Lahuji Raghoji Salve

Lahuji Raghoji Salve (1811 — February 17, 1881), also known as Krantiveer Lahuji Vaastad Raghoji Salve, Krantiveer Lahujibuwa Salve was an activist, thinker, social reformer and revolutionary from Maharashtra. Lahuji is also referred to as Adya Krantikarak since he was the mentor of Vasudev Balwant Phadke who was is known as the father of Indian armed struggle. Lahuji is one of the many forgotten freedom whose big contributions to the struggle are going unnoticed.

Early life

Lahuji Raghoji Salve was born in 1811 at village Peth at the foothills of fort of Purandar in Maharashtra. Lahuji was born into Mang caste a Dalit. His father Raghoji Salve migrated to Pune for employment. They lived in Mith gunj area which is now known as Mahatma Phule Peth in Pune. Being a dalit Lahuji had not access to formal education. Lahuji's father taught him Pehlwani and he became an expert wrestler, which eventually conferred him the title of Vastaad (Marathi word for Ustad). Lahuji owned a talimkahana (gymnasium) at Ganjpeth in Pune. Some of the most prominent revolutionaries of that time visited the gymnasium notably Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Vasudev Balwant Phadke, Jyotiba Phule, Sadashivrao Paranjpe, Moro Vithal Walvekar. Lahuji not only taught them martial arts but also acted as a mentor preaching the need for Indian freedom from British Raj and the upliftment of Dalits.

ocial Reform

Lahuji was born in the Mang caste and was an untouchable. Lahuji got acquainted with Jyotirao Phule's work for liberation of depressed classes by educating them. Lahuji Salve and Ranoji Mahar teamed in together to work on the cause of spreading Mahatma Phule's objective of education for the depressed classes in Pune. They started preaching the importance of education to their brethren dalits. Lahuji and Ranoji urged their fellow dalits to send their children to the schools started by Mahatma Phule. Mahars and Mang together constitute the most of the dalit population. Lahuji was a believer and follower of Satya Shodhak Samaj society and its principles, as founded by Jyotirao. He adhered and preached these principles amongst his brethren.

Legacy

Even though Lahuji acted as a mentor to some of the prominent Indian freedom fighters information very less information on works of Lahuji is available. Legacy of Lahuji is alive in the form of various government sponsored physical education and social reform related initiatives.

Recently a shrine built by Lahuji to honour his father, at Wakdewadi in Pune was demolished by the municipal officials of Pune for roads expansion work. Lahuji had built the memorial at the place where his father had taken an oath to give his life for the cause of Indian freedom struggle. The shrine was known as Mangir Baba, mispronunciation of Mang Veer Baba (The brave Mang) shrine. This caused major uproar in the Mang community and got Lahuji and Raghoji in news for some time.

References

* [http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/2370.html Biased PMC demolished Hindu Shrine]

,Marathi