Today’s history: The country’s first female teacher died, the first school was opened for girls, fought for women throughout her life

On this day in 1897, the country’s first female teacher Savitribai Phule died. Savitribai was born on 03 March 1831 in a farming family in Naigaon, Satara, Maharashtra. She is called the leader of women’s education in the country. She devoted her whole life to the welfare of women. She is counted among the first modern feminists in the country.

Apart from being a teacher, Savitribai was also a social reformer, philosopher and poet. His poems mostly focused on nature, education and the abolition of caste system.

Fighting for women’s rights throughout her life
Savitribai Phule not only fought for women’s education and women’s rights in the country, but also opposed the evils like untouchability, child marriage, sati and widow marriage prevalent in the society at that time and struggled against them throughout her life. .

Education achieved despite the opposition of the society
In 1840, at the age of just 9, she was married to 13-year-old Jyotirao Phule. She was not educated at the time of marriage. At that time, education was considered to be the right of only men. Despite this thinking of the society, Savitribai got education. Initially, when she went to school, she was stoned and rubbish was thrown at her.

Savitribai got the support of her social reformer husband Jyotirao in all her work (Statue of both in Aurangabad)

Emphasis on girls’ education, 18 schools were opened
Savitribai’s husband Jyotirao Phule was also a social reformer and he supported the wife in every work. Savitribai and Jyotirao did a lot of work in the field of women’s education. After marriage, Savitribai started teaching girls at a very young age.

At the time when girls’ education was considered a sin, the first school for girls in the country was opened by Savitribai and her husband Jyotirao in 1848 in Pune. After this, together they opened 17 more schools for girls.

Statue of Savitribai Phule in Pune, Maharashtra

fought against the evil practices like untouchability
Savitribai not only worked for the rights of women, but she also fought against the corrupt caste system prevalent in the society. As part of his passion to end the caste system, he had built a well in his house for the untouchables.

Many efforts to improve the lives of widows, rape victims
Savitribai made a lot of efforts to improve the pathetic condition of pregnant rape victims and child widows who were left to commit suicide by the society. In 1853, she along with her husband opened a care center for such victims at their home in Pune, named “Balhatya Prabandhak Grih”, so that safe delivery of their children could be done.

At the same time, he called for a strike against the barbers to fight for the rights of the widows, so that they could not shave the widows, which was a bad practice at that time.

A postage stamp on Savitribai Phule was issued in 1998.

Promoted interracial marriage
Savitribai made a unique effort to stop the children from studying and dropping out of school. She used to give stipend to the children to go to school. He encouraged inter-caste marriages at a time when the caste system was at its peak in the country. She, along with her husband, founded the ‘Satyashodhak Samaj’ in September 1873, which conducted marriages without priests and dowry. The purpose of the establishment of this society was to get married at low cost, to abolish inter-caste marriage, child marriage and widow remarriage.

Savitribai and Jyotirao had no children of their own, they adopted Yashwant, the son of a widow, who later became a doctor. There was a plague epidemic in Pune in 1897 and due to this epidemic, Savitribai Phule died on 10 March 1897 in Pune itself at the age of 66.

The killer of Martin Luther King was imprisoned for 99 years
On this day in 1969, James Earl Ray, the assassin of Martin Luther King, was sentenced to 99 years in prison by a Memphis court.

Ray confessed his crime on the condition that he would not be given the death penalty. Martin Luther King, who spoke of non-violence, was assassinated in April 1968.

Major events of March 10 in the history of the country and the world:

200626 people were killed in a landmine blast in the Pakistani city of Quetta.

2006NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reached the orbit of Mars and started the search for water on this planet.

2002The ban on the movement of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat has been lifted.

1998Suharto, who was the President of Indonesia for more than 31 years, was elected President for the seventh consecutive time and for the last time.

1977Rings were discovered around the planet Uranus.

1973British Governor Sir Richards Sharples and his aide Captain Hugh Sears were shot dead in Bermuda on this day.

1970Born Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and President of the National Conference. Omar’s father Farooq and grandfather Sheikh Abdullah have also been the Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.

[1945Congress leader and former Union Minister Madhavrao Scindia was born. Madhavrao’s son Jyotiraditya Scindia is currently a BJP Rajya Sabha MP and a minister in the Modi government.

1922Mahatma Gandhi was arrested. Gandhi was sentenced to six years imprisonment for sedition. However, he was released after two years.

1876Graham Bell spoke to his colleague Thomas Watson on the telephone for the first time.

1801The first census took place in Great Britain.