Gopal Krishna Gokhale

 Gopal Krishna Gokhale: Facts for Prelims
 

News: Recently PM Modi paid homage to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary.
 

About Gopal Krishna Gokhale:

o Gopal Krishna Gokhale was an Indian ‘moderate’ political leader who protested against the British administration in India for the freedom of our country.
o He founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 to help Indians gain access to education, especially the poor and the oppressed. He also organized mobile libraries, night schools, and vocational training for the masses.
o He was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and advocated for moderate and constitutional methods of agitation and reform.
o He was a member of the Imperial Legislative Council and raised many issues concerning the welfare of Indians, such as education, sanitation, taxation, and civil rights. He also opposed the partition of Bengal in 1905 and supported the Swadeshi movement
o He was a champion of social reform and opposed the ill-treatment of untouchables, women, and minorities. He supported the Age of Consent Bill in 1891, which sought to raise the minimum age of marriage for girls from 10 to 12 years. He also campaigned for the abolition of child marriage, widow remarriage,
and female education.
o He also took up the cause of Indians living abroad during his visit to South Africa.
o He played a key role in bringing about the Morley-Minto Reforms, the beginning of constitutional reforms in India.
o He established the Ranade Institute of economics in 1908 and started an English weekly newspaper- The Hitavada.
Source – PIB