Nashik civic body removes controversial inscription at Jyotiba Phule Memorial

“We received orders to take down the inscription and we complied,” said a Nashik Municipal Corporation officer.
The quatrain was taken from Phule’s 1881 work “Shetkaryacha Asud (The Whip of Farmers)”, which addresses the plight of cultivators in 19th-century India.

The Rs 4.65-crore memorial was conceived by Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra’s Minister of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection, and funded by the Nashik Municipal Corporation.

The original quatrain reads: “Vidaye vina mati geli, mati vina niti geli. Niti Vina Gati geli, Gati vina vitt gele. Vitt vina shudra khachle, evde anarth aka avidyene kele.”

The controversial inscriptions in which the lines written by Jyotiba Phule have been altered (Express Photo)

It translates as: “Without knowledge, wisdom is lost, Without wisdom, righteousness is lost, Without righteousness, progress is lost, Without progress, wealth is lost, Without wealth, the lowly suffer, Such is the chaos caused by ignorance.”

These lines emphasise the critical role of education and knowledge in society and highlight the severe social and economic consequences of ignorance, particularly for marginalised communities.

However, the statue’s inscription omitted the reference to “Shudra”, and read, “Vidaye vina mati geli, mati vina niti geli. Niti Vina Gati geli, Gati vina vitt gele. Evde anarth aka avidyene kele.”
Former Nashik MP Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, acknowledged that the alteration was an “error” that would be addressed.

“We have grand plans for the memorial. The error in the inscription was inadvertent. We will ensure that it is rectified,” said Sameer.