Gangadhar Pantawane

Gangadhar Pantawane Biography

Gangadhar Pantawane was a well-known Marathi writer and journalist, who was also known as a reviewer, the follower of B. R. Ambedkar and Ambedkarite thinker. He was honored with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2018. He passed away the same year aged 80. He is known as the "father of Dalit literature". He became the elected president of the first Marathi Vishwa Sahitya Sammelan held in US in 2008. His journal Asmitadarsh promoted Dalit writers and thinkers.

Gangadhar Vithoba Pantawane was born on 28 June 1937 in Nagpur, present day Maharashtra. He was born in a dalit family in the Pachpawali area of Nagpur city. His father Vithoba Pantawane was not educated and Gangadhar’s younger days were spent in poverty. He got drawn towards the principles and ideologies of B. R. Ambedkar, when he met him at Nagpur at the age of 9. His father was also linked to Babasaheb Ambedkar's egalitarian movement. Gangadhar Pantawane’s schooling was done in Nagpur, followed by BA and MA degree from Nagpur College. He later completed PhD from Marathwada University in 1987 at the age of 50, based on the thesis "Patrakar Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar".

After his post-graduation, he moved to Aurangabad where he started his teaching profession. He joined as a professor in Milind College in the early 1960s and taught at the same college for 15 years. He later taught at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad for 20 years. He used to write for journals and publications while he was busy with his professional life. He embraced Buddhism at the hands of Babasaheb Ambedkar at Nagpur in 1956.

He published a total of 16 books, apart from editing several books, and serving as a journalist and publisher. Some of his works include - Ambedkari Janivanchi Aatmapratyayi Kavita, Patrakar Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, Smrutishesh, Dalitanche Prabodhan, Chaitya Dalit Vaicharik Wangmay, Mulyavedhlen, Dhamma Charchha, Sanity: Shod ani Samvadh etc. He wrote many books on Ambedkar.

Published: November 25, 2018

Updated: November 25, 2018