Remembering Janabai, the Bahujan woman who promoted maternal care and education in colonial Bombay

In South Mumbai’s Mandvi Koliwada sits a terracotta-colored building bearing the name Janabai and Madhavrao Rokade Municipal School.

As is the case with public buildings in many Indian cities, the names of the personalities that adorn them are often unfamiliar. Some of them are linked to relatively recent politicians and cultural figures. A few of them have a deeper historical connection. The Rokade municipal school falls in the second category.

The school was established in 1879, making it one of Mumbai’s earliest modern schools. It was started by Madhavrao Rokade.

For anyone interested in Mumbai’s socio-political history from this period, Madhavrao Rokade is remembered as a key member and writer associated with the Satyashodhak movement. This was a movement started by Jotirao and Savitribai Phule in Pune in 1873 to confront the upper-caste dominance in everyday life and to work toward inculcating a sense of collective consciousness among Bahujan communities, especially through education.

Rokade contributed to this movement by starting and running this school for many years with limited support. He was also known for his periodic writings in the late 19th century in newspapers such as Dinbandhu (Brother of the Oppressed) and Shetkaryacha Kaivari (Protector of Farmers).

Along with his role in education, Rokade had garnered immense respect for his engagement with workers’...

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