Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale

Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale
Born (1910-01-15)15 January 1910
Ankalhop
Died 30 September 1988(1988-09-30) (aged 78)
Religion Jainism (Digambara)

Dhulappa Bhaurao Navale (15 January 1910 – 30 September 1988) was born in a Chaturtha Digambar Jain family at Ankalkhop. Navale lost his father & his elder brother in his childhood. He completed his education till matriculation. After completing school he started social work in Ankalkhop and surrounding villages.

Role in Freedom struggle

In 1930 he took part in the Civil Disobedience Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. During this period he came in contact with Yashwantrao Chavan, Swami Ramanand Bharti, V.S. Page & Gaurihar Sihasane. All of them became very close friends and their friendship lasted till the end. Mahatma Gandhi & his principles of Satyagraha had a great impact on him. In 1930 he broke the colonial laws. He broke the salt law & supported the foreign cloth boycott by burning foreign cloths and picketing liquor shops. In his village Ankalkhop, he and his friends refused to pay revenue and chaukidari taxes. From 1932-1933 he participated in movement against untouchability. In 1934 he was elected as president of Ankalkhop Vivid Karyakari sahakari Society. In the 1937 Local Board elections, he and his friends Gaurihar Sihasane and Sakharam Retharekar were congressional candidates. The three were elected from Satara district against the British backed Kooper party. He started the Congress party campaign from Ankalkhop-Audumber in 1937. Since then there has been a tradition of the Sangli district Congress party to start its campaign from Audumber-Ankalkhop. In the 1937 local board election, Vasantdada B. Patil was one of the dedicated campaigners of Dhulappanna. Dhulappa (Anna) Navale strongly suggested & stood up for Vasantdada's name for Tasgaon Taluka congress secretary to the then President of Taluka Congress, Mr. R.P. Patil & Adv. Kutte of Tasgaon.

In 1940, on Mahatma Gandhaji's order, he gave his resignation of local board membership. He was the first individual Satyaghari of Mahatma Gandhi from Satara District in which Sangli District was also included. He made his satyagraha in Bhilawadi in 1940, but was arrested and sent to Yerawada jail along with friends V.S. Page, Swami Ramanand Bharti, Balasaheb Bharde, and Gaurihar Sihasane. He was released in the month of December 1940. He was again elected in the 1941 Local Board elections. He participated and led Ankalkhop, Audumber, and Bhilwadi in Tasgaon morcha (March on Tasgaon Tashil) on 3 September 1942 and Islampur morcha on 8 September 1942 in Satyagraha. He also supported the prati or Patri sarkar movement led by Nana Patil & others, which resulted in his arrest in Bhilwadi. He was sent too Yerawada & Visapur jail for one and a half years.He was honored by "Tamrapat" for his role in freedom struggle.

Elected positions and founded organisations

From 1948-1949 Satara District was divided into North Satara and South Satara District. At that time Navale was elected as a School Board chairperson of South Satara District. He played an important role in forming a separate Sangli District, which was completed in 1950. He was elected as first chairperson of Sangli District school committee (now called as President of Zilla Parishad). Several lands & buildings problems of schools were solved in his period & many new primary & secondary schools where started. Directory of teachers was first time made in his period.

In 1955 he was elected President of Sangli District Congress. In his tenure, he requested land from His Highness Chintmanrao Patwardhan of Sangli for headquarters of Congress committee at Sangli and it was immediately allotted by Chintamanrao Patwardhan.

He was the founder of Shetkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana ltd.,Sangli (Now Vasantdada Shetkari Shakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd. Sangli). On 31 May 1956 the first meeting of all promoters of the sugar factory was presided by Swami Ramanand Bharti and was attended by Vasantdada Patil, Dhulappa (Anna) Navale, Aabasaheb Shinde, Rambhau Arwade, Dattaji Surywanshi,and Shankarao Shinde. G.D. Patil was elected chief promoter of the sugar factory. In this first meeting Dhulappa Navale suggested the name "Shetkari" (Shetkari means Farmer)for the Sangli sugar factory, and everyone liked it and accepted. He made highest number of share holders of Shetkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd,Sangli. He was vice-chairman for several years of V.S.S.S.K.Ltd; Sangli.

