Thread by @dayakamPR

11th June #TheDayInHistory

#OTD in 1885, "Dnyanodaya" newspaper published a letter written by Mahatma #JyotiraoPhule to #MGRanade (13 May 1885). Ranade invited #Jyotirao to attend 2nd annual conf of marathi writers. In reply, Jyotiba wrote a thought provoking letter to Ranade 👇

In his letter #JyotiraoPhule said, "I was very glad to receive your invitation. But oh, dear brother, our institutions & books have nothing to do with authors who have not the courage or guys to grant willingly or openly bahuman rights, & from the prevailing tendencies..

it is presumed that they could never bring themselves to grant these rights to those who have been deprived of them. The teachings & message of their books are poles apart from the message from the books written by us.

Their forefathers have taken vengeance on the shudras and #AtiShudras and have condemned then in their fake writings as their slaves. Their old, decayed manuscripts bear testimony to this. The miseries & sufferings through which the #Shudras & AtiShudras had to go for ages

& have to experience now in their life can't be imagined by the wiseacres who make useless casual speeches at such meetings. This is all known to the "Sarvajanik Sabha" & it's organizers; yet for a few temporary advantages for themselves & their children,..

they have drawn a veil over their eyes. As soon as they got pensions, they turned against the British govt, assumed again the pride of caste, became arrant idol-worshippers, assumed a look of perfect purity, & began to condemn Shudras & Atishudras as insignificant & low.

They considered it a pollution to touch paper money made by British Govt who gave them pension. Is this way the Brahmins are going to uplift this unfortunate county..? We Shudras will not now believe any more in the professions of our exploiters.

In a word, we will not gain anything by mixing with them. We must think for ourselves & rely on ourselves. If these men of note aim at bringing about real unity among all sections, they should find our how lasting brotherhood & mutual love be established among all mankind.

They should find such basic principles & declare them to the world through their books. It is not right to draw a veil over the real situation....

This is all that i can say. Please send this letter for the consideration of your conference. This is the first salutations from a simple old man.

Yours Sincerely
Jotirao G. Phule.