Biography of : Shri Ravbahaddur Babasaheb Bole

(Shri Sitaram Keshav Bole)

 

Lokhitwadi Ravbahaddur Sitaram Keshav alias Babasaheb Bole was born on 29th June, 1868 and died on 14th January, 1961 in Mumbai. He established various organizations. Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali was one of them. He took tremendous efforts to educate Bhandari community.

Babasaheb’s son Vishvanath and babasaheb’s other colleagues like Yashvant Bole, Shantaram Bhikaji Golatkar, Vidyadhar Bapuji Bhatkar, Atmaram Bhikaji Parkar, Shivram Bhakaji Parkar helped him.

Babasaheb devoted his life not only for Bhandari community, but he brought reforms in backward, farmers and worker’s communities too. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar was the first schedule caste student who passed SSC.

Babasaheb felicitated him. Babasaheb presented bills regarding govt. schools, wells, hospitals, courts on behalf of schedule castes.

Pioneer of Konkan Railway was none other than Babasaheb Bole.

Mr. Anil K Joshi, Achal Publication, Ratnagiri, came into contact with Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali recently. It seemed that he respects Babasaheb a lot. He proposed to publish a brief biography of Babasaheb.

He wanted Babasaheb to be known by today’s students.

We are very pleased to present brief biography of Babasaheb Bole, written by Mr. Joshi.

Copyrights - Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali

Gokhale Road (North), Dadar, Mumbai - 400 028

Date : January 1, 2006

 

Brief Autobiography of Lokhitwadi Sitaram Keshav alias Babasaheb Bole

1868 Birth Year. Birth place : Palshet

1889 Passed SSC exam

1890 14 January (Makar Sankranti) Establishment of Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali

1901 Foundation stone ceremony of the religious place of Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali

1907 Initiated Bhandari Shikshan Parishad to promote education in Bhandari Community

1909 Rewarded Mr. Ramsey McDonald, father of India’s first worker’s organization, with a testimonial under the chairmanship of Mr. Gopal Krishna Gokhale

1910 Started Holy Festival Committee, which later on became popular as a Social Service League

1911 Babasaheb was felicitated for passing SSC. He was honored by attending Delhi Darbar. Initiated a movement regarding free primary education

1912 Rewarded with Honorary Presidency Magistrate by the Govt.

1913 Chaired first convention of Bhandari Shikshan Parishad

1914 Visited worker’s locality with Mr. Ramsey McDonald and Mr. Pollack to make them realize about the problems faced by workers. Started a movement in order to open ration shops

1915 Celebrated Silver Jubilee of Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali under the chairmanship of Sir Clawed Hill, IAS.

1916 Started Education-Growth Fund and started offering scholarships to needy and poor students

1917 Established Indian Education Society. Met Mr. Montague and Mr. Chelmsford. Became chief of Indian Education Society as well as Dadar Co-operative Institute

1919 Strove to organize Mill Worker’s Convention. Became member of public organizations like Peoples Union and Saint George Ambulance

1921 Entered the Council

1922 Entered the Corporation

1923 Presented a bill in the Law Council regarding untouchables. Held vice-chairman position of Mumbai Trade Union Congress and Dadar South Indian Flood Relief Fund

1924 Chairman : Non-Brahmin Teachers Organization of Thane District.

Succeed in getting passed a resolution granting maternity benefits to women mill workers. Felicitated with a gold medal in a function organized by Depressed Class under the chairmanship of J Addison, European Association’s Officer

1925 Started a weekly, Navyug

1926 Got passed Joshi Wage bill, chairman : Co-operative Conference, Vasai

1927 Succeed in passing a bill restricting payment made to the members of the Municipal Standing Committee, irrespective of being a member of the same and saved Rs. 30,000 per year. Passed a bill about granting pension to the government servant. Chairman : Co-operative Conference, Kalyan

1928 Resolution to unite mill worker’s team and established an organizations of them. Got felicitated with a testimonial by Vardha Municipal Corporation. Chairman : Non-Brahmin Conference, Vardha; Mahadev Koli Samaj Parishad and Bhandari Education Society, Malvan

1929 Celebrated Diamond Jubilee in Pune in the function organized by All India Depressed Classes under the chairmanship of Sir Rahiuddin Ahmad. He was rewarded with a Ravbahaddyur title. Held positions as a Vice-Position of Ambarnath Match Factory Worker’s Union. Chairman of : Non-Brahmin Convention, Solapur; Bank’s Peon’s Union and Non-Brahmin Convention, Pune District.

1930 Residents of Palshet, Babasaheb’s birth place, facilitated him by offering a testimonial.

1932 Facilitated by friends and fans all over Maharashtra

1934 Presented anti-Devdasi custom bill

1935 Put forward family planning bill. Govt. rewarded him with a medal

1936 Presented library-related bill to popularize libraries in rural area

1937 Inaugurated Kitte Bhandari’s auditorium at the hands of Sir Rodger Lamely, Governor of Mumbai

1938 Held chairmanship of Prantik Hindu Mahasabha till 1945

1939 Joined Hindusthan Balveer Pathak

1940 Facilitated with a testimonial in a public meeting of citizens of Mumbai under the chairmanship of Narsimha Chintaman Kelkar

1941 Celebrated Golden Jubilee of Kitte Bhandari Aikyavardhak Mandali

1961 Died on January 14