Hyderabad: Osmania University on Tuesday inaugurated Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research Centre, the first of its kind in Telangana, to commemorate the 197th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
The inaugural ceremony of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research Centre was held on the premises of the Dr BR Ambedkar Research Centre in the university.
Only five such have been established across India to recognize the social reformatory efforts of Phule, said a press release.
The vice chancellor, D Ravinder informed that the BR Ambedkar research centre on OU premises would be rechristened as the Phule-Ambedkar Bhavan.
Principal secretary, Backward Classes (BC) welfare department, Burra Venkatesham, was the chief guest at the event. Prof. Chalamalla Venkateshwarlu was appointed as the director of the research centre.
Burra Venkatesham said, “We have two great souls to thank, Mahatma Gandhi and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. Phule was a great visionary, thinker, and scholar. We have lots to learn and practice from lives of Phule and his wife Savithri Bai”.
He said that the couple faced many criticisms, and insults hurled at them and yet continued their goals of uplifting the downtrodden. “People from the BC communities should strive to become the best of citizens through their actions. It’s the time to forget individual differences and work towards unification, for a stronger community which will ultimately bring forth a strong nation”.
Burra said that the research centre should strive towards becoming a think tank and extended the support of the BC welfare department.
“Academicians at the university strived hard to bring the contributions of Phule, Ambedkar, and Buddha into the curriculum. The research centre aims to spread the ideology of Phule and sensitise the community to his contributions. The centre will also raise funds to enable research, dissemination of knowledge and inclusive studies,” said the vice-chancellor.
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