New Delhi, 11 April (H.S.):

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla led a galaxy of dignitaries in paying floral tributes to Mahatma Jyotirao Phule at the Prerna Sthal in Parliament House complex, marking his 200th birth anniversary.

According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the solemn gathering included Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Health Minister J. P. Nadda, Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Minister of State for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, MPs, former MPs, Lok Sabha Secretary General Utpal Kumar Singh, and other notables, all offering respects to the 19th-century social reformer.

Popularly known as Mahatma Phule, Jyotirao Phule devoted his life to eradicating social and economic inequalities, championing the upliftment of the poor, farmers, and other marginalised communities.

In 1873, he founded the Satyashodhak Samaj to combat exploitation and discriminatory practices. An early advocate for agriculture's primacy, farmers' welfare, and scientific education for tillers, Phule served on the Pune Municipal Council from 1876 to 1882. In 1888, his contributions earned him the titles Mahatma and India's Booker T. Washington.

The 12-foot bronze statue at Prerna Sthal, sculpted by Ram V. Sutar and unveiled by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 3, 2003, stands as a enduring symbol of his legacy.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar