Question

State your opinion:

Mahatma Jotirao Phule was the first social reformer of Maharashtra. 

Answer 1

I strongly believe that Mahatma Jotirao Phule was Maharashtra's first social reformer because of his tireless efforts to advance women's education, social fairness, and the betterment of marginalized people.

• Pioneer of Women’s Education: He was a pioneer in women's education, breaking down social boundaries and advancing education when he and his wife, Savitribai Phule, opened Pune's first school for girls in 1848.
• Abolition of Caste Discrimination: He pushed for equal rights for Dalits and Shudras, fighting against untouchability and the higher castes' domination. He criticised the social inequities that lower castes had to deal with in his novel "Gulamgiri" (Slavery).
• Social Movements for Justice: He established the Satyashodhak Samaj (1873) to encourage equality and self-respect among underprivileged groups as part of social movements for justice.