School and Preamble_🌱

Just sharing this experience of school time. Every day, our teachers used to ask us, "who would like to recite the 'Preamble of the Constitution'?" Although there were only certain students, they used to choose. The teachers would ask them to come in front and recite the "Preamble."

Not a day passed that I didn't think of going in front and reciting the preamble. I even practiced Marathi and Hindi "Preamble" more than a hundred times and recalled every single word and line. But could not dare to present it. I had this fear in mind that I might stop while my classmates would start laughing.

One fine day, it came to my mind that I should recite the "Preamble" in English, the one which was printed in the English textbook. So that even if I make mistakes, no one would know or understand and laugh.

A few days later, with a lot of courage, I went forward and recited the English "Preamble." I made two-three mistakes, but nobody laughed just like I had thought.

After reciting the "Preamble" in English, I started gaining recognition from teachers as one of the "brightest" students in school. I should have done it before. Unfortunately, those were the last days of my schooling.

Note: I remembered and wrote this while reading bell hooks' memoir "Teaching Critical Thinking"). Thats my school in the photo. I miss it sometimes. :)

📑 The Preamble_
🖋 @dnyanesh_____
🌱 Read this piece on blogspot, link is in the bio.

The school from the story above.

The Trio of Mukta Salve, Fatima Shaikh and Savitribai Phule

The relevance of this "trio", i.e. Mukta Salve, Fatima Sheikh and Savitribai Phule (three significant persons together) have gained a lot more visibility on this birth anniversary of Dnyanjyoti Savitribai Phule on 3rd January 2020. What is more significant to see is that― this recognition has also been seen as a "conglomeration" of diverse "oppressed realities" brought on one platform. In this context, the paper attempts to revisit the importance of their personality and work. At the same time, the article also tries to navigate the "socio-political distinctions" as well as "togetherness" among them which then can be acknowledged in the light of Dalit, Muslim-Bahujan, Bahujan Movements and then in broader movement of social justice and social transformation.

Mukta Salve [1841-1855*][1]

In times, when the society in Pune was at the highest peak of caste orthodoxy and super rigid about untouchability in its inhuman form, a 14 years old girl child, Mukta Salve wrote an essay titled 'Mang Maharachya Dukhvisayi' or About the Grief of the Mang and the Mahars". The title Salve can be found in most of the families of Mang sub-caste in the former “Ati-Shudra” and today's Dalits and Nav-Budhhists in Maharashtra.[2] The essay was published in a fortnightly journal namely 'Dnyanodaya'; in two parts. The first part was released on 15th February 1855 and second was on 1st March of 1855. [Narake, 1998]

Mukta Salve was a student of one of the three girls schools[3] that were started by Savitribai and Jotirao Phule. The essay was penned in the form of a memoir, an autobiographical piece in which Mukta Salve nailed out the monopoly of Brahmins in Hindu religion and Vedas in particular, whose imposition has led to the plight of Mang and Mahar Castes (the Ati-shudra and untouchable castes). [ibid] Taking note from her essays, she elucidates,

"लाडूखाऊ ब्राह्मण लोक तर म्हणतात की, वेद ही आमचीच मत्ता आहे. ब्राह्मणेत्तरास वेदाचा अधिकार नाही. यांजवरून जर आम्हा धर्म पुस्तक पाहण्याचा मोकळीक नाही, तर आम्ही धर्मरहित आहोत असे साफ दिसते की नाही बरे? हे भगवाना, तुजकडून आलेला कोणता धर्म आम्ही स्वीकारावा, ते लवकर कळीव म्हणजे तेणेप्रमाणे तजवीज करता येईल!"

~ मुक्ता साळवे, ज्ञानोदय, १५ फेब्रुवारी १८५५, अहमदनगर 

"These sweetmeats gobbling Brahmans say that the Vedas are only their monopoly. The non-Brahmins have no right to study the Vedas. Does this not prove that we are without religion since we have no opportunity to even look at the religious texts? Oh God, please let us know soon which religion is coming from you and should be followed so that we can make arrangements thereof."

~ Mukta Salave, Dnyanodaya, 15th February 1855, Ahemednagar

Mukta's essay precisely articulates the monopoly of Brahmin over Vedas. The non-Brahmin castes are not allowed to see the Vedas. The sub-castes within “Ati-shudra” such as people belonging to the Mang and Mahar castes were not even allowed to see Vedas. Being a person from an untouchable caste [4], she didn't have those rights; if not, she smartly questioned her people consider Vedas to be their religion, where they could neither know nor have right to know what they follow and believe. Authoritative castes like Brahmin only have the right to study Vedas. She brings clarity in the matter of social locations of “Ati-Shudra” within the Chaturvarna and asserts that if the Mang and Mahar don't have the right to even see the sacred text, she says not to follow such religion.

In the essay very critically, Mukta Salve looks at the castes system where the untouchables don't have a religious identity like others. She protests to God for vanishing the existence of such a religion from the earth where only one person is privileged, and the rest are deprived.

"Muslims lead their lives according to their Kuran, English people follow their Bible and Brahmans have their own Vedas. Because they all have their own good or bad religion that they follow, they are somewhat happier than us who are without any religion. Oh, God, please tell us, what is our religion? Teach us, O God, your true religion so that we all can lead our lives according to it. Let that religion, where only one person is privileged, and the rest deprived, vanish from the earth and let it never enter our minds to boast of such a (discriminatory) religion." [Savari Editorial, 2015; Mani & Sardar 2008]

Mukta has also highlighted the mental illness and she questions the contemporary consciousness of Mahar and Mangs. The Mahar caste, which is also an untouchable caste, considers Mang as lower to them. Mukta assesses their plight very carefully and enlightens them by offering a diagnose a medicine of education to their mental slavery.

"Oh, the mahars and mangs, you are poor and sick. Only the medicine of knowledge will cure and heal you. It will take you away from wild beliefs and superstitions. You will become righteous and moral. It will stop exploitation. People who treat you like animals, will not dare to treat like that any more. So please work hard and study. Get educated and become good human beings." [ibid]

Fatima Sheikh (1850s*]
Fatima Sheikh was a noble person who gave her own house to Savitribai and Jotirao Phule to start a first-ever school called "Indigenous Library" in Bhidewada, Pune. Her brother Usman Sheikh has supported Fatima for her decisions to work with the Phule couple. Very less literature recognises her contribution to the social changes that took place then. Fatima Sheikh and Savitribai, both took the forefront role in establishing schools and taught to the girls as well as boys. Not only has she fought against castes Hindu-Brahmins in her association with Phule couple but also the orthodox Muslim who stood against the education of girls and untouchables. [Khan, 2017]

Due to the presence of Fatima Sheikh and Savitribai Phule, the number of girls students had increased in schools. For example, in Chiplunkar Wada, they started a school on 3 July 1851. Initially, the number of girls students was only 8. Very soon the number increased to 48 in 1852. It can also be said that due to the presence of Fatima Sheikh, the education could reach especially to girls of Muslim families. [Narake, 1998]

Savitribai Phule (1830-1897]

Savitribai was the first headmistress of the girl's school, started in 1848. She was born on 3rd, January 1830 in the family titled Nawashe Patil of Naigaon which is near Shirval and 50 Km from Pune (Narake, 1998) There is no clarity about her maternal caste location but her husband, Jotirao Phule belonged to the 'Mali' caste which is considered as one of the castes in 'Shudra Varna', imposed to be at the fourth level in the hierarchy of 'Chaturvarna'. Most of the literature acknowledges that this school was the first girl's school in modern India. [ibid]

Apart from being an educationist, Savitribai was a poetess too. Today, two collections of Savitribai's poems are available. One of them is 'Kavyaphule'. It had written in 1854, and the second one is the 'Baavannakashi Subodh Ratnakar' written in 1882. It is assumed that there might be more such writing pieces of Savitribai but yet to be available. However, there also exists the controversy whether the literature was written by Savitribai Phule. (Mali, 1988)

In the year of 1848-55, the Savitribai Phule with Jotirao Phule started three schools. In 1863, the couple also opened a 'child prevention home' in which Savitribai and Jotiba gave space to mothers and widows who were forced to attempt foeticide by their families. In the wake of severe drought, they released their water well for Ati-Shudras to access drinking water. [ibid].

Savitribai and Jotirao Phule have not got support from many of their relatives and fellow castes people. They moved to the settlements of Ati-Shudras where they had been given a lot of support by the people [ibid]. It was the communities and people from Ati-Shudra settlements who supported the Phule couple to continue their work. In an interview given to Dnyanodaya, a fortnightly on 15 September 1853, Jotirao 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."

On 23 September 1873, with the company of her husband, Savitribai started a social movement named 'Satyashodhak Samaj' or 'Truth Seekers Society'. The focus of the society was to awaken Shudra and Ati-Shudra about their oppression in the castes system and untouchability in particular. The movement had also tried looking into more specific issues of women in these groups. They encouraged 'Satyashodhak marriages' in which the bride or groom did neither have to give dowry for marriage nor follow the orthodox social norms. They fought against the priestly domination by organising social-religious ceremonies without them.

The movement got more popularity in Bombay and Pune districts. People from Mali and Kunbi castes then started joining the work of the Phule couple. They mobilised a group of young radicals, mainly Mali's from the cities and Maratha Kunbi from rural areas to fight against the joint exploitation of farmers/ peasantry that was very persistent by the British and Brahmin of that time [Omvedt and Patankar, 2010].

After the demise of Jotirao Phule in 1890, Savitribai took sole responsibility of the 'Truth Seekers Society' and became the leader of the movement. She continued the schools and worked for the movement till her last breath. In a letter to Sayajirao Gaikwad, Mama Parmanand says,

"More than Jotirao, his wife deserves praise. No matter how much we praise her, it would not be enough. How can one describe her stature? She cooperated with her husband completely and along with him, faced all the trials and tribulations that came their way. It is difficult to find such a sacrificing woman even among the highly educated women from upper castes. The couple spent their entire life working for people." 

~ Narayan Mahadev alias Mama Paramanand (31stJuly 1890)

In this trio, one could see the intellectual (epistemological), axiological (ethical) and compassionate leadership led by the women from oppressed sections in the wake of socio-political movements of the nineteenth century.

Endnotes

1. When the essay was written, Mukta was 14 years old [Narake] So her birth year might be 1942. After the essay, there is no data available about Mukta Salve.
2. In the same contemporary times, Lahuji Raghoji Salve [1811-1881] a prominent social revolutionary from the Matang Caste has worked with Jotirao and Savitribai Phule. 
3. There are three schools started by the Phule couple and have been recorded in the data of British Archives. Those are at Chiplunkar Wada, Rasta Peth and Vetaal Peth. It has not been clarified which school Mukta Salve studied. Few claimed that school was the one situated in Vetal Peth. [Garud] 
4. In the first line itself, Mukta clears that, "It humbles me to realize that God has filled the heart of an untouchable girl like me, considered to be even lower than an animal, with the pain and suffering of my people – the Mahars and Mangs." 
5. The dates which are starred like this '*' are yet to be confirmed. 

Reference

1. Salve Mukta, 1855, Translated by Braj Ranjan Mani & Pamela Sardar in the A Forgotten Liberator, the Life and Struggle of Savitribai Phule [2008] reproduced by the Savari Editorials 'Mang Maharachya Dukhvisayi' or About the Grief of the Matang and the Mahars".
2. Garud Sachin, Mukta Salve: First Voice of Dalit Feminism,[No date has given to these publications] The Academia, The Velivada
3. Aqsa Khan: Remembering Fatima Sheikh – A Woman Lost In History [2017] Feminism in India
4. Mandal Dilip: Why Indian history has forgotten Fatima Sheikh but remembers Savitribai Phule [2019] The Print
5. Jotirao Phule: Shetkaryaca Asud translated as Cultivator’s Whipcord by Gail Omvedt and Bharat Patankar [2010] Round Table India
6. Narake Hari, Savitribai Phule: Kal Aani Kartutva [1998]; Shatkanchi Shidori Savitribai Phule; Maharashtra Rajya Sahitya Aani Sanskruti Mandal, Mumbai 

This is a live article which means it is in the mode of improvement. With the flow of reading new things will be added or many things can be removed too.

Resources on Mukta Salve, Fatima Shaikh and Savitribai Phule

विचारवंत

कश्मीर-लडाखची,
एकीकडे दुष्काळ दुसरीकडे महापुराची
किंवा जागतिक आदिवासी दिनाची
बातमी वाचत गरम होऊन
समकालीन चर्चेत मग्न झालेला विचारवंत
क्लोरोफ्लोरो फ़ैलावत
एसीच्या हवेत
डोकं थंड करण्याचा प्रयत्न करतो...

हे सर्व विसरून
ऐन पंचविशीत आलेली त्याची मनबुद्धी
आपल्या एकतर्फी प्रेम असलेल्या प्रेयसीच्या
वॉल वरील फोटो बघत,
कॅप्सन वाचत
मनमिळावू स्वप्ने रचू म्हणत होती ...

पण उकिरड्यावर पडलेलं घर,
गावाकुसा बाहेर फेकलेला समाज,
इतिहास, राजकारण,
श्वासा-श्वासात दडलेल्या भेदाभेदीच्या कहाण्या
ज्ञानाची गरज समजावून भाग पाडतात
कि भाई
तुझं दुतर्फी प्रेम पुस्तकांवरच लवकर होईल
तेंव्हा कुठे ज्ञानाचं,
इतिहासाचं,
राजकारणाचं
अन प्रेमाचपण द्वंद्व मिटनं...

~ ज्ञानेश 

दु. १२:४५, ०९ ऑगस्ट २०१९

तिच्या प्रेमातलं मेट्याफिजिक्स

बेल हूक म्हणते,
"जेव्हा तुम्ही संवेदनशील होता,
प्रेम करायला लागता,
तेव्हा तुमची डॉमिनेशन, ऑपरेशनच्या विरोधात
आणि फ्रीडम, लिबरेशनच्या समर्थनात
वागण्याची सुरुवात होते."

हळू हळू आपण आजुबाजुच्या
ऑप्रेसीव स्ट्रक्चरांना तोड़ण्याची तयारी दाखवतो,
जात, पितृसत्ताकता, लैंगिकता,
कलर, धर्म, वर्ग... कदाचित सगळ्यांनाच.
पितृसत्ताकता सध्या खोल वाटते मला,
कोणीतरी, "ती" माझ्यापेक्षा जास्त भारी सांगू शकेन.

तर सवेंदना अखंड असतात,
तशीच संवेदनशीलताही अखंड, अविरत, अमाप...
म्हणजे मानवी जग हे प्रेमाच्या पातळीवर
कायमस्वरूपी एस्ट्रक्चरलचं वाटायला लागत.

---

साहित्यात नावाजलेल्या पॉपुलर
लोकांच्या कादंबऱ्या, कविता ती मला गिफ्ट करते,
त्यांची फोटोज व्हाट्स अप करते,
फेसबुकला पर्सनली टॅग करते,
तिला आवडणाऱ्या ग़ज़ल्स, शायऱ्या, चारोळ्या,
यूट्यूबचे नवनवीन वीडिओज़,
कधी फोनवर तर कधी समोर वाचून दाखवते.
इनवाइट पन करते तिच्या आवडीच्या
साहित्य मैफिलींसाठी.

मनाला भावनिक बनवणाऱ्या
आणि निष्कर्षात निष्क्रिय करणाऱ्या तिच्या फर्मायशी
बांधतात मला सकाळ, दुपार, संध्याकाळ, रात्री
अब्स्ट्रक्ट, स्पिरिच्युअल साखळ्यांनी.

तिच्या साहित्यातल्या प्रेमाची नैतिकता
भावनिक गुलाम बनवू पाहते मला दररोज,
हिप्नोटाइज करते, बाथरूममध्ये बंद ठेवते,
अन्थरुणामध्ये उशीला आसवांनी ओल करू पाहते.
हे सगळ काही विचार करून एक्सेप्ट करण
म्हणजे शेवटी स्वतःलाच एपिस्टेस्मिकल दुविधेत पुरण.

---

पुढे ही दुविधा चक्रवाढि पसरत जाते.
तिच येणं तिच्यासाठी
अन माझ जाणं माझ्यासाठी
एकटं जरी पुरेस असल
तरी तिच्या घरच्यांना माझ्याबद्दल,
माझ्या घरच्यांना तिच्याबद्दल,
आवड-निवड, शिक्षण-विचार,
स्वभाव-हुशारी, प्रेम-फ्यूचर सोडून_

प्रश्न पडतात

कोण खालच्या जातीच अन कोण वरच्या?
दोघींही जातींच्या शिडीला पायऱ्या किती?
खाली सेप्टिक चेम्बरमध्ये उतरायचं की
वरती "सोनेरी स्वर्गा" कडे चढायचं?

उतरायच असेन तर काळजी वाटते
पायऱ्यांना लागलेल्या कार्बनी गंजाने
गोरेगोमटे तळपाय काळे होतील याची.
चढायच ठरवलं तर भीति वाटते
हाताला चिकटलेल्या गंजामुळे
सोन्याच्या भट्टित सिजण्याची.

एन्डोगॅमी - एक्झॉगॅमी
हायपरगॅमी - हायपोगॅमीच्या
डेफिनेशन्स नसल्या तरी रित्या सगळ्या तोंडपाठ.
गणित शिकलेल्या-न शिकलेल्या
किंवा पास-फेल झालेल्या
कश्याहि मायबापाला
जातितल अंतर अचूक मोजता येत
निष्कर्ष सर्वांची सारखीच येतात
अगदी विज्ञानाच्या प्रयोगासारखे.

माझ्या शिडीबाहेरिल आणि ऍण्टी-शिडी असलेल्या
नवबुद्धिस्ट असण्याचा फरक सध्या
मलाच पडत असावा कदाचित.
जे ओढतं मला शिडी बाहेर,
जाळेण शिडीलाही मुळांपासून!

~ ज्ञानेश 

स. ११:३० २२ नोव्हेंबर २०१८ 

मायवरची कविता

दुःखात डुबलेल्या तुझ्या
अमाप इच्छांना
तू रगडलयसं
भाकरीच्या पिठासारखं

मी मात्र उब मानून
सतत शेकत राहिलो देह माझा
तुझ्या पोळलेल्या
हातांच्या स्पर्शांनी_

---

म्हणून आज बाहेर
कसाही पाऊस पडत असला
गारा पडल्या
आकाश सप्तरंगी झालं
तरी करपलेल्या माझ्या मनाला
कविता सुचते
तुझ्या आकांताची

जेवतांना...
जेवण बनवतांना

~ ज्ञानेश
दु. ४:५०; १५ जुलै २०१८