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The
Depressed Classes of India in general and of Maharashtra in particular owe a
deep depth of gratitude to
the late Rajashri Shahu Maharaja or the
work that he did for them. Not only did he fight
fiercely on their behalf to free them
from the yokes of
slavery, ignorance and poverty to which they
were subjected, for thousands of years, by the higher Hindu castes but
he also laid the foundation on which their future leader Dr. Ambedkar
could stand and carry on the unfinished task with undaunted courage.
The
pioneering reforms that he
introduced and implemented for upliftment of untouchables, fifty years before,
have all now found a place in the constitution of free India. During his
administration from 1894 to 1922, he introduced reforms for the welfare of his
subjects but one task, to which he specially devoted his energies was the
removal of the social inequalities and disabilities imposed upon the
untouchables who armed 1/5th of the country's total population.
Right
from the beginning his realisation, appears to be, that there was; a necessity
of setting on the right track the whole social machine, which, for ages, had
strayed along lines harmful to national growth. To do this,
he had to embark on a strenuous campaign against the evils, the
traditional hierarchy of castes.
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The
untouchables in India stand in a position, which has nothing, parallel or
analogous to it in the history of mankind. Slavery is the worst form of
injustice which humanity all the world over has known. But the implications, of
untouchability to which we in India have condemned a large section of our own
fellowmen, are in some respects worse than the worst form of slavery.
Untouchables
live or are made to live outside the village in an out of the way comer, which
is the dirtiest and filthiest part of the village. They are not to come within
the limits of the temple of the Gods, which are the common Gods of all the Hindu
Community. They are not to draw water from the public wells of the village. They
are not to enjoy the benefits of the public rent-houses. They may die of thirst
but they cannot touch the tank or pond of the village. Even for service of the
lowest kind, they are not to enter the Hindu household. Their very touch is a
sin to be avoided at all costs, to be exploited by washing your body and the
clothes covering it. Their chief
duty is with the dead beasts of the villages, to bear the carcasses of animals
out of the village, feed themselves on the rotten flesh of dead animals and at
the best, work in their primitive ways on the skins of those animals.
During
the career of Sawai Madhavrao, the Peshwa Government had decreed that the Mahars
being Atishudras' beyond shudras " could not have their marriage rites
conducted by the regular Brahmin priests. They were asked to be content
themselves with the services of their caste men-priests, the Medhe-Mallars.
The
British brought with them a culture with no castes and a literature full of
thoughts on individual liberty. With the introduction of English education some
educated Indians began to think in terms of introspection. Movements
of a more militant nature against caste were not slow to arise. In 1873, Jotirao
Phule of comparatively little education started an association of members called
the Satyashodhak Samaj with the purpose of asserting the worth of man
irrespective of caste.
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The
Census Report of Kolhapur of 1901 gives very vivid and graphic description of
the untouchables throwing much light on their miserable conditions. It appears
from the report that the untouchables numbered 1,O3,889 in the year 1901 in
Kolhapur and in S.M.C. The Mahars, Mangs, Chambhars and Dhors were enumerated as
untouchables in the report. The report says," The first are very useful
village servants. The carcasses of cattle are their special perquisites and in
these days hides, bones and horns are valuable, their income have increased. The
Mangs are also useful to the village community, they are professional rope
makers. All of these are supposed to be unclean and no Hindu will touch them.
The penalty for an accidental or wilful touch is a bath with all the clothes
worn at the time of the contamination. In Ratnagiri and other Konkan Districts,
the treatment, which these despised classes receive is very harsh and
unreasonable.
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When
Shahu Chatrapati took the administration in Ius hand in 1894, majority of
State Officers were Brahmins. Other backward classes remained aloof from
education and consequently from State services. Thus, from the beginning Shahu
realised the necessity of setting on the right track the whole social machine
which for ages had strayed along lines harmful to national growth. To do this,
he had to embark on a strenuous campaign against the evils of the traditional
hierarchy of castes. He set about his work systematically. His first step, to
this effect, was the reservation of 50 percent of posts for backward classes.
In
the year 1902, His Highness was invited to England to attend the coronation of
his Majesty King Edward VII. During this sojourn in England, he issued the
order from England, to the effect, that 50 per cent posts of the State
Services should be reserved for the Backward Class candidates. This was indeed
a landmark in his career as a social reformer. The original order dated 26th
July, 1902 stated,
"Endeavors
have been made in recent years in the Kolhapur State to foster and encourage
the education of all classes of the subjects, so far, but His Highness regrets
to have to record that those endeavors have not in the case of the more
backward classes met with the success that was hoped for. His Highness, has
had the matter under very careful consideration, has come to the conclusion
that this want of success is due to the fact that the rewards for the higher
education are not sufficiently widely distributed. To remedy this to a certain
extent and to establish within the State an incentive to the backward classes
of His Highness's subjects to study upto a higher standard His Highness has
decided that it is desirable to recover for those classes a larger share of
employment in the State service's; than has hitherto been the case."
He immediately ordered :
" From the date of
this order., 50 per cent of the vacancies of that may occur shall be filled by
recruits from among the backward classes. In all offices in which the
proportion of officers of the backward classes at present is less than 50 per
cent, the next appointment shall be given to a member of those classes. A
quarterly return of all appointments made after the Issue of this order shall
be submitted by all Heads of Departments. For the purpose of these orders the
backward classes shall be understood to mean all castes other than Brahmins,
Prabhu, Shenavi, parsees and other advanced classes-. "
His formula appears to be that the reservation of
post would encourage the backward classes for education and their education
would fetch them the offices. |
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The
problems of untouchables were very dear to the heart of Maharaja. In the month
of February 1908, he founded an education society with the object of spreading
education among the untouchable classes of the Kolhapur State. Rao Bahadur
Sabnis was the President and Shri G. K. Kadam and A. B. Olkar, were its
Secretaries. They had, at that time, secured an annual subscription of Rs. 300
and the Society expected a substantial help from His Highness Shahu
Chhatrapati. Major Wodehouse, then Political Agent, also took a deep interest
in the Society and became a first class member of it.
The
immediate object of the Society was to help some of the promising boys of
those classes to complete their secondary and higher education in the local
Rajaram High School and College. They founded a special class to coach up some
boys in their vernacular studies. Students were attending the class. One of
the secondary objects of the Society was to raise them to the higher level of
social life. Special prizes were awarded to clean boys in the coaching class
and four such scholarships had been awarded to pupils of the untouchable
classes at Kolhapur.
Again,
a course of lectures had been arranged by this Society to foster a desire for
education among these classes and small but numerous prizes were proposed to
be awarded to deserving students belonging to these classes, studying in the
primary schools in the State.
The
year 1919 was a landmark in the Shahu's anti-untouchability movement. He, by
his order closed all the separate schools meant for the low castes and threw
all public schools open for the untouchable. The order that he issued on 30th
September. 1919 states:
"From the
ensuing Dasara of this year 1919, all the separate schools for untouchables in
the Karveer State (excluding Jahagiri) should be closed forever and any boy
from this community should be admitted in the Government Schools like other
boys from higher community. As the practice of untouchability is not to be
observed in schools. all boys from all castes and religions should sit and
learn together."
In
the year 1919 there were 16 schools maintained specially for the benefit of
the students of the depressed classes and Shahu closed all these forever. He
threw all general schools open to the untouchable students. This proved to be
one of the most effective steps of Shahu in removing the civil disabilities
hitherto imposed on the untouchables in the schools. |
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Maharaja
was a champion of social justice and equal opportunities for all. He believed
in protecting the weak against the strong. The aim of his measures was to
raise the lower castes from their abject position in society by employing them
and fitting them for hitherto closed avenues of lite. For lack of educated men
among them, he had to content himself by employing them in his household
services. He appointed untouchable coach men. The coach men, placed on the
coach boxes of State carriages on all occasions, even during his daughter's
marriage came publicly in association with the upper caste men who had to
tolerate their presence and touch on all occasions. In India. since past, it
was considered a privilege to serve as an elephant driver. His Highness
employed some untouchables in this popularly exalted position. The right to
have sword in their belts on public ceremonial occasions walia badge of
Kshatriyaship. His Highness gave some of them these swords of honor and
allowed them to appear in State functions, like the soldiers and sardars
of the warrior class.
Maharaja
took various administrative measures with the object of removing the bar of
untouchability. The first step was the appointment of the untouchables as
Talathis "the new stipendiary village ministers. who were hitherto
members of the heaven born, Brahmin Community. The untouchable Talathis, thus,
appointed became important officers of village. The men who always Stood
outside the village chavadi were at once lifted up to the side of the headman
holding charge of the Revenue Daftar. The change was as sudden as it was
dramatic. Preference was given to fit men of the depressed classes over
everybody else. They were allowed thence to be promoted according to merits to
every departments of the State. Some of them were appointed clerks in offices
in February 1919.
The
chief among other measures adopted were: (1) the abolition of untouchability
on water-pipes, tanks, wells, in Dharamshalas,
hospitals, schools and other public places, (2) Free Boarding Houses
for them at Sontali and the Station Bungalow, (3) abolition of separate
schools for the untouchables. The enrolment of several untouchable members a
pleaders in the State. |
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"All
Officers in the State, Revenue, Judicial or General Department must treat the
untouchables who have entered the State services with kindness and equality.
If any State Officer has any objection to treat the untouchable according to
the above order, he will have to give notice of resignation within six weeks
from the receipt of this order and resign his post. He will he entitled to no
pension. His Highness expects every subject of his should be treated like a
human being and not like a beast. His Highness wishes and hopes that they will
follow on the Railway Authorities and Government Offices."
It
must specially be noted here that these orders issued by Maharaja faced much
opposition both from bureaucracy and from the upper castes. Maharaja himself
narrates :" To my great surprise, I find that the Huzoor Office, has
carelessly lost my order dated 15th January, 1919. I really regret that such
carelessness should prevail in my office. Stringent measures would be taken,
if such mistakes occur again. In the same way, an order dated 1st Janaury,
1919 for the guidance of the medical staff was purposely not gazetted. Now
both these orders should be published in the next issue of the state gazette.
In
order to do away with the practice of untouchability, at least, at public
places like public wells, river sides, temples etc. he passed an order on 6th
September, 1919 to the effect that:
"Untouchability
is not to be observed in places such as public buildings, sanatoriums, rest
houses, Government boarding houses, public wells and river sides. Just as
Dr.Vail and Dr. Wanless of American Mission treat everyone equally in their
public building and at public wells, we should also discard differences in the
treatment of the untouchables. In the event of failure to do so me village
officers (Patil and Talathi) will be held responsible."
Shri
Shahu took another revolutionary step in abolishing the forced labour by law.
He issued the following order on 3rd May, 1920 in this respect
"Except
the royal family members and office work no other should extract forced labour
(Veth Veral) from Mahar, Mang etc. for their personal purposes. Even the
higher officials such as State Diwan, State Regent or Administrators, are not
allowed to make use of forced labour from these backward peoples for any
purpose other than official work. If any Patil unduly took the service of Veth
Veral from any Mahar against this order, his Watan would be attached. If
anybody forced any Mang to the work of twisting a rope or any Nada free of any
wage, he would be Subject to severe punishment." |
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Shahu's
fame as a Champion of the untouchables cause had spread far and wide. Almost
all prominent place in Maharashtra were given a stimulus in regard to the
removal of untouchability. In several of their conferences untouchables
eulogised his reforms. Shahu was organising the depressed classes workers into
a strong party, inspiring them to fight for their own welfare and to choose
their own leaders from among their workers and not to have faith in the
leadership of the caste Hindus.
Some
time in 1919, Shahu had met Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. His young spirited and devoted
associate Dattoba Pawar, a Chamar had made friends with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar
and introduced him to Shahu Chatrapati.
During
this period, 1918-20. Dr. Ambedkar came into contact with Shahu Maharaj and
correspondence and meetings were held between Shahu Maharaj and Dr. Ambedkar.
At their first meeting, there was considerable discussion about the
forthcoming Montague Reforms. The late Shri Khairmode has very brilliantly
narrated the story of this meeting. He writes, "Dr. Ambedkar expressed
desire to start a newspaper to voice the grievances and demands of the
untouchables publicly. But he was helpless for want of money. Shri Shahu went
to his gave him Rs.2500 to start "Mook Nayak" meaning leader of
dump, the first news paper of the untouchables. Shri Shahu had great regard
for Dr. Ambedkar, for he had shown to the world that learned men were not born
among the brahmins alone.
His
Highness did his best to give representation for untouchables in the new
council. In
his letter of October 4, 1920, he recommended Shri R. K. Kadam, a man
from the Mahar Community, who was introduced to him by Dr. Ambedkar, for
nomination on the reformed Council.
On
March 21 and 22, 1920 the enthusiastic Patil of the village of Mangaon in the
Kagal Jahagir of the Kolhapur State organised the first Conference of the
Deccan Untouchables under the leadership of Dr. Ambedkar, the first graduate
of the Mahar Community. |
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It
is well-known that Shri Shahu's activities of social upliftment did not
confine to his State alone. He attended a number of conferences and meetings
both of untouchables and of non-Brahmins. His addresses in these meetings and
conferences speak of his own view on caste in general and untouchability in
particular. At the third All-India conference of the untouchables at Delhi on
16th February, 1922 he expressed :
"You
are also to be congratulated upon that you are all collected here to make a
united effort for your progress in a peaceful way. It is really suggestive of
the new spirit that has been created in you. If you continue incessantly this
agitation of the new spirit, this effort of self -progress, this tough fight
for freeing yourself from the socially degrading position, I feel quite sure
that God will crown your efforts with success. I pray you, not to stick to
your hereditary professions alone, you must make an emphatic struggle to
educate yourselves and enter into the army and the various other offices of
several departments of Government. Not only that but you should follow the
merchants, you should attain proficiency in all these lines and push
yourselves forward."
"The
ban of untouchability" he proceeded, " has been flung over you since
ages, is loosing ground and I am sure a day will soon dawn when the ban will
only be a bygone word. You must learn to keenly watch your rights. Whenever
you find your social rights are invaded, you have to remain firm and guard
your rights not in a spirit of fighting and hatred but in a spirit of wisdom
and love."
At
Nashik he said," Leaders, do not be short sighted. Have a vision of the
future. Total dissolution of castes is necessary. To uphold castes is a sin.
Castes are an obstacle in the path of the common advancement of us all and our
duty, therefore, is to remove it at any cost with all the courage that we can
muster. |
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