Vithal Ramaji Shinde

Mahrshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde (April 23, 1873 – January 2, 1944) was one of the most important social and religious reformers in Maharashtra, India. He was prominent among the liberal thinkers and reformists in India, prior to her independence. His greatest contribution was to remove the practice of untouchability and bring about equality to the depressed classes in Indian society.

Early life

He was born in 1873 in the princely state of Jamkhandi in Karnataka, India, a member of a Marathi-speaking Maharashtrian family. His early childhood was influenced by a liberal family environment. The family friends and acquaintances came from all religions and castes. He was brought up to think that religion was not just a matter of a blind faith and meaningless rituals or pujas, but meant getting personally and emotionally involved in the service of God.

He was influenced by the writings of many intellectuals such as, Hari Narayan Apte, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer, and Max Müller.

Education

In 1898 he obtained a B.A. degree from the Fergusson College at Pune, India. He had also studied and passed the first year law and moved to Mumbai (Bombay) for the LL.B. examination; however, he gave up this course to attend to other compelling callings in his life. This same year he joined the Prarthana Samaj, where he was further inspired and influenced by G.B. Kotkar, Shivrampant Gokhle, Justice Mahadev Govinda Ranade, Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar and K.B. Marathe. He became a missionary for the Prarthana Samaj.

The Prarthana Samaj selected him to go to England in 1901, to study comparative religion at Manchester College, Oxford, which had been founded by the Unitarian Church. Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, of Baroda, a progressive and reformist, provided some financial help for his travels abroad.

Life work

After returning from England in 1903, he devoted his life to religious and social reforms. He continued his missionary work for the Prarthana Samaj. His efforts were devoted mainly to the removal of untouchability in India.

In 1905 he established a night school for the children of untouchables in Pune, and in 1906 he established the Depressed Classes Mission in Mumbai (Bombay). In 1922 the mission’s Ahalyashram building was competed at Pune.

In 1917 he succeeded in getting the Indian National Congress to pass a resolution condemning the practice of untouchability.

From 1918 to 1920, he went on to convening all the India untouchability removal conferences. Some of these conferences were convened under the president-ship of Mahatma Gandhi and Maharaja Sahyajirao Gaekwad.

His written communications with the Mahatmaji are noteworthy.

In 1919 he gave evidence before the South borough Commission, asking for the special representation for the untouchable castes.

In 1923 he resigned as the executive of the Depressed Classes Mission since some of the members of the untouchable castes wanted its own leaders to manage the mission’s affairs.

His work and association with the Mission continued even though he was disappointed by the separatist attitude of the leaders of the untouchables, especially under the leadership of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Like the Mahatma Gandhi, he wanted unity amongst the Harijans (untouchables) and the Hindu caste, and feared that the British rule would take advantage of such divisions within Indian society. In 1930 he participated in the Civil Disobedience movement of Mahatma Gandhi and was imprisoned for six months of hard labor, in the Yerawda prison near Pune.

In 1933 his book "Bhartiya Asprushyatecha Prashna" ("India’s untouchability question") was published.

His thoughts and examination of the Hindu religion and social culture were similar to Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Dayananda Saraswati. In his writings, he rejects the caste system, idol worship, and inequities against woman and depressed classes. He rejected meaningless rituals, the dominance of hereditary priesthood, and the requirement for a priest to mediate between God and his devotees.

Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde died on January 2, 1944.

ources

This article is based mainly on the following sources:

"Vitthal Ramji Shinde, An Assessment of his Contribution" (book in English language), by M.S. Gore (1989), published by Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay, India.

"Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde, Jeevan wa Karya" (life and work) (book in Marathi language), by Dr. G.M. Pawar (2004), Mumbai (Bombay), India. ISBN 81-88284-37-8.