SH Deshpande dies at 85

Veteran thinker and critic SH Deshpande (85) passed away on Thursday morning after brief illness. He was cremated at Vaikunth crematorium. He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law.

Deshpande was well-known for his thought provoking writings on Hindutva and nationalism. He proposed a new perspective to concepts of Hindutva and nationalism and discarded the traditional thinking.

He was born on December 17,1928 in Shirval,a taluka about 50 km from Pune. After completing primary education,he moved to Pune and enrolled in Nutan Marathi Vidyalaya for secondary education. He secured degree in Arts from SP College. He got PhD from School of Economics,Mumbai University.

He taught in Podar College,Matunga from 1951 to 1960 and then in Dahanukar College,Dadar till 1964. He went on to teach economics in Mumbai University from 1964 to 1984. He worked as research-professor at Chhatrapati Shahu Institute in Kolhapur after retirement in 1987-88.

Deshpande wrote books such as Shardwat,Bharatiya Sheti,Dalitmuktichi Navi Disha,Kibutz- Navsamajnirmiticha Ek Prayog,Working with Tribal People The Institutes of Kosbad Hills,Polity,Society and Economy,Sanghatle Divas ani Itar Lekh,Savarkar te BJP Hindutvavadi Vicharacha Chikitsak Alekh,Dharmanirpekshtechya Drushtikonatun Hindutva Vicharachi Phermandani and Sanghachya Itihasatil Ek Alpadnyat Adhyay.

He was president of seventh Marathi Economics Council held in Pune. Deshpande was also a founder-member of Gramayan.

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories