Jyotirao Phule remembered on 135th death anniversary

Commemorative programmes marking the 135th decease day of societal reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule were held successful Ballari and Kalaburagi connected Friday, with speakers highlighting Phule’s pioneering relation successful expanding acquisition to women, Dalits and different marginalised sections astatine a clip erstwhile learning was restricted to privileged castes.

At events organised by the AIDSO territory committees successful some the cities, speakers recalled Phule arsenic a revolutionary thinker who fought British policies that imposed taxes connected the mediocre portion denying them entree to education.

They emphasised that Phule had insisted that acquisition indispensable beryllium universal, inclusive and susceptible of reaching each sections irrespective of numbers oregon societal standing.

In Ballari, AIDSO territory president K. Eranna said that Phule worked tirelessly to bring the “light of knowledge” to those trapped successful the acheronian of caste-based exclusion.

“Only acquisition tin assistance physique captious reasoning and self-respect,” helium said and noted that Phule was the archetypal to unfastened schools for the astir oppressed communities contempt facing idiosyncratic hardships.

He added that Phule had sharply criticised the assemblage authorities earlier the Hunter Commission for failing to amended the masses portion offering assemblage acquisition lone to a privileged few.

Similar sentiments were echoed astatine the Kalaburagi event, wherever AIDSO State president K.S. Ashwini said that Phule’s ideals remained applicable adjacent 2 centuries aft his birth.

“Phule argued that without raising the motivation and societal consciousness of millions, nationalist advancement is impossible. His connection indispensable scope each country of society,” helium said.

Speakers astatine the Kalaburagi programme besides criticised what they termed a “continuation of exclusionary policies” saying that the State government’s caller Karnataka Public Schools (KPS) Magnet School inaugural tin pb to the closure oregon merger of much than 40,000 authorities schools, galore of them successful agrarian areas serving marginalised communities.

Activists successful some the districts argued that merging colony schools into larger magnet schools astatine the gram panchayat level volition region mediocre students from accessible education.

They said that much than 800 schools person reportedly been identified successful the archetypal phase, allegedly with backing from overseas banks.

“Denying acquisition to the mediocre is against the ideals of Phule. Raising a corporate dependable is the existent tribute to him,” Mr. Eranna said.