Row after Maharashtra Governor ‘mocks’ Savitribai Phule’s child marriage

Koshyari’s remarks smack of Sangh mentality, says Congress

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. File | Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre

After drawing flak for his controversial remarks on Maratha warrior King Shivaji, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was slammed by the ruling Congress for allegedly mocking 19^th century social reformers Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule for “getting married at a young age”.

Mr. Koshyari, who recently stoked controversy when he said Samarth Ramdas was Chhatrapati Shivaji’s ‘guru’ contrary to historical evidence, was now taken to task by the Congress which tweeted part of a clip of the Governor’s address made in Pune on February 14.

In the clip, Mr. Koshyari is seen chortling while commenting on the child marriage of Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule.

“Savitribai was married off when she was ten years old… and her husband [Jyotirao] was 13 years old. Now imagine, what would the boy and girl have been doing after marriage? What would they have been thinking?” Mr. Koshyari had said, while cackling with laughter during the inauguration of a statue of Savitribai Phule in the city last month.

The Congress, which shares power with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government, lashed out at the Governor, remarking that Mr. Koshyari’s statements smacked of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) “regressive mentality”.

“The [Governor’s] hand gestures [in the clip], the laughter...all of it is disgusting,” the party said on Twitter. “...It is Maharashtra’s misfortune that it got a Governor who does not have a sense of what to say when.”

Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule were married in 1840 when child marriage was common in India.

In a direct response to the Governor’s question, Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said Savitribai and Jyotiba were thinking of making women who had lived in ignorance, under the yoke of ‘Manusmriti’, aware of their power through education.

“Savitribai saw Jyotiba engaged in studies and asked him to teach her. She paved the way for the education of women in the country. Through a dialogue spanning eight years, Savitribai set up the first school for girls at the age of 17…but the RSS people, who support the Manusmriti, will never understand this,” said Mr. Sawant, rebuking Mr. Koshyari.

Congress secretary Ashish Dua said the Governor had been sent by the “anti-Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party” to insult the contributions of legendary social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule revered by Maharashtra’s people.

Mr. Dua said the Governor’s statements were the BJP’s criteria of proving loyalty to the “regressive Sanghi mindset.”

‘Breach of propriety’

Remarking that Mr. Koshyari’s remarks were “a breach of propriety”, Maharashtra Minister and senior Congress leader Yashomati Thakur called upon the Governor to stop “deliberately insulting personages revered in Maharashtra.”

This is the second time in recent days that a statement by the Maharashtra Governor has provoked angry reactions from political leaders in Maharashtra.

On Sunday, Mr. Koshyari had stirred the hornet’s nest by claiming that 17th century poet-saint Samarth Ramdas was Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mentor — a theory which has long been the cause of discord as it is suggestive of ‘supremacy’ of Brahmins over non-Brahmins.

“Many chakravartins [emperors], maharajas took birth on this land. But, who would have asked about Chandragupta had there not been Chanakya? Who would have asked about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had there not been Samarth [Ramdas]?” the Governor had said.

While leaders of the ruling MVA had chastised him, the Governor was also censured by BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale, a direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji.