|
|
| Ancient
India : The Social Reformers of India |
|
Annie
Besant
Annie Besant was born in London to Irish parents. In
1893, she left for India having been influenced by the
Indian culture and civilization. She was famous as a
social worker, educationalist and journalist.
She
became a staunch supporter of Indian Independence Movement
and her contribution to India's freedom struggle was
remarkable. She founded the Home-Rule League. She revived
the Theosophical Society. In 1915, she chaired the Calcutta
session of the Indian National Congress. She also edited
'New India'. She established Indian Boy Scouts Association.
She received a prestigious award for her work for scouts.
She also studied Hinduism. India is indebted to Annie
Besant for her immeasurable work for freedom struggle,
educational advancements and social reforms. She died
at the age of 86. |
Dr.
Babasaheb Ambedkar
Dr. Ambedkar was the main architect of the Indian Constitution.
He was born in a very poor low caste family of Madhya
Pradesh. In U.S.A., he did his M.A. in 1915 and Ph.D.
in 1916. From 1918 to 1920, he worked as a Professor
of Law. Dr. Ambedkar set up his legal practice at the
Mumbai High Court.
Ambedkar
was the main inspiration behind the inclusion of special
provision in the Constitution of India for the development
of Schedule Caste people. Dr. Ambedkar was the Law Minister
of India from 1947 to 1951. He took part in the Satyagraha
of untouchables at Nasik in 1930 for opening the Hindu
temples to them.
Dr.
Ambedkar was emancipator of the 'untouchables' and crusader
for social justice. This liberator of the down trodden
was affectionately called "Babasaheb". He
was posthumously awarded 'Bharat Ratna' in the year
1990.
|
|
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was born on 27th August 1910 in Spoje
(Yugoslavia). Her real name was Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhin.
After becoming a nun of the Roman Catholic church, her
name was changed to Mother Teresa. She came to India
on January 6, 1929 and was moved at the sight of the
crippled and helpless people on the pavements. She became
an Indian citizen in 1962.
She
was the founder of 'Missionaries of Charity', devoted
to the working for the destitutes. There are thousands
of members working in the missionary organisations established
by her all over the country and abroad. Calcutta was
the center of her humanitarian activities. She also
started 'Nirmal Hriday' homes for the sick and the dying
and ' Shishu Bhavan' for the disabled and mentally retarded
children.
Mother
Teresa received many national and international awards
in recognition of her noble work for humanity. Some
of them are: Nobel Peace Prize (1979), Bharat Ratna
(1980), Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International peace
(1972), Magsaysay Award (1962), Pope John XXIII Peace
Prize (1971), Good Samaritan Award (1971), John . F.
Kennedy International Award (1971), Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana
Award (1993) etc.
|
|
Raja Ram Mohan Roy
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a zealous Social reformer holding
modern and progressive views. He was born in 1772, in
a prosperous and orthodox Brahmin family at Hoogly in
West Bengal.
He
stood firmly against all sort of social bigotry, conservatism
and superstitions and advocated English and western
education for his countrymen. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was
a great scholar too. He made a wide study of different
religions of the world including Christianity and Islam.
He also knew many languages like English, Persian, Arabic,
Latin, French and Hebrew. He was also a great scholar
of Bangla and translated Vedas and Upnishads into Bengali.
He
was honoured the title 'Raja' by the Moghul Emperor.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy believed in the fundamental unity
of all religions. In 1814, he founded, 'Atmiya Samaj'
and in 1828, the 'Brahma Samaj'. Through these organisations
he wanted to expose the religious hypocrisies and to
check the growing influence of Christianity on the Hindu
society.
By
far, the greatest achievement of Raja Ram Mohan Roy
as a social reformer was the abolition of 'Sati' in
1829, child marriage and 'Pardha'. He was been rightly
called the 'Father of Indian Nationalism'. He died on
27th September 1833, in England.
|
Swami
Dayanand Saraswatee
The founder of the Arya Samaj. The great sage who sought
to restore to Hinduism its natural radiance and wisdom.
A fearless reformer. He saved the man who poisoned him
- so boundless was his goodness. |
Acharya
Vinoba Bhave
This is a biography of Acharya Vinoba Bhave who is called
Father of the Bhoodan movement, a constructive work
movement aimed to build new India of Mahatma Gandhi's
dream. Vinoba became a world figure in the early fifties.
He was admired for the originality of his ideas, for
their clarity and for his knowledge of many languages.
He was a nationalist, no doubt, but he was a universal
man - a citizen of the world. He made no distinction
of any kind between individuals and he never thought
in terms of group and clash of national loyalities.
He studied with reverence the scriptures of nearly all
religions. His personality was a combination of a sage
and a saint.
|
| |
|