New Delhi, 03 January (H.S.): Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid glowing tribute on Saturday to Savitribai Phule, hailing the 19th-century trailblazer as a pioneering social reformer whose life embodied the transformative power of education and selfless service, marking her 195th birth anniversary—also celebrated nationwide as Women's Teachers' Day.

In a poignant X post, Modi wrote: On the birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule, we remember a pioneer whose life was devoted to the transformation of society through service and education. She was committed to principles of equality, justice and compassion.

Born January 3, 1831, in Naigaon, Satara district, Maharashtra, Savitribai—wife of fellow reformer Jyotirao Phule—shattered patriarchal taboos as India's first female teacher, founding the inaugural girls' school in Pune's Bhide Wada on January 1, 1848, amid casteist vitriol and orthodox backlash that saw her endure stones and filth en route.

Defying societal norms, she championed widows' education, anti-infanticide shelters, and leprosy care—famously carrying satchels for the destitute during 1897 Pune plague—while penning empowering Marathi poems instilling self-respect and mutual aid.

Her credo: education as the most powerful instrument of social change, uplifting Dalits, women, and marginalised amid Brahminical oppression.

PM Modi extolled her vulnerability advocacy as an inspiring example of service and humanity, her vision propelling India's inclusive society-building.

Echoing in a video message, he lauded her fearless regressive-practices crusade alongside Jyotirao's girls' schools, poems fostering confidence, and ecological harmony pleas—likening her to a lighthouse guiding Nari Shakti eternally.

Home Minister Amit Shah saluted her rights awakening and dignity redefinition; Phule's bicentennial nears 2031, her legacy enduring in Beti Bachao campaigns and RTE imperatives.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar