India has been the land of two civilizations: one based on humanitarian values such as equality, fraternity, and justice, and the other based on inequality and injustice. The former is attributed to creating an egalitarian society, while the latter is attributed to creating a society based on caste hierarchy, which led to slavery. These two civilizations are conflicting and opposite in nature. Mulnivasi Bahujan forefathers fought against this slavery and inhuman values to create a just society based on human values. Egalitarianism became the prime objective of the Mulnivasi Bahujan forefathers, and for that cause, they dedicated their lives. Rashtrapita Jyotiba Phule was one such Mulnivasi Bahujan leader who devoted his life to nation-building. We are celebrating 150 years of his revolutionary movement, the Satyashodhak Samaj. Founded in 1873 by Phule and his colleagues, it was the first organization to challenge Brahminical supremacy and gross feudalism during the colonial era.

The condition of the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses in Maharashtra, particularly in Pune, was very peculiar. Phule identified that the lack of education was the cause of all the sufferings of the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses across India. As he delved deeper into this, he found that the Vedas and Puranas were the main cause of the mental slavery of the Mulnivasi Bahujan. In June 1873, he wrote Ghulamgiri, a scathing critique of Brahminical texts and feudalism that had enslaved the minds of the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses. Recognizing the further needs of the movement, he established the Satyashodhak Samaj. The ultimate objectives of the Satyashodhak Samaj were to liberate the Mulnivasi Bahujan from the slavery imposed by Brahmins, Joshis, Upadhyays, etc., by educating them about their real rights and freeing them from the fraudulent and self-serving scripts of Brahmins.

Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci noted that freedom from mental slavery is a precondition for revolution. Brahminism had established its cultural hegemony, and Gramsci proposed a solution to overcome this cultural hegemony, which he called counter-hegemony. Phule was much ahead of his time. For this, he introduced education as a tool of counter-hegemony, implementing and executing it long before Gramsci’s writings. Phule was a true organic intellectual.

For the survival of any movement, media is essential. Phule identified this and started publishing two newspapers: Deenbandhu and Shetkaryacha Kaivari, giving a voice to the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses. He was aware of the social and educational backwardness of the people. He did not think about monetary gain from any kind of publication; in fact, he priced Ghulamgiri at 12 annas for the general masses and 6 annas for the Mulnivasi Bahujans. This was the first time any book was published with two prices printed on it. At that time, only 9 out of 100 people could read and write, and none of them were from the Mulnivasi Bahujans; all were Brahmins and upper-caste elites who held the right to read and write, offered to them by the shastras. Phule challenged this authority using logic and reason, exposing their false hegemony. He openly rivaled the Brahmins of Pune. He was not distracted from his goal and publicly disclosed the false notions of feudalism and Brahminism.

He emphasized finding the truth in the shastras, but found nothing other than falsified narratives and myths that enslaved the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses. Truth-seeking was the agenda of this movement. The Satyashodhak Samaj started gaining momentum when people began overthrowing the old system of feudalism and Brahmin priesthood, following the rules and guidelines set by the Samaj in all aspects of life. By this stage, the Brahmins were shaken. Govind Bhau Patil, a truth-seeker and editor of the mouthpiece of the Satyashodhak Samaj, noted in his memoir that “Brahmins brought down their religious fees from 20 rupees to 8 annas, and landlords rented their land at twenty times lower rates.” This can be seen as a victory for the Samaj. When Phule walked out of his home, no one dared confront him, as they knew he would expose the falsehoods of their shastras with logic and reason, to which they had no answers.

The Samaj started multifaceted programs, including social, educational, and religious reforms, and left no stone unturned in the spread of education. This is evident in the resolutions of the Samaj passed in 1875, where 18 out of 22 resolutions were related to education. Emphasizing the importance of truth, Phule said:
Satya toch dharm karava kayam, manava aram sarv thayi
Manavacha dharma satya hich niti bakichi kunity jyoti mhane
meaning “human religion should be truth as a policy, and anything else is falsification.” Jyotiba Phule embraced this doctrine of truthfulness to illuminate the false narratives of the Shethji Bhaji.

Sant Tukaram Maharaj said:
Satya asatyashi man kele gwahi
Maniyale nahi bahumata, which translates to, “We should not accept anything as truth just because it is followed by the majority; rather, we should find out what the truth is, based on reason and rationality.” The notion of inequality and injustice was accepted by the majority, and no one dared to question the authority. But Phule unveiled the truth behind these authorities and outrightly rejected them.

The radical saint from North India, Sant Ravidas, said:
Satya vidya ko padhe sada prapt karo gyan
Raidas kahe bin vidya nar ki jan anjan, which translates to, “Always study true knowledge and attain wisdom. Ravidas says that without education, a person remains ignorant.” Ravidas said this in Banaras, another epitome of Brahminism, challenging Brahminism and appealing to the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses to get educated. Without education, humans are ignorant and unaware. All these truth-seekers from different regions and periods spoke the same message and worked on these principles. Truth-seekers find their roots in the Buddhist tradition, whose motto is Satyamev Jayate—”Truth alone triumphs.”

The examination of false and pseudo-narratives must be the ultimate goal of truth-seekers. Applying this examination to all aspects of life will lead to an understanding of the meaning of truth.

The Supreme Court of India has the motto Yato Dharmastato Jayaḥ, meaning “Where there is Dharma, there is victory.” The point of examination is, what happens if Dharma is based on distorted lies? How can one expect victory if the Dharma Shastra is rooted in outright lies? Phule advocated for Sarvajanik Satya Dharma, meaning a public truth-based religion. It is unnecessary for the Supreme Court to uphold such mottos.

Rashtrapita Phule opposed such falsehoods that strengthened the narrative of Brahminism and other measures that misled people. The movement led by Jyotiba Phule set the guiding principles for future anti-caste movements. His pioneering work led to the awakening of the Mulnivasi Bahujan masses and inspired them to work for the cause from which they were suffering. Phule worked on this cause, and it is a result of his movement that Maharashtra is known as a progressive state or “Progressive Maharashtra” in all aspects.

Author – Manav Gawande, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi