Key Takeaways
- The Nationalist Congress Party has launched a signature campaign demanding the Bharat Ratna for Savitribai Phule.
- Supporters in Pune have gathered, with around one lakh women signing the petition.
- Savitribai Phule, hailed as the first women’s teacher, founded a girls’ school in 1848, marking a historic milestone in women education.
- The campaign aims to push the request through state leaders to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for presidential approval.
Pune: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) urged the union government to declare Bharat Ratna, highest civilian award to Savitribai Phule for being a pioneer of women education in the country.
Starting a signature campaign from Pune, NCP pune president Deepak Mankar urged the union government to declare Bharat Ratna to the social reformer and first women teacher of the country Savitribai who sacrificed her whole life for upliftment of women specially the weaker sections of society.
Addressing a large gathering of NCP workers on Wednesday, Mankar said citizens of the country have an emotional connection with the social work of Savitribai Phule.
The party will make all efforts to conserve Bhidewada as a national monument, the site where she started the first girls’ school in 1848 in Pune, according to NCP Pune president Mankar.
Around one lakh people, most of them are women have made their signature for Bharat Ratna to great social reformer Savitribai Phule during the signature campaign which started from historical Deccan areas of city.
Jyotiba Phule worked for downtrodden class throughout her life.
“We will submit our proposal and request to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde through our party president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to pursue this matter to prime Minister Narendra Modi ji who will further take an initiative to the president of the country to honour Bharat Ratna to Savitribai Phule, said Mankar.
Speaking on occasion Pradeep Deshmukh, Working president of NCP Pune unit said,” Jyotiba Phule worked for the downtrodden class throughout her life. She died on November 28, 1890. Savitribai started first girls’ school in Pune in 1848. We are still awaiting to honour her highest civilian award. The signature drive will start throughout Maharashtra soon to press our demand.”
The senior NCP leader Pooja Jhole, Lavanya Shinde, Sameer Chandere, Ashok Dada Jadhav, Shailesh Mankar, Yogesh Dada Varade, Archana tai Chandanshive, Sulakshna Bhosale and Trupti Jagtap were present on the occasion.
