Achyut Patwardhan (Aged 87) was born on 5 February 1905. He was an Indian independence activist and political leader who founded the Socialist Party of India. He was also a philosopher who believed that fundamental change in society begins with man himself. Patwardhan passed his B.A. and M.A. examinations in economics from the Central Hindu College of Benares with a first-class degree. His own and adoptive fathers were Theosophists, so he was sent to the college founded by Dr. Annie Besant. Influenced by Dr. G.S. Arundale, the Theosophist Principal of the college, Dr. Annie Besant and Professor Telang, Patwardhan became studious, meditative and ascetic, and remained a lifelong bachelor.
After passing his M.A., he worked as a Professor of Economics at the College until 1932. During this period, he visited England and other European countries three times and came into contact with Socialist leaders and scholars. He studied Communist and Socialist literature, resigned his Professorship and plunged into Gandhiji’s civil disobedience movement in 1932. He was imprisoned several times during the next ten years. In 1934, he and his associates in jail formed the Congress Socialistic Party to work for socialistic objectives from within the Congress.
From 1935 to 1941, he organized Shibirs, education camps for young men to teach them Socialism and to prepare them for socialistic activities. He took a prominent part in the Quit India movement which started in 1942. In 1945–46, he went underground, evading arrest, and supported the movement of a parallel government mainly in the Satara district. The parallel government of Satara was a “Prati-Sarkar” which lasted for the longest period of 44 months. Some people called it ‘Patri Sarkar’. ‘Patri’ was the name given to the punishments administered to the decoits, traitors, and people who dared to obstruct the parallel government.
Separate people’s justice courts were organized, and so many cases of loans, aggression, and rapes were solved by people’s courts, giving justice to poor farmers, farm laborers, and women of all castes at large. Strong punishments for attempts of rape, excessive interest rates by money lenders, and the execution of power of Zamindars over poor farmers led to the popularity of Prati-Sarkar in the minds of ordinary people. In 1947, Patwardhan formed the Socialist Party of India, independently of the Congress. He passed away on 5 August 1992.
Achyut Patwardhan
(1905 – 1992) – (Maharashtra)
Achyut Patwardhan (Aged 87) was born on 5 February 1905. He was an Indian independence activist and political leader who founded the Socialist Party of India. He was also a philosopher who believed that fundamental change in society begins with man himself. Patwardhan passed his B.A. and M.A. examinations in economics from the Central Hindu College of Benares with a first-class degree. His own and adoptive fathers were Theosophists, so he was sent to the college founded by Dr. Annie Besant. Influenced by Dr. G.S. Arundale, the Theosophist Principal of the college, Dr. Annie Besant and Professor Telang, Patwardhan became studious, meditative and ascetic, and remained a lifelong bachelor.
After passing his M.A., he worked as a Professor of Economics at the College until 1932. During this period, he visited England and other European countries three times and came into contact with Socialist leaders and scholars. He studied Communist and Socialist literature, resigned his Professorship and plunged into Gandhiji’s civil disobedience movement in 1932. He was imprisoned several times during the next ten years. In 1934, he and his associates in jail formed the Congress Socialistic Party to work for socialistic objectives from within the Congress.
From 1935 to 1941, he organized Shibirs, education camps for young men to teach them Socialism and to prepare them for socialistic activities. He took a prominent part in the Quit India movement which started in 1942. In 1945–46, he went underground, evading arrest, and supported the movement of a parallel government mainly in the Satara district. The parallel government of Satara was a “Prati-Sarkar” which lasted for the longest period of 44 months. Some people called it ‘Patri Sarkar’. ‘Patri’ was the name given to the punishments administered to the decoits, traitors, and people who dared to obstruct the parallel government.
Separate people’s justice courts were organized, and so many cases of loans, aggression, and rapes were solved by people’s courts, giving justice to poor farmers, farm laborers, and women of all castes at large. Strong punishments for attempts of rape, excessive interest rates by money lenders, and the execution of power of Zamindars over poor farmers led to the popularity of Prati-Sarkar in the minds of ordinary people. In 1947, Patwardhan formed the Socialist Party of India, independently of the Congress. He passed away on 5 August 1992.
News