Debuji Zingraji Janorkar (now popularly known as Sant Gadge Baba) was born in the family of village washermen on 23 February 1876. He lost his father when he was just eight. His mother moved to her brother’s house with her son, and both mother and son had to lead a very hard life. Debu grazed the village cattle and worked hard in the fields belonging to his maternal uncle. After the death of his uncle, the village moneylender grabbed his uncle’s land, although the loan drawn by his uncle had been duly repaid along with all the accrued interest. Debu left home and wandered from village to village observing the poverty and indebtedness of the village people.
He swept and sanitized villages and talked to the people in
the evenings. He pleaded with his village audience for cleanliness and
sanitation and for the education of their children. Eventually, Gadge Baba, as
he was called — because of the broken earthen water pot he always carried,
often worn upturned on his head — became a great social force that changed the
lives of village folk. His message is encapsulated in the following ten point:
- Food to the Hungry
- Clean water to the thirsty
- Clothing for the poor
- Schooling for poor village boys
- Shelter for the disabled
- Treatment for the sick
- Employment for the poor
- Kind treatment of draught animals
- Encouragement for young men and women
- Hope for the desolate
He exhorted: ‘Educate your children; starve yourself if
necessary, but see that your children are properly educated.’ That was the work
of his lifetime and his ever-assuring message.