The late Indian educationist Devdatta Dabholkar played an essential role in the movements for social change that took place in India after it gained independence. Read this article to learn more about Devdatta’s personal and professional life.
Devdatta Dabholkar was a notable social activist and educator from India who was recognized for his commitment to the cause of scientific temper and rational thinking. He was actively involved in propagating rural education and agricultural reforms in India.
Furthermore, Dabholar was also a proficient writer who even wrote multiple books. His notable books include Climbing a Wall of Glass: Higher Education in India, Sardar Sarovar Debate, and Equality of Opportunity in Education.
Likewise, he was a Gandhian who significantly developed and managed the Gandhi Vidya Mandir in Wardha. This institution promoted the Gandhian approach to education.
All About Devdatta Dabholkar Parents & Family Background: Father Was A Lawyer
Devdatta Dabholkar was born on September 23, 1919, in Maharashtra, India. Dabholkar was raised by his beloved parents, Achyut and Tarabai. Dabholkar’s parents kept themselves away from the public eye.
However, his father, Achyut, was a prominent lawyer. Online sources have noted that Achyut grew up in an underprivileged family. Despite his family background, he was educated and worked as a lawyer in the Indian Army at Satara.
Additionally, his mother, Tarabai, studied only until standard four, but she was intelligent and even topped her class. When she married Achyut, she did not follow the traditional customs and didn’t even wear the mangal sutra, leaving aside gold ornaments.
Devdatta was not the only child of his parents; he grew up alongside nine siblings, and none of their identities have been revealed. His younger brother, Narendra, was a physician, social activist, and rationalist.
Narendra worked as a doctor for over a decade and became a social worker in the 1980s. Likewise, Devdatta had another brother named Dattaprasad Dabholkar, a scientist and author.
His other brother was Shripad Dabholkar, a late Indian intellectual and activist. Shripad passed away in May 2001.
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Devdatta Dabholkar’s Brother Narendra Dabholkar Was Assassinated
Devdatta Dabholkar’s younger brother, Narendra Dabholkar, has faced several threats and assaults since 1983. Despite all those threats, he rejected police protection. However, on August 20, 2013, he was assassinated.
At that time, Narendra was on a morning walk and was gunned down by two gunmen near Omkareshwar temple, Pune. They fired four rounds at him and fled the scene on a motorbike that was parked nearby.
Narendra died on the spot as two bullets hit him on the head and chest. After investigation, it was known that Narendra’s murder was planned by an organization named Sanatan Sanstha.
His assassination was linked to his work, particularly the Anti-Superstition and Black Magic Bill, which he championed. On August 18, 2018, one of the shooting suspects, Sachin Prakasrao Andure, was arrested by CBI.
On May 10, 2024, Sachin and another suspect, Sharad Bhausaheb Kalaskar, were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh as they were found guilty of shooting Dabholkar.
Devdatta Dabholkar Educational History And Career Overview
Devdatta Dabholkar, a Kolhapur native, attended Mumbai University, where he topped the matriculation examination in 1936. He also attended Elphinstone College in Mumbai and earned his Master of Arts degree.
During his professional career, Dabholkar held many important positions. He started his career in 1994 as a professor at Sangli’s Willingdon College. Between 1960 and 1968, he was a founder and principal of Chintamanrao Patwardhan College – Sangli.
Likewise, Dabholkar served at various institutions, including the University of Pune, Kirti M. Doongursee College, the Indian Institute of Education, and Fergusson College.
Devdatta was also the editor of its journal Navbharat and a Pradnya Pathshala and Wai member. Dabholkar was a prominent writer who wrote multiple books, including A Pilot Survey of Shirur Taluka.
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Dabholkar Died At 91
Devdatta died on December 17, 2010, at his home in Satara. He was 91 at the time of his death. Three years after his demise, his younger brother, Narendra (then 67), was assassinated on August 20, 2013.
