Remembering Savitribai Phule on her 190th birth anniversary today.

Happy Teacher's Day.

Every day, as young Savitribai walked to school, people (higher castes) would throw cow dung and mud at her. They were angry that she was teaching young girls from the ‘lower castes’.

1/4

In their view, the lower castes, especially women, did not deserve an education. Savitribai started carrying an extra sari to change into when she reached school. Before going home, she would change back into the dirty sari.

2/4

By the end of 1851, the Phules' were running three schools in Pune with around 150 girl students. Soon the number of girls enrolled in Phule’s schools outnumbered that of the boys in government schools.

3/4

സാവിത്രി ഭായ് ഫൂലെയുടെ ഒരു കവിതയിലെ ഭാഗം ഇങ്ങനെ (Savitribai Phule's Poem)

The opportunity is here,
For the Shudras and Ati Shudras,
To learn English,
To dispel all woes,
Throw away the authority,
Of the Brahmin and his teachings,
Break the shackles of caste,
By learning English.

Fatima Sheikh, the first Muslim female teacher of India, worked with Savitribai Phule. They pioneered reforms at a time when education was reserved only for upper-caste males & female educators were unheard of.

Played a pivotal role in changing the Indian Education system.

Fatima Sheikh has been slowly erased from Indian history, like many many others.