Pune Nagar Vachan Mandir has organized a talk by Dr. Narendra Dabholkar on “Justice M G Ranade & Social Reform Today”. 6.30pm on 23 Jan 2012 at the Pune Nagar Vachan Mandir, near City Post, Laxmi Road, Pune.

Justice Mahadev Govind Ranade (Marathi: महादेव गोविन्द रानडे) (16 January 1842 – 16 January 1901) was a distinguished Indian scholar, social reformer and author. He was a founding member of the Indian National Congress and owned several designations as member of the Bombay legislative council, member of the finance committee at the centre, and the judge of Bombay High Court.

A well known public figure, his personality as a calm and patient optimist would influence his attitude towards dealings with Britain as well as reform in India. During his life he helped establish the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha and the Prarthana Samaj, and would edit a Bombay Anglo-Marathi daily paper, the Induprakask, founded on his ideology of social and religious reform. (src: Wikipedia)

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was greatly influenced by Justice Ranade and looked up to him as his political mentor. Gokhale in turn was the political mentor of M K Gandhi.

Ranade was like the wise Captain who knows that his duty is not to play with his ship clever and masterful tricks, just for effect and show in the midst of the ocean, but to take it safely to its appointed port. In short, Ranade was not a forged bank note and in worshiping him we have no feeling of kneeling before anything that is false.

- Ambedkar

The speaker of today’s talk is Dr Narendra Dabholkar, the founder of the Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti & editor of the weekly Sadhana.

(Vachan वाचन means Reading, so although not aware of it first hand, I would expect Pune Nagar Vachan Mandir to not be a mandir (temple) but a place for books & reading.)

Related:

• Ambedkar’s address on 101st birth anniversary of Ranade
• Social Reformers of Maharashtra (Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) website)
• Vasant Vyakhyanmala founded by M G Ranade

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