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By:

Shoumojit Banerjee

27 August 2024 at 9:57:52 am

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of...

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of society in Maharashtra. The foundation has become a home for out-of-school children, those who have never enrolled, the children of migrant labourers and single parents, and those who scavenge at garbage dumps or drift between odd jobs. To call their foundation an “NGO” is to miss the point. Vinaya Nimbalkar describes it as a “democratic laboratory”, where education is not merely instruction but an initiation into citizenship. The couple were once government schoolteachers with the Solapur Zilla Parishad, leading stable lives. Yet what they witnessed unsettled them: children who had never held a pencil, begging at traffic signals or sorting refuse for a living. Prompted by this reality, the Nimbalkars resigned their jobs to work full-time for the education of such children. Leap of Faith They began modestly, teaching children in migrant settlements in Solapur and using their own salaries to pay small honorariums to activists. Funds soon ran dry, and volunteers drifted away. Forced out of their home because of their commitment to the cause, they started a one-room school where Vinaya, Mahesh, their infant son Srijan and forty children aged six to fourteen lived together as an unlikely family. The experiment later moved to Barshi in the Solapur district with support from Anandvan. Rural hardship, financial uncertainty and the pandemic repeatedly tested their resolve. At one stage, they assumed educational guardianship of nearly 200 children from families that survived by collecting scrap on the village outskirts. Eventually, the foundation relocated to Talegaon Dabhade near Pune, where it now runs a residential hostel. Twenty-five children currently live and study there. The numbers may seem modest, but the ambition is not. Democracy in Practice What distinguishes the Ajit Foundation is not only who it serves but also how it operates. Within its walls, democracy is practised through a Children’s Gram Panchayat and a miniature Municipal Council elected by the children themselves. Young candidates canvass, hold meetings and present their budgets. Children maintain accounts and share decisions about chores, activities and certain disciplinary matters. In a country where democratic culture is often reduced to voting, the foundation’s approach is quietly radical. It treats children from marginalised backgrounds as citizens in formation. The right to choose — whether to focus on sport, cooking, mathematics or cultural activities — is respected. “We try never to take away what is their own,” says Vinaya Nimbalkar. Rather than forcing every child into a uniform academic mould, individual abilities are encouraged. A boy skilled in daily calculations may not be pushed into hours of bookish study; a girl who excels in cooking may lead the kitchen team. For children who have known only precarity, standing for election, managing a budget or speaking at a meeting can be transformative. On International Women’s Day, the foundation seeks visibility not just for praise but for partnership. If you are inspired by their mission, consider supporting or collaborating—your involvement can help extend opportunities to more children in need.

The Forgotten Chapter: RSS In the Quit India Movement

It is often claimed by selective narratives that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had no role in the Quit India Movement. However, events in Maharashtra demonstrate that many RSS volunteers, motivated by national loyalty, did participate both directly and indirectly. For years, Congress-leaning platforms and leftist historians have mainly credited Congress leaders, overlooking other revolutionaries.


A notable example comes from Vaduj in the Satara district, a key centre of resistance. Dr Shankar Ambike—Vaduj’s RSS branch leader and a respected doctor—made a significant but largely forgotten contribution. His involvement, along with that of other volunteers, challenges the claim that the RSS was absent from this phase of the freedom struggle.


In 1942, the Chale Jav (Quit India) movement swept across the country after Mahatma Gandhi’s call to “Quit India” and “Do or Die”. The agitation, which began in Mumbai, soon intensified in Satara. Resistance grew so strong that a parallel anti-British administration emerged under Krantisingh Nana Patil. Between 12 and 15 August, protests peaked across Satara. Demonstrations in Vaduj, Khatav, and Wai turned violent, and despite British crackdowns and arrests, the uprising continued with remarkable resolve.


Vaduj's battle

The Chale Jav movement in Vaduj, Satara district, began on 9 August 1942. Students, farmers, and freedom fighters gathered to protest against British rule, holding demonstrations, raising slogans, and issuing boycott calls.


British police tried to disperse the crowd, but people refused to retreat and continued shouting “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Chale Jav”. Lathi charges failed to break their resolve.


When the situation escalated, the police opened fire on 13 August. Several protesters were killed and many others seriously injured. During the firing, Dr Ambike, the RSS branch leader of Vaduj, bravely treated the wounded and was fined by the British for doing so. Because of the scale of the violence, Vaduj is remembered as the second Jallianwala Bagh in India’s freedom struggle.


British action

In 1942, the Chale Jav movement gained strong momentum in Vaduj, Satara district. People from Vaduj and nearby areas joined the protests, and the call of “Chale Jav – Quit India” quickly spread. Vaduj soon became a key centre of the movement.


One of its leading contributors was Dr Shankar Ambike, a respected doctor and committed patriot. He used his clinic to treat freedom fighters injured in British firing, despite pressure from the authorities. His family also participated — Ramchandra Ambike supported the movement alongside him.


Both were fined by the British government. Dr Ambike was externed from Satara for two months, and his clinic was temporarily shut. Ramchandra was detained for four months. Their names are now recorded in the Satara district’s official gazette of freedom fighters.


Start of RSS

During the Chale Jav Movement, the RSS operated as a nationalistic organisation similar to the Congress, though smaller in size. Even so, RSS volunteers actively joined the agitation—some participating openly, others helping underground freedom fighters.


RSS founder Dr Hedgewar visited Satara in 1932 and appointed Shri Ganesh Aaltikar of Karad as a branch leader and Shri Uddhav Dattatray Kulkarni as organiser. In 1935, Kashinathpant (Kaka Limaye) became the Western Maharashtra Provincial Leader. By then, RSS work had grown steadily in Satara. Many RSS volunteers took part in the movement. Uddhav Kulkarni of Wai joined the protests and was punished by the British; his name is listed in the Satara freedom fighters’ gazette. Vedmurti Shripad Satwalekar, the Aundh branch leader, also participated. He was later honoured by Shri Golwalkar Guruji and received the Padma Vibhushan in 1966. Dattopant Gokhale, the Wai branch leader, contributed to the movement as well.


People's doctor

Dr Shankar Ambike was a remarkable example of public service, courage, and patriotism. He is still remembered with pride in Satara’s freedom struggle, and his name appears in the official district register.


His work extended far beyond medical service. He helped organise society, promote national unity, and inspire people. As an RSS branch leader, he showed discipline, commitment, and strong organisational skills—qualities that earned him the titles “Vaduj’s Patriot Doctor” and “People’s Doctor”.


Even after independence, Dr Ambike remained active in social service. He dedicated his life to the nation and attained samadhi on 10 November 1993.


(The writer is a resident of Akola. Views personal.)

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