RAJARSHI SHAHU CHHATRAPATI ANI SAMAJIK NYAY (Marathi)

1. ‘RAJARSHI SHAHU CHHATRAPATI ANI SAMAJIK NYAYA’ IS A SMALL BOOK WHICH HELPS US UNDERSTAND CHHATRAPATI SHAHU MAHARAJ’S EARNEST WISH TO HELP THE DOWNTRODDEN. HIS PANCHASUTRI (FIVE GOALS), SOCIAL JUSTICE, THE SATYASHODHAK MOVEMENT, SHAHU CHHATRAPATI AND PALACE THEATRE, LIFE OF STUDENTS FROM BAHUJAN SAMAJ STAYING IN SHIVAJI MARATHA BOARDING, ARE A PERFECT GUIDE FOR OUR NATION. ALL THE ELEVEN ARTICLES INCLUDED THEREIN REFLECT UPON CHHATRAPATI SHAHU’S VISIONARY THOUGHTS ABOUT FAMILY, SOCIETY AND EDUCATION. HE WAS FOND OF THE MUSIC MAESTRO KESHAVRAV BHONSALE AND ADORED HIS CREATION ‘LALIT KALADARSHA.’ TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR THE COMMON PEOPLE OF KOLHAPUR TO WATCH GREAT ARTISTS LIKE BALGANDHARVA AND KESHAVRAO ON THE STAGE, HE CREATED THE ‘PALACE THEATRE.’ THE VELVET CURTAIN IN MARATHI DRAMA IS KESHAVRAO’S ARTISTIC GIFT TO MAHARASHTRA. SHAHURAJE FORMED MANY RULES TO STOP INJUSTICE, HELP WOMEN, AND GIVE JUSTICE IN THE CHANGING SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SCENARIO. TO PREVENT CASTEISM, HE MARRIED HIS SISTER IN THE HOLKAR FAMILY. HE IMPLEMENTED LAWS LIKE REMARRIAGE OF WIDOWS, DIVORCE, THE RIGHT TO INHERIT, PROHIBITION OF DEVDASI, AND PROHIBITION OF MISTREATMENT OF WOMEN. BASAWESHWAR MAHARAJ FROM THE 12TH CENTURY INHERITED GAUTAM BUDDHA’S IDEOLOGY AND SHAHU MAHARAJ INHERITED THOSE FROM BOTH. MAHATMA PHULE, THE SAVIOUR OF BAHUJAN SAMAJ WROTE THE BOOK ‘SARVAJANIK SATYADHARMA’. HE ESTABLISHED THE ‘SATYASHODHAK SAMAJ.’ SHAHU MAHARAJ IMPLEMENTED ALL THESE EXPERIMENTS OF TRUTH IN REALITY. HE MADE EDUCATION EASILY AVAILABLE TO BOYS AND GIRLS. HE RECOGNISED THE DANGER OF FANATISM. TODAY, INDIA IS IN THE CLUTCHES OF DIFFERENCES BASED ON CASTE, COLOUR, RELIGION, REGION, ETC. KEEPING AWAY FROM POLITICS, POWER AND SELFISHNESS, THE PROFOUND THOUGHTS OF NATIONAL LEADERS LIKE SHAHU-PHULE-AMBEDKAR WILL PROVE INSPIRING TO NEW INDIA.