Prabhudas Patwari (1909–1985) was an Indian lawyer, community activist, freedom fighter,

Gandhian The followers of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest figure of the Indian independence movement, are called Gandhians. Gandhi's legacy includes a wide range of ideas ranging from his dream of ideal India (or ''Rama Rajya)'', economics, environmentalism, ...

follower and vegetarianism activist.

Biography

Patwari was governor of the Indian state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

between 1977 and 1980, and in 1978 was described as "very popular in the Tamil countryside." He championed and brought about several policy level changes to help the poor and helped start institutions to help marginalized and abused women and prevent child marriage both in his home state of Gujarat and as Governor of the state of Tamil Nadu. He was a staunch Gandhian who joined the Quit India movement in response to Mahatma Gandhi's call to action to the youth of India and a champion of animals and a staunch vegetarian who refused to serve meat in the Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan on the Gandhian principle of non violence. He often fought pro-bono cases for the vulnerable in society including laborers and abused women and was deeply involved in community service and deeply engaged with the Ahmedabad Gandhi Ashram community. He was a huge believer in Hindu–Muslim unity and often trying to help both sides and united them during religious riots and was much loved and respected by both communities. An advocate of abstinence, he was a teetotaler who stayed active as an anti-alcohol campaigner in his home state of

Gujarat Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...

until his death. He was put in jail under Indira Gandhi's administration for his vocal protest against the

Emergency An emergency is an urgent, unexpected, and usually dangerous situation that poses an immediate risk to health, life, property, or environment and requires immediate action. Most emergencies require urgent intervention to prevent a worsening ...

. Prabhudas Patwari's wife, Savita Patwari (b. 1915) died in December 2005, at the age of 90, in Ahmedabad.

References

Governors of Tamil Nadu 1909 births 1985 deaths Indians imprisoned during the Emergency (India) Indian independence activists from Gujarat Prisoners and detainees of British India Gandhians Indian vegetarianism activists Scholars from Ahmedabad 20th-century Indian lawyers {{India-law-bio-stub