Vitthal Ramji Shinde

Vitthal Ramji Shinde (23 April 1873 – 2 January 1944) was an Indian social reformer, writer, and scholar. He is known for his work in combating untouchability and advocating for religious reform and social reform during the British Raj.^[1] Shinde was associated with progressive reform movements in India and contributed to the early discussion on caste and Dalit rights.^[2][3][4][5]

Vitthal Ramji Shinde
Born	Vitthal Ramji Shinde 23 April 1873 Jamkhandi, British India (now Karnataka, India)
Died	2 January 1944 Bombay Province, British India
Citizenship	Indian
Education	Fergusson College (BA)
Occupation(s)	Writer, Researcher
Known for	Social Reformer, Missionary

Early life

Shinde was born on 23 April 1873, in the princely state of Jamkhandi, now in Karnataka, into a Maratha family. ^[6] His early childhood was influenced by a family environment that was tolerant to different ideologies, beliefs and people; his family friends and acquaintances came from all religions and castes.

His early spiritual awakening came from his reading of Sant Tukaram, Sant Eknath and Sant Ramdas of Maharashtra, while his intellectual awakening was influenced by the writings of many intellectuals such as Hari Narayan Apte, Principal Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, John Stuart Mill, Herbert Spencer, Max Müller, Chief Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade and Sir R. G. Bhandarkar.

Education

In 1898, Shinde earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fergusson College, Pune. He began law studies and passed the first-year law examination and moved to Mumbai to pursue his Bachelors of Laws, but gave up his studies to "follow other, more compelling callings in his life". In the same year, he joined the Prarthana Samaj [Prayer Society] and became one of its missionaries, where he was influenced by figures such as Ganesh Balaji Kotkar, Shivrampant Gokhle, Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade, Sir Ramakrishna Gopal Bhandarkar and Krishnarao Bhaurao Marathe. In 1901, with the financial support of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III of Baroda State, he went to Manchester College, Oxford to study comparative religion.^[7]

Career

After returning to India in 1903, Shinde resumed his work with the Prarthana Samaj and became active in efforts to address caste-based discrimination.^[8] He focused on education and social welfare initiatives for the Depressed Classes. In 1905, he opened a night school for Dalit and untouchable children in Pune. The following year, he founded the Depressed Classes Mission in Bombay.

In subsequent years, he established the Murali Pratibandhak Sabha [Murali Prohibition Council] in 1910 and organised the Asprushyata Nivaran Parishad [Untouchability Eradication Council] in 1912. In 1917, Shinde played a role in passing a resolution at the Indian National Congress condemning the practice of untouchability.

Between 1918 and 1920, he was involved in organizing conferences on untouchability, with some convened under the president-ship of leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sayajirao Gaekwad III. He also presented evidence before the Southborough Franchise Committee in 1919, advocating for political representation of marginalized castes. In 1923, he resigned from the executive of the Depressed Classes Mission due to internal disagreements, but he remained associated with its objectives.

In 1930, Shinde participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement and was imprisoned for six months of penal labour in Yerwada Central Jail, Pune.^[7]

Writings and views

During the 1920 Bombay Presidency council elections, which he contested from Pune, he published a Marathi-language article titled Bahujan Paksh [Majority Party] in Baroda’s Jagruti Patra [Awakening Newsletter].^[1] The article served as a political statement and outlined the objectives of the Bahujan Samaj Paksha [Majority Society Party], a party aimed at representing socially and economically disadvantaged groups in Indian society.^[9]

In 1933, Shinde published Bhartiya Asprushyatecha Prashna [India's Untouchability Question], addressing issues such as caste, religious orthodoxy, and social discrimination. He criticized idolatry, ritualism, hereditary priesthood, and practices that, in his view, obstructed social equality. He emphasized a direct relationship between individuals and the divine, without the need for intermediaries. His thoughts and examination of the Hindu religion and social culture were similar to Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Dayananda Saraswati. ^[7]

Depressed Classes Mission

The mission's purpose was to elevate the social and spiritual condition of the Depressed Classes, such as the Mahars, Chamars, and Namasudras.To accomplish this, the society worked to:

• Promote education.
• Provide work opportunities.
• Address social injustices.
• Preach the values of liberal religion, strong character, and good citizenship.^[10]

Death

Vitthal Ramji Shinde died on 2 January 1944, at the age of 70.^[11]