Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil (September 22, 1887 - May 9, 1959), born in Kumbhoj,
Kolhapur, was a social activist and educator in Maharashtra, India. A strong advocate of mass education, he
founded the Rayat
Education Society. Bhaurao played an important role in educating
backward castes and
low income people by coining the philosophyearn
and learn. He was a prominent member of Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth
seeker's society), founded by Mahatma Jotirao
Phule. The people of Maharashtra honoured him with the sobriquet Karmaveer (King of actions) and the Government of India awarded
him with Padma Bhushan in
1959.
Karmaveer Bhaurao
Patil was born in a Jain farmer family at Kumbhoj inKolhapur district. Bhaurao's father was clerk in the
revenue department for East India company. Bhaurao is one of the first few
Jains known to have passed 8th class of secondary school. During childhood,
Bhaurao was heavily influenced by Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, honorable Maharaj
of Kolhapur, who provided the facility to Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil to stay in
the palace of Kolhapur with Maharaj to study, and the King of Kolhapur who was
promoter of social equality and education people belonging to backward castes.
Eventually, his father sent him at Kolhapur for further education, where he got
in contact withSatya Shodhak Movement and
found other sources of inspiration, Mahatma Phule and Maharshi
Vitthal Ramji Shinde. Bhaurao garnered political interest and
decided to tell his role in the fight for Indian freedom struggle by working in
other beneficial fields like public education. While he worked for Ogles,
Kirloskars and Coopers he participated in activities of Satya Shodhak Samaj. He
had realized by then that the only remedy for the social evils of those times
was the education of the masses. In 1919, he started a hostel where kids from
lower castes and poor families could stay and get an education, while working
to pay the expenses. This was the foundation of what later became Rayat
Shikshan Sansthan.
As Bhaurao started
working on his program to educate the masses, Gandhiji had also launched his
campaign to free India (independence movement). During a public meeting in
1921, Bhaurao happened to come across Gandhiji at Mumbai. He was highly
impressed by Gandhi's appearance in a loin cloth and his philosophy of Khadi.
Following this encounter, Bhaurao decided to adopt Khadi attire and follow
Gandhian principles in everyday living. Eventually he vowed to see it to
completion, establishing 101 schools in Gandhi's name. However, Gandhiji and
Bhaurao had a difference of opinion on the subject of accepting grants from
government for educational activities in post-independence India. Gandhiji
believed that even if the government wanted to give grants in aid to an
educational institute (or institutes) without putting any restrictions on the
institute(s), this would eventually devolve into edicts and oversight. No one
can expect to receive money without conditions forever. Bhaurao had no such
problem with accepting grants from government.The bountiful banyan is
the biography of karmaveer bhaurao patil written by barrister P.
G. Patil. Pandurang Ganapati Patil is an educationist of
Maharashtra, India.
Rayat
Education Society
While employed in the Kirloskar factory at Kolhapur, Bhaurao began working for the Satyashodhak Samaj.
In a meeting ofSatyashodhak Samaj,
held at Kale near Karad, a resolution passed
that in order to run the Satyashodhak movement successfully it would be
necessary to educate the Bahujan Samaj.[citation needed] Accordingly,
Bhaurao Patil established Rayat Shikshan
Sanstha at a small village named Kale, on October 4, 1919 on
the auspicious day of Ashok
Vijaya Dashami. This society focused on the children of the masses,
so it was named Rayat, the Marathi word for "masses". During
Bhaurao's lifetime the Sanstha created thirty-eight cosmopolitan boarding
schools, 578 voluntary schools, six training colleges, 108 secondary schools
and three colleges.
Awards]
·
People of Maharashtra
bestowed him with the title, "Karmveer" (Marathi for "King of
actions").
·
The Government of India awarded
him with Padma Bhushan in
1959.
·
The University of Pune
awarded him an honorary D.Litt in education in
the same year.[citation needed]
The Karmveer
Bhaurao Patil Samaj Seva Puraskar awards were named for him by the Dakshin Bharat
Jain Sabha. They recognize people doing notable work for the cause
of education and work towards community service
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