Girish Prabhune

Girish Y. Prabhune (born 1952[1] in Pune, Maharastra) is an Indian social worker and social activist known particularly for his work towards upliftment of the nomadic Pardhi community and their children since 1970. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 2021 in Social Work category.

Work

Prabhune began his career as a social worker in early 1970s.[2][3] He initially started working with Srikant G. Majgaokar in the Gramayan NGO during the 1972 Maharashtra drought.[4] He also ran a periodical called Asidhara, but this endeavor left him in debt.[5]

Prabhune lived in Nimgaon Mhalungi village in Pune district for nearly 10 years working with the locals.[6] His stay at this village allowed him to observe and interact with the nomadic communities including the Pardhi, Waddar, Kaikadi, Davari Gosavi, Gondhali, dombari, Kolhati, Lambadi, and Pothuraju.[7][8]

Prabhune started discussions with Laxman Mane to start the Bhatke Wimukt Vikas Parishad organisation for uplifting the nomadic communities.[8] Via this organization, he organized the nomadic tribes in Beed, Osmanabad, Solapur, Parbhani, Nanded, and Pune districts, advancing their political power. He also fought court battles arguing for nomadic rights.[9] Prabhune, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh volunteer since young age,[4][10][11] effectively persuaded 50,000 fed-up Dalits who had intended to leave Hinduism for Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur.[1]

In 1993, he started a school in rural Yamgarwadi village in Tuljapur Tahsil, Osmanabad district for the children of the nomadic tribes,[12][13][14] which still continues to this date.[4]

In later part of his life he started the Punarutthan Samarasata Gurukulam, a NGO run by Krantiveer Chapekar Smarak Samiti, in Chinchwad, Pune.[15][16] This NGO and runs schools and residential facility for the Pardhi children.[17][18]

Awards

Personal life

Prabhune was born in 1952 in a Brahmin family.[10] He lives in Chinchwad with his wife Arundhati and their 3 children.[5][24]

References

  1. ^ a b "पद्मश्री जाहीर होताच डॉ. गिरीश प्रभूणे यांचे महापौर, आमदार, खासदारांकडून अभिनंदन". Sarkarnama (in Marathi). 21 January 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  2. ^ Prabhune, Girish (2002). Palavarach Jin (पालावरचं जीणं). Hindustan Prakashan. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  3. ^ Prabhuṇe, Girīśa (2006). Pāradhī (1st ed.). Puṇe: Rajhans Prakashan. ISBN 9788174343482. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "भटके विमुक्तांच्या पाऊलवाटा पुसल्या गेल्या...!". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). 9 December 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b "मार्क्सवादामुळे देशाची संस्कृती नष्ट; गिरीश प्रभुणे यांचे मत". Sakal (in Marathi). 15 February 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  6. ^ Awati, Arati (2008). "असिधारा व्रताची सुरुवात (गिरीश प्रभुणे विशेष मुलाखत - १)". Bytes of India (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  7. ^ Prabhune, Girish. Lok Ani Sanskruti (लोक आणि संस्कृती). Hindustan Prakashan. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  8. ^ a b Awati, Arati (2008). "असिधारा व्रताची सुरुवात (गिरीश प्रभुणे विशेष मुलाखत - 2)". Bytes of India (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  9. ^ "समर्पित कार्यकर्ता: गिरीश प्रभुणे". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). 3 February 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  10. ^ a b Awati, Arati (2008). "असिधारा व्रताची सुरुवात (गिरीश प्रभुणे विशेष मुलाखत - 9)". Bytes of India (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  11. ^ Sharda, Ratan (2011). "XIII. Nation, Society and RSS". Secrets of RSS: Demystifying the Sangh. New Delhi: Manas Publications. p. 131. ISBN 9788170493198. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  12. ^ Awati, Arati (2008). "असिधारा व्रताची सुरुवात (गिरीश प्रभुणे विशेष मुलाखत - 3)". Bytes of India (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  13. ^ Awati, Arati (2008). "असिधारा व्रताची सुरुवात (गिरीश प्रभुणे विशेष मुलाखत - 4)". Bytes of India (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  14. ^ Nagesh (28 April 2011). "Yamgarwadi has become a pilgrimage of social reform: Mohanji Bhagwat". Vishwa Samvada Kendra. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  15. ^ "पद्मश्री गिरीश प्रभुणेंचं उल्लेखनीय समाजकार्य,'गुरुकुलम'च्या माध्यमातून पारधी समाजासाठी मोठं योगदान". ABP Majha (in Marathi). 31 January 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  16. ^ "Chapekar museum to have research centre". The Times of India. 26 July 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  17. ^ Bengrut, Dheeraj (25 January 2021). "Pune's Sindhutai Sapkal and Girish Prabhune named Padmashree award winners". Hindustan Times. Pune. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  18. ^ Urunkar, Salil (26 January 2021). "Meet 'Padma Shri' Girish Prabhune, the man on mission for uplifting Pardhi community children". The Bridge Chronicle. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Padma Awards 2021 announced". Press Information Bureau (Press release). Delhi, India. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  20. ^ "गिरीश प्रभुणे, सिंधुताई सपकाळ यांना पद्मश्री". Loksatta (in Marathi). 26 January 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Girish Prabhune Exclusive: पारधी समाजासाठी कार्य करणाऱ्या गिरीश प्रभुणेंचा 'पद्मश्री'ने सन्मान". TV9 Marathi (in Marathi). 26 January 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  22. ^ "गिरीश प्रभुणेंना जीवनगौरव". Maharashtra Times (in Marathi). 7 May 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Antyodaya Puraskar". Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini. rmponweb.org. Archived from the original on 3 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  24. ^ Awati, Arati (2008). "असिधारा व्रताची सुरुवात (गिरीश प्रभुणे विशेष मुलाखत - 10)". Bytes of India (in Marathi). Retrieved 24 March 2021.