Prominent academic and social activist Hari Narke passes away at 70

Hari Narke, a Pune resident, was being treated at the Asian Heart Institute. He had been unwell for about a year.

Hari Narke wrote several books on Mahatma Phule

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Hari Narke, an academic known for his work on Jyotirao Phule and B R Ambedkar and the vice-president of Samata Parishad, passed away Wednesday in Mumbai after a heart attack. He was 70.

Narke, a Pune resident, was being treated at the Asian Heart Institute. He had been unwell for about a year.

Chhagan Bhujbal, a leader of the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) and a close associate of Narke, said the ideologue’s passing was a big loss for the progressive movements of the state.

“It’s an irreparable loss for those following the Phule-Shahu-Ambedkar path. He was a rock of support for the OBC community and Mahatrashtra’s progressive movement. He consistently advocated for the rights of marginalized and oppressed communities,” said Bhujbal.

Narke wrote several books on Mahatma Phule and has also edited Mahatma Phule: Samagra Vangmay. He was the professor of Mahatma Phule chair at Savitribai Phule Pune University, and a former member of the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission.

He was also a member of the Rangnath Pathare committee which was formed to collect evidence to prove Marathi as a classical language.

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