He was MLC from 1963 to 1972 for Satara and Sangli District. He requested Mr. Balasaheb Desai, who was then PWD Minister, for a bridge between Ankalkhop and Bhilwadi. His request for the bridge was soon sanctioned. It was Dhulappa (Anna) who brought a rural (Gramin) telephone exchange to Ankalkhop for the first time ever. He and his friends gathered 100 connections from Ankalkhop within three days for this telephone exchange.He was a member for several years on Telephone Advisory Committee for Sangli District.

In 1972 he was elected as chairman of Warna valley. He brought forward some young leaders like Baburao Birnale, Dadasaheb Patil, Dinkar (Bapu) Patil and Bajirao Patil from his village Ankalkhop. Under his guidance and leadership, Bhagatsingh High School was established in Ankalkhop. Several irrigation schemes were implemented in Ankalkhop, Nagthane,Suryagaon(Kholewadi)& Santgaon Radewadi.

He was Chairman for eleven years of The Groundnut Co-operative society Ltd. Sangli & was a founder member. When he took the chairmanship of the Groundnut co-operative society, it was in huge losses. With the support of labors and managing staff, he brought The Groundnut co-operative society in profit. This was the golden era of the society in his chairmanship. He used to say that we are nothing but the trustee of this society and one can bring any industry into profit with crystal clear governance & without any self acceptations. The Groundnut Co-operative society got several National & state awards in 1982. He was member of Maharashtra State Agriculture department. He was chairperson of Warna Valley co-operative society.

He brought about the historic (Preeti Sangam) re-union of both his friends, Yashwantrao Chavan and Vasantdada Patil in his native village Ankalkhop on 24 May 1982.

He was elected Secretary of the Freedom Fighter Organisation of Maharashtra Government, which was equivalent post to a Cabinet member. He increased the pension for freedom fighters & gave several benefits from the state government & from Central Government to freedom fighters.

He was a founder and a prominent leader in several co-operative organisations and educational institutions in Sangli District. Throughout his entire life he followed the principles of Individual Sathyagrahi, as exemplified by Mahatma Gandhi.

Personal life

Dhulappanna had married to Sou.Ratnadevi & has eight children (four sons & four daughter's).He was a great swimmer & was a good wrestler. In memory of Dhulappanna Navale one social & charitable trust has been established. Late Shri Dhulappanna Navale Vikas Pratisthan Sangli was established in the year 2000.The main objective of setting this trust is to perpetuate memory of Late. Dhulappa(Anna) Navale by acknowledging his rich, outstanding and valuable contribution in Indian freedom struggle, cooperative sector and social development of Maharashtra and to undertake social activities and education programs particularly for the elevation of common man . Dhulappanna Navale was very close friend of Yeshwantrao Chavan, Swami Ramanand Bharti, V. S. Page, Vasantrao (Dada) Patil, Nana Patil, Balasheb Bharde, G. D. Lad, Nagnath Naikwadi, S. M. Joshi, G. D. Madgulkar, Rambhau Arwade, Abasaheb Kulkarni (Khebudkar), Dhondiram Mali, R. P. Patil (Kupwad), Barde Guruji, Gaurihar Sihasane, Adv. Kutte (Tasgaon), Dattoba Surywanshi, Dr. Sawant (Panchgani), Bhilare Guruji, Br. G. D. Patil, Kavi Sudaunshiv, Balasaheb Desai, Rajaram (Bapu) Patil, Adv. Keshavrao Chougale, Rajaram Desai, P. D. Patil (Karad), Madhukarao Choudhary, Nilkhantrao Kalyani and Babasaheb Patil (Yelavi).

See also

References

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