Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday paid tribute to legendary social reformer Mahatma Jyothiba Phule on his 190th birth anniversary, saying that the leader was a stalwart ahead of his time.
"Mahatma Phule was a stalwart ahead of his time, who gave voice to the marginalised & sought to end their suffering. Tributes on his Jayanti," the Prime Minister tweeted.
Calling on the nation to seek inspiration from Phule's ideals, he said that everyone must endeavour to create an equal and harmonious society where the role of education is pivotal.
Apart from launching crusades for girl child education and women empowerment, Mahatma Jyothiba Phule strived his entire life for achieving social justice in India.
Phule's work was grounded in the colonial belief that India was in dire need of reform in every aspect of national, social and family life, and that the west was both the model to emulate and the harbinger of the required improvement. (ANI)
His work extended to many fields including eradication of untouchability and the caste system, women's emancipation and the reform of Hindu family life.
He and his wife, Savitribai Phule, were pioneers of women's education in India. He is most known for his efforts to educate women and the lower castes as well as the masses. After educating his wife, he opened the first school for girls in India in August 1848.