Madhavrao Khanderao Bagal (28 May 1895 – 6 March 1986), also called Bhai Madhavrao Bagal, was a noted writer, artist, journalist, social reformer, political activist, orator and freedom fighter from

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is kn ...

Early life

He was born on 28 May 1895 in

to Khanderao Bagal. His father Khanderao Bagal was a renowned pleader,

tehsildar In India and Pakistan, a Tehsildar or Mamlatdar is a tax officer accompanied by revenue inspectors. They are in charge of obtaining taxes from a tehsil with regard to land revenue. A tehsildar is also known as an executive magistrate of the relev ...

and also a social reformer. Khanderao was a leader of

Satyashodhak Samaj Satyashodhak Samaj (''Truth-seekers' Society'') was a social reform society founded by Jyotiba Phule in Pune, Maharashtra, on 24 September 1873. It espoused a mission of education and increased social rights and political access for underprivileg ...

and editor of a newspaper named "Hunter" and hence was also known as "Hunterkar". He received his early education at the Rajaram High School, Kolhapur and later completed painting, modelling and mural decoration courses from

J. J. School of Art The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art (Sir J. J. School of Art) is the oldest art institution in Mumbai, India, and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai. The school grants bachelor's degrees in fine art and sculpture, and Master's de ...

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

Painter

Madhavrao Bagal, created his own style of painting with expressing light and shade through minimal colors. The environment created in his painting is beautiful. He has written two books namely Artists of Kolhapur and Art and Artists that talk about art and artists in Kolhapur.

Social reformer

As a social reformer, he worked for up-liftment of

Dalit Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold Varna (Hinduism), varna syste ...

s and advocated they be allowed right to visit temple and mingling with other castes. His father was staunch Satyashodhak and Madhavrao followed his footsteps and way back in 1927, he declared that Satyashodhaks should become Socialists.

Political activist

As a political activist he founded Praja Parishad in

Kolhapur State Kolhapur State or Kolhapur Kingdom (1710–1949) was a Maratha princely State of India, under the Deccan Division of the Bombay Presidency, and later the Deccan States Agency. It was considered the most important of the Maratha principalities wi ...

in 1939 and took efforts of awaken farmers of Kolhapur and raise their voice against unjust revenues by way of agitation, in which his chief companion was

Ratnappa Kumbhar Dr Ratnappa Bharamappa Kumbhar ( September 15, 1909 – 23 December 1998), also called Deshbhakt Ratnappa Kumbhar, was an Indian independence activist from Ichalkaranji, who actively participated in the Indian independence movement. He was one ...

and others. In 1941, when local self-government was instituted in erstwhile Princely State of Kolhapur, the

Kolhapur Municipal Corporation Kolhapur municipality was established on 12 October 1954. Establishment of municipality initiated planning of modern Kolhapur city of Maharashtra state. Due to Maharashtra government anaunces the 15% growth in the municipal corporations seats ...

was put under control board of three persons — Madhavrao Bagal, Govindrao Korgaonkar and Ratnappa Kumbhar.

Freedom fighter

He was among the front runner leaders, who spearheaded the agitation for independence of India and especially merger of

into the Union of India. He was arrested with several of his compatriots like

Dinakara Desai Dinakara Desai (ದಿನಕರ ದೇಸಾಯಿ) was a poet, writer, educationist, and political activist. He was famous for his poetry form called ''chutuka'' (also known as ''Chutuka Brahma''). Chutuka or chutuku is a quadraplet poem. Thi ...

, Nanasaheb Jagadale, R. D. Minche and others. He joined

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...

in mid-1930s, disillusioned by pro-British politics played by older leaders of peasants movement like Bhaskarrao Jadhav, with whom Madhavrao had started agricultural co-operative societies in Kolhapur and adjoining regions. During 1940-47, he was closely working with leaders like

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (; ; 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948), popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist Quote: "... marks Gandhi as a hybrid cosmopolitan figure who transformed ... anti- ...

, Vallabhbhai Patel,

Jawaharlal Nehru Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (; ; ; 14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat— * * * * and author who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20t ...

After independence

He was one of the front-runner leaders from Dhangar ( Maratha )community, who jointly formed

Peasants and Workers Party Peasants and Workers Party ( el, Κόμμα Αγροτών και Εργαζομένων, KAE) was a political party in Greece. The party was allied with the Party of Democratic Socialism (KODISO), the party contested the 1981 parliamentary ele ...

in year 1947 with other former congressman such as

Keshavrao Jedhe Keshavrao Marutrao Jedhe (Deshmukh) (25 April 1896 – 12 November 1959) was an Indian independence activist and politician from Pune. He served as a leading figure in the Indian National Congress, and in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement durin ...

Pune Pune (; ; also known as Poona, (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million ...

, Shankarrao More of Pune, Kakasaheb Wagh of

Nasik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashik ...

Nana Patil Nana Patil, popularly known as ''Krantisinh'' ( lit. 'revolutionary lion'), was an Indian independence activist (freedom fighter) and Member of Parliament for the Communist Party of India representing Beed District of Marathwada region. He was a ...

of Satara, Tulsidas Jadhav of

Solapur Solapur () is a city located in the south-western region of the Indian state of Maharashtra, close to its border with Karnataka. Solapur is located on major highway, rail routes between Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Hyderabad, with a branch line ...

, Dajiba Desai of

Belgaum Belgaum (ISO 15919, ISO: ''Bēḷagāma''; also Belgaon and officially known as Belagavi) is a city in the Indian state of Karnataka located in its northern part along the Western Ghats. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous ...

, P K Bhapkar and Datta Deshmukh of

Ahmadnagar Ahmednagar (), is a city located in the Ahmednagar district in the state of Maharashtra, India, about 120 km northeast of Pune and 114 km from Aurangabad. Ahmednagar takes its name from Ahmad Nizam Shah I, who founded the town in 1494 ...

, Vithalrao Hande and others.

Writer

He is author of about 30-35 books some of which are ''Kalāvihāra'' (1966), ''Bahujanasamājāce śilpakāra'' (1966), ''Jīvana saṅgrāma; agara, siṃhāvalokana'' (1970), ''Sahavāsāntūna'' (1970), '' Bhāī Mādhavarāvajī, nivaḍaka lekhasaṅgraha'' (1998).

Death

He died in 6th March1986.

Memorials

The following institutions have been named after his as memorials:- *Madhavraoji Bagal Vidhyapeeth, Kolhapur is a University named after him. *Bhai Madhavrao Bagal Kanya Prashala, Village Kabwada, Kolhapur District. *Bhai Madhavrao Bagal Award is instituted by the Madhavraoji Bagal Vidhyapeeth, Kolhapur, which is given every year to an individual for outstanding contribution to the society.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bagal, Madhavrao 1895 births 1986 deaths People from Kolhapur Indian civil rights activists Indian socialists Indian male painters Indian independence activists from Maharashtra Indian National Congress politicians from Maharashtra Prisoners and detainees of British India Marathi-language writers Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art alumni Indian political party founders Satyashodhak Samaj Indian male journalists Peasants and Workers Party of India politicians Gandhians English-language writers from India 20th-century Indian painters Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work Marathi politicians Maharashtra politicians 20th-century Indian journalists Social workers 20th-century Indian educators Journalists from Maharashtra Social workers from Maharashtra