The Satyashodhak

The Satyashodhak publishes original articles offering a radical perspective on social issues, produces translations of historically important texts, and serves as a discussion forum for all progressive movements in India.

Website: https://thesatyashodhak.com
Get in touch: [email protected]

Last Notes

2026-07-09 19:42:33 UTC

"Many of the traditional song compositions in these communities show a connection with manual labour, which the upper castes absolutely abhorred. It is also through their occupations in the villages that we come closer to understanding where the above-mentioned songs come from."
Article by Elroy Pinto.
https://thesatyashodhak.com/bombay-catholics-caste-and-the-masala-music-mix/

2026-06-17 01:47:49 UTC

The language cops of Instagram: Brahmin obsession with ‘pure’ Marathi https://thesatyashodhak.com/the-language-cops-of-instagram-brahmin-obsession-with-pure-marathi/

2026-03-01 23:36:09 UTC

"The reason the caste system is fundamentally different from the varna system is not because they explain different realities but rather they explain reality differently." Article by [@h_tejas](https://newsie.social/@h_tejas ) https://thesatyashodhak.com/what-everyone-gets-wrong-about-varna-system/

2025-09-25 12:48:19 UTC

We are very pleased to announce the publication of The Phule We Remember, the first English translation of the Marathi book Amhi Pahilele Phule. Amhi Pahilele Phule was edited by Sitaram Raikar and first published in 1981 by Mahatma Phule Samata Pratisthan. It contains the memories of Jotirao and Savitribai Phule's contemporaries, which were collected by Pandharinath Patil in the late 1920s and were well-preserved in his notebook.
The Phule We Remember is an initiative of the Abrahminical Histories of a City Collective, Pune and the book will be published serially on The Satyashodhak website. The readers can expect a new chapter/memory every Monday.
On the occasion of 152nd anniversary of the Satyashodhak Samaj on September 24, we released the first installment — the introduction written by Sitaram Raikar to the 1981 edition. https://thesatyashodhak.com/the-phule-we-remember-an-introduction-by-sitaram-raikar/
We are grateful to Christian Lee Novetzke and V. Geetha for gracing our launch event and contextualising the book and the Satyashodhak movement for us.
For updates, do join our WhatsApp channel: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va5XsGLLNSZvm3ibUu02
And subscribe to our newsletter: https://substack.com/@thesatyashodhak

2025-09-21 13:37:15 UTC

On the 152nd anniversary of the Satyashodhak Samaj, we warmly invite you to the launch of the English translation of Amhi Pahilele Phule, a text of remembrance that chronicles the lives and struggles of Jotirao and Savitribai Phule. The event, which will be held on Zoom, will reflect upon what it means to remember, translate and carry the voices of contemporaries of the Satyashodhak movement into our present.
We are honoured to have Prof. Christian Lee Novetzke (University of Washington), whose work explores memory, religion, and public life in South Asia, and Prof. V. Geetha (historian, feminist scholar, and founding editor of Tara Books), who has long been writing about caste, gender, and translation.
The session will be guided by Tejas Harad (founder-editor, The Satyashodhak) and Rucha Satoor (representing the Abrahminical Histories of a City Collective).
Wednesday, 24 September
Time: 8.30 pm IST to 10 pm IST
Link: https://upenn.zoom.us/meetings/93254731039/invitations?signature=DYwMvvvApVIqaO1g2jzLuqvKnj6_9-PC8dLbepx586A
Meeting ID: 932 5473 1039
Passcode: 1234
See you there!
https://s3.c.im/media_attachments/files/115/242/549/919/576/485/original/2ba55c274970b29e.jpg

2025-05-29 05:04:01 UTC

OBC Subcategorisation as a path to substantive equality https://thesatyashodhak.com/obc-subcategorisation-as-a-path-to-substantive-equality/

2025-05-23 13:09:30 UTC

"The Palghar conference began with women’s movement songs and the local tarpa folk dance. Madhubai Dhodi, an activist associated with the Kashtakari Sanghatana, chaired the conference.
Madhubai Dhodi." https://thesatyashodhak.com/maharashtra-all-women-conference-calls-attention-to-womens-health/

2025-05-23 13:08:46 UTC

"To achieve true liberation, OBCs must free themselves from the influence of Brahmanical traditions that perpetuate social hierarchies," writes Sai Ganesh Akarapu. https://thesatyashodhak.com/ambedkar-and-other-backward-classes/

2025-03-08 17:06:47 UTC

Buddhist community demands control over Bodh Gaya temple https://thesatyashodhak.com/buddhist-community-demands-control-over-bodh-gaya-temple/

2024-09-20 04:22:16 UTC

OBCs must demand caste census https://thesatyashodhak.com/obcs-must-demand-caste-census/

2024-09-08 02:32:35 UTC

Phule to Panthers via Ambedkar: A brief history of Marathi anti-caste journalism https://thesatyashodhak.com/phule-to-panthers-via-ambedkar-a-brief-history-of-marathi-anti-caste-journalism/