Lahuji Raghoji Salve

Lahuji Raghoji Salve (14 November, 1794 – 17 February 1881), also known as "Aadhyakrantiveer", "Krantiguru", Krantiveer Lahuji Vaastad Raghoji Salve, Krantiveer Lahujibuwa Salve, was an activist, thinker, social reformer and revolutionary from Maharashtra. Lahuji is also referred to as Lahujibuwa Mang, since he was from the Dalit Mang community or Adya Krantikarak since he was the mentor of Vasudev Balwant Phadke who is known as the father of Indian armed struggle.

Legacy

As a child, Lahuji witnessed a war between the Peshwas and the British at Khadki in 1817. Raghoji, his father, died at that war and Lahuji saw his execution.On 17 November 1817, Pune went into the hands of the British from that day, he swore to make the British leave India. He started training youngsters to use swords, patta, and to fight with bare hands. He believed that if people are trained in war tactics, only then will they be able to wipe out the organised British army. He trained freedom fighters, Vasudev Balvant Phadke and Lokmanya Tilak were some of them. He died on 17 February 1881 aged 86.

Even though Lahuji acted as a mentor to some of the prominent Indian freedom fighters, there is much less information available on the works of Lahuji. The legacy of Lahuji is alive in the form of various government sponsored physical education and social reform related initiatives. A shrine built by Lahuji to honour his father, at Wakdewadi in Pune was demolished by the municipal corporation of Pune for roads expansion work. Lahuji had built the memorial at the place where he had taken an oath to give his life for the cause of Indian freedom struggle. The shrine was known as Mangir Baba, mispronunciation of Mang Veer Baba (The brave Mang) shrine. This caused major uproar in the Mang community and got Lahuji and Raghoji in news for some time. He will always be remembered as a great freedom fighter in the Indian history.

Lahuji Raghoji Salve is also called the first freedom fighter of India. He supported the Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule to establish the first girls school in Pune.

References

BOOK:the History of matang samaj