-906277-0-2, pp 95, price Rs.200/-

In times when even the shadow of untouchables were considered impure, when the people were unwilling to offer water to thirsty untouchables, Savitribai Phule and Mahatma Jotiba Phule shared their their house with them. It was a challenge thrown at the Brahmins to change their mindset towards untouchables. But even after almost 200 years, Dalits (untouchables) are still struggling for water rights.

In the essay “The Stuff Legends are made of” Cynthia Stephen writes “The young couple faced severe opposition from almost all sections. Savitribai was subject to intense harassment everyday as she walked to the school. Stones, mud and dirt were flung at her as she passed”.

Three letters written by Savitribai Phule to Mahatma Jotiba Phule are included in the anthology. From the letters it becomes evident that Savitribai Phule had great respect for her husband and had knowledge of all spheres of life and adept in handling difficult situations.

Sunil Sardar and Victor Paul present translations of Savitribai Phule’s five poems written in Marathi in the essay titled “Pioneering Engaged Writing”. Savitribai Phule was the first Dalit women, in-fact the first women whose poems drew attention in the British Empire. Savitribai Phule was the mother of modern poetry stressing necessity of English and education through her poems.

The volume also contains a letter written by a eleven year old girl, Muktabai studying in Phule’s school under the chapter ‘Grief of the Mangs and Mahars’. The content of this letter is so strong for anyone to believe that this was written by a eleven year old girl. This shows the level of education and upbringing those children were getting in Phule’s school.

During the famines of 1876 – 1898, Savitribai Phule worked courageously with her husband and suggested many new ways to overcome the difficult times. They started distributing free food at many locations. She died while she was nursing a plague – affected child — she got infected while serving the affected people. Apart from the exceptionally narrated essays of all six authors there are pictures and a list of important days in the life of Savitribai Phule, which give a glimpse into the life of the great liberator.

Check also – Few poems by Savitribai Phule

Indian women are not aware of the greatness of Savitribai Phule, who dared to purse the profession of teaching in the ‘Dark Age’. She dared to speak against the unpardonable boundaries imposed on women in the Indian society, for which today’s women should be grateful to her. The book is one of its kinds and a must read for all those who believe in human rights and by those women organisations who speak a lot for women empowerment and feminism!

Braj Ranjan Mani writes:

“Savitribai Phule (1831-97), struggled and suffered with her revolutionary husband in an equal measure, but remains obscured due to casteist and sexist negligence. Apart from her identity as Jotirao Phule’s wife, she is little known even in academia. Modern India’s first woman teacher, a radical exponent of mass and female education, a champion of women’s liberation, a pioneer of engaged poetry, a courageous mass leader who took on the forces of caste and patriarchy certainly had her independent identity and contribution. It is indeed a measure of the ruthlessness of elite-controlled knowledge-production that a figure as important as Savitribai Phule fails to find any mention in the history of modernIndia. Her life and struggle deserves to be appreciated by a wider spectrum, and made known to non-Marathi people as well.”

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Filed under Book Review, Dalit-Bahujans, Dr B R Ambedkar, Women RIghts

Tagged as Book Review, dalit women, Dr Ambedkar Books, Dr B R Ambedkar Photos, First women teacher, Kavya Phule, Mahatma Phule, Poems by Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule, Savitribai Phule Photos, Teachers day

January 3, 2015 · 4:41 am

Few poems by Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule was the first Dalit women, in-fact first women whose poems got noticed in the British Empire. Savitribai Phule was the mother of modern poetry stressing necessity of English and Education through her poems. Here are few of her poems from “Kavyaphule”, Collection of Savitribai’s poems, 1854.

Read Savtribai Phule’s Poems in Hindi from – विद्रोह की मशाल से समाज को रोशनी – कवियित्री भी थी सावित्री बाई फुले

If you have no knowledge, have no education,

And you yearn not for the same,

You posses intellect but work not on the same,

How then can you be called a human being?

………..

Birds, animals, monkeys, human beings too,

All go through life and death

But if you gain no knowledge about this,

How then can you be called a human being?

——

The Plight of the Shudras