Sri Keshav Rao Koratkar, was a pioneer of political, social and educational reforms in
Hyderabad State,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Initially working on behalf of the
Marathi people, he became involved in the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
.
Early years and career
Keshav Rao Koratkar was born in a
Deshastha Rigvedi Brahmin family in 1867 at Purjal Village in his maternal grandfather's house. He was one among the five sons of Santukarao, a
Maharashtrian. At the age of nine, Keshavraoji left for his sister's house in
Gulbarga where he started learning Urdu. He decided to pursue law as a career; in 1889 he passed both law and judiciary exams and started his law career at Hyderabad in 1896. A highlight of his law career was his appointments as the High Court Judge for the state of Hyderabad.
Community service
For over two decades Keshavrao was closely associated with the reform movement of
Arya Samaj in Hyderabad. He was the President of Hyderabad Samajik Sudhar Sangh, a social reform organization. In 1907, he was instrumental in starting a school with Marathi as the language of instruction for the large local Marathi speaking community at
Residency Bazar. He was also actively involved in starting a school in
Gulbarga with his friend Sri Vittalrao Davulgavkar. He started a Marathi library in 1920 in Hyderabad and inspired the Mararastrian youth. He was instrumental in starting a Marathi monthly magazine named ''Rajhansa''.
Indian Independence Movement
Keshavrao was influenced by his friend
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and on his request in 1897 he helped the
Chapekar brothers of
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( 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 As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
, who were in hiding, seek medical help in Hyderabad. He became a part of the
Khilafat movement. Although mainly a Muslim religious movement, it became a part of the wider Indian independence movement. In 1919 Keshavrao missed his daughter's wedding to lead the
Khilafat Movement rally, an incident which exemplified his commitment to cause over family.
Final years
Keshavrao's final years were marked by ill health due to undiagnosed
diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
and impaired vision. On 20 May 1930, he went into
diabetic coma, and breathed his last on 21 May 1930.
His son Shri Vidyalankar V. K. Koratkar is also Member of Hyderabad and Bombay Legislature and
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha, constitutionally the House of the People, is the lower house of India's bicameral Parliament, with the upper house being the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by an adult universal suffrage and a first-p ...
.
References
* http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/Nanded/his1.html - 316k
* http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/VOL-II/REVOLUTIONARY_I.pdf
* http://www.epw.org.in/epw/uploads/articles/9232.pdf
* Pernau-Reifeld Margrit :Reaping the Whirlwind. Nizam and the Khilafat Movement,: Economic and Political Weekly, Vol 34, pp 2745–51
* Benichou Lucien D:From Autocracy to Integration: Political Developments in Hyderabad State,Orient Longman 2000 p. 33:
*
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Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koratkar, Keshav Rao
1867 births
1920 deaths