Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde

Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde (23 April 1873 – 2 January 1944) is known for his pioneering work for the downtrodden in India. He founded the Depressed Class Mission in Mumbai in 1906 and spread this work nationwide by establishing the branches of the Mission in places such as Pune, Kolhapur, Akola, Amaravati, Hubli, Mangalore, Chennai, Indore, Bhavnagar and many more. He worked ceaselessly for empowerment of the downtrodden by staying with them along with his family. It was V. R. Shinde who persuaded Mahatma Gandhi to take the problem of Untouchables on the Agenda of National Congress. Maharshi Shinde predicted Dr. Ambedkar as a leader coming from the same community and eventually handed over the Mission to him.

Missionary of Prarthana Samaj and Sadharan Brahmo Samaj
As a boy born in a simple family with very limited income in a small town of Jamkhandi, Shinde imbibed a humanitarian outlook beyond discrimination from his parents. Impressed by the lecture on liberal religion by Rev. J. T. Sunderland of American Unitarian Church in Pune in 1895, Shinde got attracted to Prarthana Samaj while he was studying in Fergusson College for his graduation. With the inspiration derived from the veterans, Justice Ranade and Dr. Bhandarkar, he became a member of Pune Prarthana Samaj in 1898.

At the suggestion of Rev. Sunderland the Unitarian Church had started a scholarship for young members of Brahmo/Prarthana Samaj for comparative study of world religions in England and Shinde was selected for the same in 1901. He could join the scholarship only because of financial help from the Maharaja Sayajirao Gaikwad of Vadodara. During the tenure of the scholarship (1901-1903) Shinde studied in depth and presented essays on Hinduism, Mohammedanism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism and the religions of China.

After returning to India Shinde sacrificed the lucrative job in Vadodara State and chose voluntarily to fulfill the stringent condition of the scholarship to work as full time Missionary of Monotheistic religion, Prarthana/Brahmo Samaj on whatever emolument the Samaj could afford to pay him. He worked as Missionary of Prarthana Samaj until 1910, and later as Missionary of Sadharan Brahmo Samaj. As the Missionary of Prarthana/Brahmo Samaj Shinde put in enormous efforts to propagate the principles of Prarthana/Brahmo Samaj across the country. He used his organizational skills to start and set right the functioning of the Samajes at many places in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. He reconstituted the All India Theistic Conference and successfully organised its sessions across the country at places like Banaras, Kolkata, Surat, Lahore, Karachi during 1904 – 1913.
In 1912 Maharshi Shinde completed his compilation work on Brahmo and Prarthana Samajes all over India and published it in the form of a 375 page book of Theistic Directory.
He started ‘Family Prayer Circle’ in Pune in 1925 wherein weekly Upasanas were conducted in families when the non-Brahmo
neighbours would also participate.

Centenary celebrations of Brahmo Samaj were organised at Kolkata from 19 – 25 August 1928. Upasana on 21st and lecture on 25th were two of the many contributions of Maharshi Shinde in this programme.

True Brahmo
“The recognition and happiness that I get in being a Missionary of Brahmo Samaj can render even royal honours insignificant for me”. These were the inspired words Maharshi Shinde uttered in Dubri Brahmo Samaj on the bank of river Brahmaputra.
There are many more fields in which Maharshi Vitthal Ramji Shinde did pioneering work and contributed substantially. In every walk of life he was guided by his true devotion towards the Virtueful and Formless Brahma. He was a very very noble saintly personality who incessantly put in enormous work for the upliftment and furtherance of people. He was at the same time a Maharshi and a Karmavir!

Reference : ‘Maazyaa Aathavanee va Anubhav’ by Vitthal Ramji Shinde (1958)

-Dr. Sushama Joag