Today is #GuruPurnima, and therefore a short thread 🧵about Savitribai Phule, regarded as the first female teacher in India and also widely referred to as the mother of Indian feminism.
PC- Malvika Asher
She was married at the age of 10 to Jyotirao Phule, who was 13 at the time. Both belonged to "lower caste" & hence didn't have access to education.
However, through sheer grit & determination, supported by Jyotirao, Savitribai completed her education.
(photo credit: @Velivada)
She started teaching girls and by the age of 20 was running three schools with Jyotirao. The curriculum was different from what was taught in government schools at the time and was inspired by the western curriculum of mathematics, science, and social studies.
The Phule methods were regarded as being superior to those used by then government schools. As a result of this reputation, the number of girls receiving their education at the Phule’s schools outnumbered the number of boys enrolled in government schools.
Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule’s success came with much resistance from the local community.
Savitribai often travelled to her school carrying an extra sari because she would be assailed by her conservative opposition with stones, dung, and verbal abuse.
PC- @htTweets
Together with her husband, she taught children from different castes and opened a total of 18 schools.
The couple also opened a care centre called Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha ("Child-killing Prohibition Home") for pregnant rape victims & helped deliver and save their children.
She also played an important role in the success of Jyotirao Phule’s institution Satyashodhak Samaj that fought for equality of all castes.
PC- Malvika Asher
The good @bakarmax_ created a crossover comic between Tarantino's Django Unchained & a badass Savitribai called Dalit Unchained.
bakarmax.com/comic/dalit-un…
Here is @googlearts profile artsandculture.google.com/story/savitrib…
PC - Malvika Asher
University of Pune was renamed as Savitribai Phule Pune University in 2015 in her honour.
Her birthday is also celebrated as “Balika Din” in Maharashtra every year.
PC- @IndianExpress
Awake, arise and educate
Smash traditions-liberate!
We’ll come together and learn
Policy-righteousness-religion,
Slumber not but blow the trumpet
O Brahman, dare not you upset.
Give a war cry, rise fast
Rise, to learn and act - Savitribai Phule
PC- @FeminismInIndia
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.